My favourite Daily Vocal Exercises for Better Singing are three simple actions.
- Sirens
- Singer Stretches
- Speaking Voice Mindfulness
These essential tools laying solid foundations for your vocal development.
Updated 19th June 2022
1. Sirens
My daily go to for nurturing my voice is a Siren.
Essentially, it’s a vocal wake up and a stretch for your voice plus a chance to check-in with how your voice is feeling.
Simple and easy but effective. It takes about 30 seconds to do and is done gently and quietly.
Do each Siren three times in a row and do this as often as you need throughout the day.
Before and after extended periods of talking, singing or vocal rest. Basically whenever you need it.
Use it to check in with your voice at the start of the day to get an understanding of how your voice feels, how it sounds and what you might need to do to look after it as you move through the day.
Listen for gaps or any clunkiness in the coordination of your siren. You may need a longer warm up before singing and/or a few more Sirens to get your voice ready for speaking.
It may also mean you need some vocal rest or extra hydration.
The Siren can also help you to balance your co-ordination change points (sometimes referred to as a ‘break’ but trust me, your vocal folds aren’t broken, they just need better co-ordination!) which can help with agility and even extending your range!
With so many benefits, give it a go and let me know how your voice feels in 30 days.
Watch the video to see me demonstrate a Siren.
Remember to think about how it feels, keep your effort numbers low, keep the volume low and teach your voice to make sound at different levels of volume and intensity.
2. Singer Stretches
The next daily vocal exercise for better singing is Singers Stretches.
Tension is the enemy of the singer! You want to be sure your entire body is feeling relaxed for your voice to be able to co-ordinate and engage the correct muscles for singing. Tension can impact that agility and fine motor skill control that is required for efficient singing.
To relax your muscles, start with the bigger muscle groups; your hamstrings, back and chest.
Then move onto muscles that are closer to your Larynx. Your tongue, jaw, neck and shoulders.
Here is a video walking you through step by step! It will take you less than three minutes to stretch your entire body from head to toe. You can follow along with me.
3. Speaking Voice Mindfulness
Being mindful of how you use your speaking voice is a secret weapon for singers for preserving and developing your vocal ability.
It’s especially helpful to use speaking voice mindfulness before or after gigs.
Often, the music is loud and our voices can get fatigued trying to compete.
We may shout to communicate with our friends, laugh loudly or use the extremes of our voice. Yelling or whispering, those extremes can have a negative impact on your voice.
Try to be extra mindful of your speaking voice if you have a recording or performance coming up. Especially in the three days prior.
When speaking within your normal vocal range for an extended period of time, do a siren beforehand to prepare your voice. Also consider taking some modified vocal rest for at least 20 minutes afterwards.
Vocal rest involves not speaking for a set period of time. This allows any swelling that has occurred from high voice use to come down.
Use a vocal warm down to bring your voice back to where you usually speak. You can do that using a Reverse Siren.
Daily Vocal Exercises for Better Singing Should Take Just 5 minutes
Doing these three actions daily should only take you five minutes.
Make sure you are focused on releasing tension with your stretches both for your body and your voice with Sirens.
Then continue on with Speaking Voice Mindfulness throughout the day.
Try these three habits daily, look after your overall vocal heath and you will have an amazing toolkit that will help you build a solid foundation for your voice.
Let me know how your voice feels after a week of these daily vocal exercises and comment below if you have any questions!
Cherie
