Voice Lessons & Tips - The Proper Way to Warm Up - Rock the Stage NYC

[hilary2k]

THANK YOU, KEVIN!

[calastiur]

I'm surprised you can do this without laughing, I bursted out laughing a few times but I'm sure these exercises will help me. Thank you!

[RocktheStageNYC]

@calastiur - one of my best teachers once said to me "if the exercise doesn't seem a bit silly, its not worth doing". Words to live by.

[calastiur]

@RocktheStageNYC Ah thanks! Question: how do you properly warm your voice up if you're free? I'm 18 and go to school and usually my voice feels more relaxed once I'm home after a couple of hours cause I already used to my voice cause I talked. However my vocal coach said that on a free day once I've been doing exercises my voice should be warmed after 15 (!) minutes already which I really have my doubts about. How do you properly warm up on a day off? Thanks in advance!

[RocktheStageNYC]

@calastiur - warm up can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour depending on the voice and its abilities. I have videos with some warm up exercises right here on my channel. I also sell a 45min warm up routine on thevoxshop(dot)com called "Vocal Fire".

[RocktheStageNYC]

@mouthforwar93 - There is no way smoking has improved your voice - its a physical impossibility. Smoking should be avoided at all costs. Its ruins your lungs (tissue scarring) and your vocal cords.

What I would say is that taking up smoking has had a psychological effect on your personality. You might "feel" cooler or more confident. That would redefine your self image when you're singing.

How can taking in hot smoke across delicate tissue be anything but bad for you?

[iannyrockwell]

Hey Kevin! At home alone I can sing better and I feel comfortable, but with band or outside... I sounds like shit and keep forgetting lyrics. When I stretched my voice to high note its gets shaky and out of tune... any advice?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@iannyrockwell - you said it - at home you are comfortable. Outside that comfort zone and nerves set in, which can play all kinds of havoc on your voice, your brain and your body. You are also probably singing at a lower volume at home than with the band and the extra push of volume at band rehearsals will confuse your voice as its used to practicing at a lower volume. Practice/sing at home with the volume you use at rehearsal so its gets used to singing at that volume. This is common.

[smparsons111]

This isn't really on topic, but there was a couple things that confused me. Does singing with an open throat mean the same as singing with a raised soft palate? Also, is it possible to sound good singing contemporary music with the soft palate raised all the time? The reason I ask this is because some people say that singing with a raised soft palate is the proper way of singing and can sound good in contemporary music, but won't this make the tone too dark? Thanks. :)

[RocktheStageNYC]

@smparsons111 - the proper way to sing is with a raised soft palate but not all the time. It would make your voice too bright, too brittle. Raising the soft palate is part of the open throat technique but I really only employ an obvious raised soft palate as I blend into my mix and head resonances. I don't need an overly raised palate in my normal chest resonance.

Raising the palate brightens your sound. Lowering it darkens your sound.

[smparsons111]

@RocktheStageNYC But in the Singing Success program, it says that when the soft palate is raised, there is preference to the mouth as a resonator, creating a distorted, hooty sound. While if it is lowered in a natural position, the tone is more nasal, creating a brighter sound.

[RocktheStageNYC]

@smparsons111 - raising the soft palate opens the throat creating a richer, fuller sound with more clarity and extends the chest tonality.

By Singing Success's definition (a lowered palate is its natural position) everyone's speaking voice would be a bright, nasal sound.

You raise the palate to create space in the throat allowing more resonance to be created in the mouth AND nasal cavity. This is often referred to as an "inner / internal smile".

[smparsons111]

@RocktheStageNYC Okay, thanks! Do you do skype lessons?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@Arfat - well yes and no. There are proper ways to scream & growl that don't damage your voice. The screams & growl sound are created at the soft palate - away from the vocal cords.

[RegenKaulitz]

@Arfat

well this there anyway to make those type of sounds, or give a song that kind of intensitywithout damaging your vocal chords?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@exyle0 - look at my channel. Head voice octaves.

[amangonecrazy]

i can sing up from chest to headvoice, but what i cant do is going back down, i jsut cant connect my head voice with the chest voice, it always ends up cracking, what to do?:D

[RocktheStageNYC]

@amangonecrazy - if you can do it going up (are you really?) the process is the same butting going back down. Finish like you start.

[zarich525]

hello kevin ...you can teach me how to vibrato of voice and high voice? ..i hope you respond my messege.".thank you"

[RocktheStageNYC]

@zarich525 - sure book some online vocal lessons off my website.

[RocktheStageNYC]

@exyle0 - Yup

watch?v=EfN8cHsweQA

[TheSubwaysurfer]

gotta say KEVIN, THIS warmup sure beats the scale in terms of fun, and doesn't "FEEL" like "SINGING" which the five octave , do re me slash a e i o u traditional warm ups do. When I first start to warm up, strange as it sound, I dont "feel" like "singing" yet, and always hated the two aforementioned warm ups because they always "made me do so." With THIS warmup of yours, you can go progressively higher, hear when you're flat, and immediately correct it. Brilliant.

[RocktheStageNYC]

@TheSubwaysurfer - Thanks. I created this because I too don;t like singing right away in my warmups. I also wanted an exercises where I didn't feel like I was actually doing an exercise or needed to hear a scale. You can do this anywhere at any time.

[TheSubwaysurfer]

@RocktheStageNYC How do you know if you're doing it correctly? for instance, when I go from head to chest, on the WOOOOOOO sound, I feel the "buzzing" in my head register and as i get progressively lower I start to feel it in the roof of my mouth and then in my chest. Is THAT what Im supposed to feel?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@TheSubwaysurfer - yup.

[BluefalconJAR]

This was a great video. I have a question. I have major trouble getting past an E5. I dont have much trouble singing high tenor songs like Dont Stop Believing, sweet child of mine, etc. but once I get above high c, my voice just starts to get louder and harder to control. I keep trying to keep my voice in the mask abut I can't get above an f#5 and that's pushed. Any tips?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@BluefalconJAR - whatever you are doing to reach that E5 is too much. It should feel almost effortless to sing those notes. If not, you are pushing way too hard - which is why your notes are getting louder as you go higher. Forget about "mask" and all that crap, its about airflow and control.

Tips are easy but they won't help you much - you need a few weeks of serious technique training to get out of pushing to achieve high notes. I had this problem myself many years ago and thats what it took.

[TheSubwaysurfer]

@RocktheStageNYC 'FORGET ABOUT THE MASK AND THAT CRAP" LOL!!!! You ARE a New Yawker , arent you, Kevin? LOL!!! LOVE your explanations! AIRFLOW and CONTROL is what it's about. Now THAT'S tangible advice that a "Rockhead" like me can easily understand instead of esoteric, terms like "THE MASK"... aint he a cartoon character Jim Carey played?

[BlodwynBeynon]

My dog really likes this one..it's the only exercise he 'sings' along with me! !LOL...I've NEVER heard him howl before!!

[Gigsixstrings]

Hey, Kevin, currently my vocal range is from F#2 to G4. is it possible that I`ll hit A4 without any trouble if I really work hard and take care of my voice? and what`s average male vocal range? Thank you for all these lessons! I really appreciate it, man!

[RocktheStageNYC]

@Gigsixstrings - F#2 - G4 is the average comfortable male voice range. being able to go beyond that is kind of easy once you know how to do it. I had this exact range once myself but I wouldn't settle for that so through proper training I was able to extand my range and power well beyond that.

Getting to G4 and beyond is kind of easy of you know the right techniques and practice everyday. We put a man on the Moon so anything is possible.

[betoavb]

Hi There Kevin, this is Beto from Brazil.

I've never take any vocal classes, and whenever i were singing, after 5 songs, my voice started to sound "itchy"...

Last gigs, i've warming up my voice, and noticing whenever i sing, not to set any tension on my body, making it softly... Yesterday i could sing for 3 hour, without feeling any harm.. warmed down after, today felt amazing... thanks for your tips

[kwikpieman]

hey i need help trying to sing more higher in some songs

im a metal/thrash singer and on some songs im having trouble singing more higher. do you have any tips?

And is yelling like 2 or 4 times a song or every few songs bad for my voice?

And im a teen so i do realize that my voice will change within a couple of years

thanks

[RocktheStageNYC]

tips? yeah by my vocal course. There's very little I could say here that would make any difference. You need structured instruction and practice.

Yelling is NEVER good for the voice - ever.

[ZeLoveBugXx]

Why does my throat hurt after singing only one song?

[RocktheStageNYC]

Simple - you're singing technique is VERY wrong or you're singing songs outside your current vocal range..

The #1 mistake people make with singing is simply trying too hard to do it. Singing should be effortless and easy.

[DumemiruMetallic]

um, you're kind of, awesome! Thanks!

[Yearst]

Thanks! Great tips.

[masty666]

hey first thank you for being alert to the new questions!! im starting to be a vocal in a hard rock band does this warm up applies just as good??

[RocktheStageNYC]

it applies to EVERY type of singer.

I am a Hard Rock singer myself so almost everything I put on Youtube is geared for Rock, Hard Rock & Metal singers.

[MrChubbleyWarner]

what I do with the 'oo-ee' siren is to take a really big diaphram breath and put my hand on my stomach and do the 'siren'.. feeling my hands coming in and try to get as many sirens in as I can in one breath...hope this helps anyone?

[RocktheStageNYC]

what you're doing is an off shoot of this exercise I call the "fire engine".

[Tidus21Yuna]

`i dont have a good voice but if i do that everyday/daily...will my voice change into a better one?

[RocktheStageNYC]

this is just a warm up - it will help a little but developing a good voice into a great one takes a lot more than two exercises. It takes time, patience and a lot of hard work.

[MrChubbleyWarner]

...and developing a Bad voice into just a Good one takes even more!! Thanks for the tip Kevin...always welcome here : D

[Zodomir]

I better be alone when doing this excersice ¬¬ last time my neighbors thought I was nuts

[RocktheStageNYC]

half the battle of being a great artist is you have to have a "who gives a fuck"attitude to what other people might think.

There's nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about in wanting to be someone better than you are right now.

[Zodomir]

I know but still they look at you weirdly, at least they dont go to shush me.

[therefuter]

What a wonderful new year's gift! Haha

Thanks Kevin!! I really enjoy how you work vowels and the head voice.

Happy new year!

[vlatkoila4ev]

I guess the circle was in full voice because your vocal chords were zipped and u didnt break the passagio ... But it was so light! Is it because u didnt used pharunxeal contractions (metal bite video)?

[RocktheStageNYC]

I am applying a very slight pharyngeal contraction to thin out the voice as I approach the top "Eee" sound. Its not that noticeable because I can add as little or as much as I want.

[karolinakar]

Great tip!! Thanks:)

[Goblonaut]

Good video Kev, Whats your vocal range btw? You mentioned somewhere that you are a baritone, but you can do a C6 in head voice apparently.

[RocktheStageNYC]

I can go as low as A1 and as high as C6 - a little over 4 octaves.

[Guitarsthatkill]

Awesome stuff, your vids.

Thanks for helping make a difference, man.

[Rosannasfriend]

yes!!! A new tip! Great way to start the new year! Thank you!

[RocktheStageNYC]

Thanks. New videos coming.