Writing Great Songs

As a singer-songwriter, you probably spend a lot of time practicing your guitar or piano, writing lyrics, and perfecting your songs. But do you ever take the time to warm up your voice before singing? Many songwriters neglect their voice and don’t think of it as an instrument. However, taking care of your voice is essential if you want to perform your best and avoid injury.

Here are some vocal warm-up exercises that every singer-songwriter should know:

• Lip trills: This exercise involves blowing air through your lips to create a vibration. Start with a low-pitched hum and gradually move up the scale. This exercise helps to relax your facial muscles and warm up your vocal cords.
• Humming: Humming is another great exercise to warm up your vocal cords. Hum a simple melody, starting at a comfortable pitch and gradually moving up or down the scale. This exercise helps to warm up your voice and improve your resonance.
• Tongue trills: This exercise involves rolling your tongue while making a humming sound. Start with a low-pitched hum and gradually move up the scale. This exercise helps to warm up your tongue and improve your vocal agility.
• Vocal sirens: A vocal siren involves sliding your voice up and down the scale, starting with a low note and gradually moving up to a high note, then back down again. This exercise helps to warm up your entire vocal range and improve your pitch accuracy.
• Lip buzzes: This exercise involves buzzing your lips together while making a humming sound. Start with a low-pitched hum and gradually move up the scale. This exercise helps to warm up your lips and improve your breath control.
• Breathing exercises: Breathing exercises are also essential for warming up your voice. Take a deep breath in and then exhale slowly, making a “ssss” sound. This exercise helps to improve your breath control and support.

Remember to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity of your warm-up exercises. Don’t push your voice too hard, as this can lead to injury. Also, make sure to stay hydrated and avoid caffeine, alcohol, and smoking, which can dry out your vocal cords.

In conclusion, taking care of your voice is essential if you want to perform your best as a singer-songwriter. Vocal warm-up exercises can help to improve your vocal range, accuracy, and agility, as well as prevent injury. Make sure to incorporate these exercises into your practice routine and take care of your voice like the precious instrument it is.