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Lesson 6: The Importance of Warming Up
When I first began singing seriously as a teenager, I prided myself on "not needing to warm up". Somewhere I got the idea that this was a sign of weakness or something. However, looking back after many years of training, I now think that my technique was simply so low at that point that warming up honestly didn't seem to make much of a difference. I have found that as my knowledge of technique has increased, so has my need to warm up.
Some important points about warming up:
• Warming Up Isn't Just About Singing Scales
Warming up also means giving your voice time to wake up. It actually takes your voice two hours longer than the rest of your body to fully wake up, so never push your voice first thing in the morning, and make sure you've been talking for a while before you begin to sing the first time each day. If you have to warm up for a performance or audition early in the day, you may wish to begin your warm-up by simply reciting a poem or reading aloud.
• Warming Up Requires Time
It is not a race, and treating it that way can cause damage. Make sure that when you are planning a warm-up before a performance or audition, you are leaving not only enough time to warm up slowly and properly, but also that you are leaving enough time after the warm-up (10-15 minutes) for your voice to rest before your performance begins.
• Get To Know Your Own Vocal Needs
Every voice is different, and a large part of what makes a great singer is knowing your own voice well enough to make decisions that will consistently benefit your performance. One of the things that you should know is how long it takes your voice to "cool off" after warming up. If you warm-up and then are forced to wait, will your voice still be ready to go an hour later? Will one or two scales after an hour be enough to return you to performance level? This is something that is easy enough to experiment with at home: Just warm-up and then go and watch TV for an hour, and then try to sing a performance piece. (Note: Use common sense and be careful! If you begin to sing and it is obvious that your voice is no longer warm, don't keep trying to push it and risk hurting yourself. It's not worth it.)
• Yes, You Do Need To Plan
If you want to take your vocal performance to the next level, it is essential that you plan out all aspects of a performance, including the warm-up. The best way to build a warm-up that will work perfectly for you is to keep a practice journal.
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