Free Vocal practice!

Please keep in mind every voice is unique and often requires an individualized practice. This set of vocal exercises may not suit every voice. Do not continue singing if you feel you have strained or hurt your voice in anyway and consult a voice professional.

1) Warm up

Warm-up to centre yourself, focus and brush off the cobwebs before your exercises!

Goal: To move through your full range with ease.

Sound: Use a lip-trill (or a lip bubble) If you cannot produce this sound, simply hum. A lip trill is when you purse your lips a make a ‘brrrrr’ sound. It is also sometime referred to as a lip trill.

Tips:

  • Tip #1: Do not force your voice too high during this exercise. If you feel strain, stop short of the higher pitches.

  • Tip #2: To get from low to high and back again, some people will transition easily while others will experience a small click transitioning back-and forth between registers (some may experience more than a click – a break or a crack.) Please do not continue singing if you experience pain un discomfort in this.

  • Tip #3: If your voice breaks or cracks and you feel comfortable continuing to sing, please be as gentle as possible by whispering or ‘faking’ it though the transition. i.e reducing volume during the transition.

2) Breath Control

There is no track associated with this exercise. You will hum and/or sustain on any pitch that is comfortable for you

  • Goal: To explore the relationship between flow and pressure

    • Put your focus on your breath. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.

      • 3 breaths

    • Fill your tank to 75%, exhale and leave 25% of your breath in your lungs.

      • 3 breaths

    • REDUCE FLOW Inhale through the nose and exhale through the nose. Think about slowing the breath leaving your body. Extend your breath further. You will spend more time on the exhale to get down to 25.

      • 3 breaths. Put your finger under your nose, you will feel the warmth of your breath, but note a fast flow.

    • INCREASE FLOW Think about the breath leaving your body quicker. This will be a quicker journey down to 25.

      • 3 breaths. Put your finger under your nose, you will feel a more steady flow of air on your finger.

    • MOVE BETWEEN LOW AND HIGH FLOW ON “OH” Keep the pressure consistent. Try shifting the flow in the middle of a release! 

      • 3 “OHs” - Low to high flow (Clear-> breathy sound)

      • 3 “OHs” - High to low flow (Breathy-> Clear sound)

    • INCREASE PRESSURE Use a staccato rhythm: “OH OH OH” Keep the flow low. The volume will increase as will the power of the sound

      • 3 OH OH OHs - Higher pressure and low flow

    • REDUCE PRESSURE Use a staccato rhythm: “OH OH OH” . You may find the flow increases slightly. The volume will decrease as will the power of the sound

      • 3 OH OH OHs - Low pressure and moderate flow

    • MOVE BETWEEN LOW AND HIGH PRESSURE Use a staccato rhythm: “OH OH OH”

      • 1 OH OH OHs - High pressure / 1 OH OH OHs - Low pressure

3) Vowel Shaping

Explore vowels with this simplified look at shaping!

Goal: To explore “front’ and “back” vowels in the voice.

  • Back vowels: Consider the ‘beak’ vocal tract shape

  • Front vowels: Consider the ‘megaphone’ vocal tract shape

Sound: Try these two phrases:

  • Back vowel exploration: “After her bath, Martha relaxes” - Add a British accent!

  • Front vowel exploration: “Pat a cat n’ not a rat oh ya” - Add a Wisconsin accent!

Tips: 

  • Tip #1: If your voice feels pressed or forced, try adding more flow to ease into the sound.

  • Tip #2: Make sure your face, jaw, neck, shoulder and back are relaxed! Give your body a good stretch if body tension becomes an issue.

  • Tip #3: If you voice feels weak or difficult to control, try adding more pressure!

  • Tip #4: If strain, tension of strain persists, do not force your voice. Stop singing.

  • Tip #5: Really dig into the British and Wisconsin accents! Have fun!! Be silly!!!

4) Register balance

Chest, mixed and Head Voices!

Goal: To explore and balance the 3 vocal registers: Chest, mixed and head voices. Navigate the registers with the help of appropriate vowels and breath control techniques.

Sound: “Rain” broken down into 3 vowels

  • Re: (like respect ) This is ideal for deep chest voice resonance. Do your best to use this vowel when in a chest voice balance during “re-ai-een. This is a near back vowel. it is a moderately closed vowel. Think of the beak shape.

  • Ai: (like a hearty, Canadian eh) This is ideal for a balanced mixed voice. Do your best to use this vowel when in a mixed voice balance during “r-ai-een”. This is a near front vowel. It is a moderately open vowel. Right in the middle. Think of the megaphone shape.

  • Ee: (like eat) This is ideal for a powerful, modern head voice sound. Do your best to use this vowel when in a head voice balance during “re-ai-een”. This is a front vowel. Think of the megaphone shape.It is a closed vowel, but for our purposes you can open it right up anytime you want.

Tips: 

  • Tip #1: If you feel strain, reduce pressure.

  • Tip #2: To reduce the click between registers, add flow and open your vowel more!

  • Tip #3: If you feel weak or like you’re lacking control, try adding pressure! (without creating tension!)

  • Tip #4: If you feel you’d like a clearer sound, reduce the flow (without choking the sound!)

  • Tip #5: If your voice continues to click, try transitioning from chest to head or mixed voice earlier.

  • Trip #6: If you feel persistent strain or pain, please stop singing and consult a vocal coach or a voice professional!