warmups and singing

[fenderplayer1100]

i know this may sound like a dumb question but does the voice really sound a lot better after the voice is warmed up rather than just singing straight out as soon as you wake up?

oh almost forgot, for me, i have these notes that are really quiet when i get to higher ranges in my voice, but when i get higher than those certain notes my voice become almost, if not as resonate as my chest voice. when i hear country music singers, for example, it seems like when they hit these higher notes they still have some about the same full tone as they would if they were singing in chest voice. Are they actually pushing their chest voice up in order to receive this tone.

I'll give you a link to a video and show you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jaObHdpcCI

[kriswrite]

The quick answer to your first question is YES. You wouldn't run a marathon without warming up (I hope), and you shouldn't do a gig without warming up, either. Your voice is basically a set of muscles. They don't perform well when "cold."

Warm ups needn't be fancy. Humming is a great warm up and easy to do while you drive to your gig. Follow that with some basic scales over your range, then sing a difficult section of song. Voila! Done!

It's difficult to be specific about your second question, since it depends on which country singers you're listening to. Sometimes singers do take their chest voice up beyond their break (it's called "belting"), but it's also true that if you haven't been singing for very long (or very much), your head voice or falsetto may be weak. Again, your voice is a series of muscles, and if you don't use those muscles much they won't perform the same way they would if they were used often.

In addition, if you're straining to get those top notes, you are preventing good resonance...which would make the notes seem more quiet.

Kristina
http://voicestudio.kristinaseleshanko.com

[DougJI]

I find warmup exercises useful not just for warming up but whenever the voice is feeling a bit raspy or dirty or sore say in between songs, running through a song doing stuttered ds or motorboating really helps get rid of phlegm and soreness and lets you hit those notes. Also keep in mind not warming down can do as much damage as not warming up, just going through a scale at a low volume at the extremes and in the middle is enough, but it will help you avoid any pain in the throat.

[fenderplayer1100]

well back to my second question..are you necessarily doing damage if you "belt" rather than just using your middle voice; knowing that they middle voice isn't as strong as you want it to be? I mean my chest voice is great. I can hit some "girly" notes with thick and rich tone, but when it comes to those notes in between the chest voice and head voice I'm lost..they sound too weak. Well I heard that you can strengthen these notes as well instead of just belting. If you know any of these could you share? Thanks dude

[Screamin_Demon_Auz]

You're talking about your break or passagio which is the technical term for it. It's the weak spot in everyone's voice, where you switch registers from chest to head voice. You can develop either a mix which is a light sound and is a mix of chest and head resonance, or you can belt. Whatever suits the song is best. I would learn some speech level singing techniques if I were you since you are into the country sound. Get Brett Manning's Singing Success program if you can afford it (its $200) or Seth Riggs' (founder of Speech Level Singing) book and CD set called Singing for The Stars. Basically though just when you are doing exercises, let your voice self regulate. If it wants to be in head voice on a certain note, don't push to make it chest. Let your voice crack; you are just exercising your voice so it doesn't matter. When you are actually singing, thats when you can pull chest up a bit which would be belting. Belting is actually perfectly safe as long as its strain free. For it to be strain free, you've got to take the right breath and push down like you are using the restroom.

[kriswrite]

I have to disagree that a warm down is necessary. I've never done this (nor have my students) and our voices are just fine. You should drink water after singing, though.

Belting isn't damaging - IF you do it right. Meaning if you continue to apply good singing technique. Belting has a bad reputation, though, because many people strain when they belt.

That said, you should still develop your "middle voice." Your voice is the sum of many parts. Any weaknesses in one area will affect other areas. (Really, though, there is no voice between the head and chest voice.) How do you develop this weak area? Practice. While using good vocal technique.

Screamin Demon's advice about your break is right on the money: Don't push. Just let your voice be.

Kristina
http://voicestudio.kristinaseleshanko.com

[DougJI]

I have to disagree that a warm down is necessary. I've never done this (nor have my students) and our voices are just fine. You should drink water after singing, though.

Belting isn't damaging - IF you do it right. Meaning if you continue to apply good singing technique. Belting has a bad reputation, though, because many people strain when they belt.

That said, you should still develop your "middle voice." Your voice is the sum of many parts. Any weaknesses in one area will affect other areas. (Really, though, there is no voice between the head and chest voice.) How do you develop this weak area? Practice. While using good vocal technique.

Screamin Demon's advice about your break is right on the money: Don't push. Just let your voice be.

Kristina
http://voicestudio.kristinaseleshanko.com

It's interesting that you make the analogy to athletes running in a marathon but then neglect the fact that you actually are supposed to stretch after activity, the same is true with any muscle in the body including those in the throat. My music teacher (as well as my baseball coaches and hockey coaches) have taught me this my whole life. Wikipedia supports this... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stretching and the muscles, ligaments and tendons in the throat are just the same as anywhere else in the body.

Anyways, if it could help keep my voice in better condition, I don't see why not.

[Merkaba]

It's interesting that you make the analogy to athletes running in a marathon but then neglect the fact that you actually are supposed to stretch after activity, the same is true with any muscle in the body including those in the throat. My music teacher (as well as my baseball coaches and hockey coaches) have taught me this my whole life. Wikipedia supports this... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stretching and the muscles, ligaments and tendons in the throat are just the same as anywhere else in the body.

Anyways, if it could help keep my voice in better condition, I don't see why not.

Well I must say that, although I stress warmin down to some degree, I can see Kristina's point. But the more stressfull and higher pitch you work I think the more you need to warm down, especially if youre doing stuff for like an hour or two.

The thing is that the analogy is true still because youre still gonna be talking and vocalizing after you sing, more than likely, and thus youll still be warming down and realigning over the next few minutes/rest of the day. If youre doing alot of high pitch stuff and falsetto I would really push it though. There are different schools/approaches. Some people would say that you also wouldnt train your legs everyday for a marathon while some people say you should do vocal training everyday. The principals are the same but in all actuality their is no other system like the cords system. Youre dealing with mucus membranes and smooth muscle tissue, not just a striated muscle hinged over a joint.

[fenderplayer1100]

well if you don't mind i have another question. I've noticed that when I see people playing acoustically on the street, their voice is pretty loud and even when they hit higher notes in the head register and falsetto. I've noticed that when I sing acoustically that I can barely hear myself sing along with my guitar. Could it be that becuase I'm singing I cannot hear myself too well over the acoustic guitar as opposed to someone who was listening to me? All I really want to do is be louder for my audience

[La Revolucion]

Chances are the people that you see on the street aren't trained in any way, and are just out there doing whatever they want with their voice, dangerous or not. Singing loud for a long period of time can be damaging to your vocal cords. Get a small PA system and mic and run your vocals and acoustic through that. Set up the sound so that you never have to sing too much above speech level.

[DougJI]

well if you don't mind i have another question. I've noticed that when I see people playing acoustically on the street, their voice is pretty loud and even when they hit higher notes in the head register and falsetto. I've noticed that when I sing acoustically that I can barely hear myself sing along with my guitar. Could it be that becuase I'm singing I cannot hear myself too well over the acoustic guitar as opposed to someone who was listening to me? All I really want to do is be louder for my audience

You should be able to project yourself fairly well over an acoustic if you support with your diaphragm.

See: opera singers.

[Merkaba]

well if you don't mind i have another question. I've noticed that when I see people playing acoustically on the street, their voice is pretty loud and even when they hit higher notes in the head register and falsetto. I've noticed that when I sing acoustically that I can barely hear myself sing along with my guitar. Could it be that becuase I'm singing I cannot hear myself too well over the acoustic guitar as opposed to someone who was listening to me? All I really want to do is be louder for my audience

Well have you ever recorded yourself to see? You need to because you could be loud enough or perhaps too loud. And at some point you reach a point of diminishing returns as far as push goes. Be sure to keep in mind that optimal loudness will probably NOT be at your hardest push. Some people sing too loud anyways, so record yourself a few times and see how that sounds, and/or ask a friend.

^ DougJI has a good point.

[kriswrite]

You aren't hearing yourself as others hear you, no question about that. But with good technique, your voice will carry much better. Singing loudly, in and of itself, isn't damaging. It can be done with good technique.

So what is good technique? Well, the basics include supporting your voice with your diaphragm, feeling as though you're tension free (especially in the shoulders, neck, and face), and flopping your jaw down. I think you'll find many posts on these topics.

Kristina
http://voicestudio.kristinaseleshanko.com