Voice Lessons - Warm Up using Lip Rolls - Rock the Stage NYC -

[christoc99]

That was so good.... you are such a good coach!!!!! ..... i like the fact that you used the stupid aliens as an example: ) LOL ... well Im sure not all of them are stupid but some are!

[GreenySVK]

TRY NOT TO DO IT IN PUBLIC ... never ! i tried...

[lukie69]

Seriously guys, one of the best Singing vids on here

[RocktheStageNYC]

@lukie69 - Thanks.

[ItsFromDevin]

I always have trouble going lower. Even with tongue trills. Neither my lips or tongue want to go low. LOL, they kinda stop working, even if my voice is still working.

[RocktheStageNYC]

@ItsFromDevin - lips trills and tongue trills are too light on the vocal cords to train low notes as they use very little air pressure. Low notes have to be trained with pure, open sounds like "Yeah", "Uh", "Oh" and "Ow". These sounds gets the vocal cords to close properly without using huge amount of air.

[ItsFromDevin]

@RocktheStageNYC  Good to know. Thanks!

[dazgel]

Hi! I'm a complete beginner at this, if i wanted to follow the videos in your playlist how long should I practice each one?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@dazgel - well this is just a warm up exercise and you can pretty much do lip rolls for hours and not fatigue. Guaranteed you get bored with them before you tired from them. Its very light on the voice but a nice way to gently stretch the voice.

General rule is if you're going to practice a list of exercises - spend 10minutes on each one. If you're going to only practice one exercise or scale, spend 15-20min on it. Those 15-20min a day add up over the course of a week.

[Renee04241986]

Thanks for the tip its greatly appreciated..I guess its time to work on that tension..: )

[Renee04241986]

Hey I have a question, Sometime when I sing high trying to access my head voice I get an itch in my throat. Could you please tell me why this happends?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@Renee04241986 - if you're getting a tickle or scratchy feeling in your throat, there is tension with the tongue somewhere.

[RadicalBroskii]

Hey Kevin, I have a quick question about this exercise. I'm a bass-baritone, and have a pretty weak head voice. Will doing these lip rolls regularly improve power/volume in my head voice, or are they just mainly for bridging head and chest voice? If not, what exercises would you suggest for power/volume? Thanks.

[RocktheStageNYC]

@RadicalBroskii - I use these only for warming up my voice from chest to head voice. They aren't designed to create volume or power as they don't generate enough breath support and vocal cord compression.

Look at my channel - especially the videos uploaded within the last 6-9 months. Those are geared toward power/volume.

[Oslo13]

Hello, When I do Lip Roll and when I'm done with it. So feel my voice a much brighter is it right? that it should be like that?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@Oslo13 - Yes your voice should feel lighter and brighter. That is what they are made to do for your voice.

[iamaveryuglyboy]

oh my god

i cant do that without the tension at my chin T^T

how can i do that without the tension at my chin..

pls help meT^T

[RocktheStageNYC]

@iamaveryuglyboy - be very gentle - just enough pressure to make them work. You have to relax. Try closing your eyes and just picturing yourself gently yawning out breath. Let your lips flap loosely. Don't try for a specific pitch, just loose flapping. Once you get them flapping loosely, try to hold onto that flapping for a 5-10 seconds. If you can get the flapping going, try adding a pitch where you speak. Not higher or lower. If you can do that, slowly go up in pitch keeping that loose flap.

[iamaveryuglyboy]

@RocktheStageNYC thankyou for your elaborate aid ><that is useful!

[lschrumpf]

@RocktheStageNYC

Thanks for replying! I really am doing my best to let it just float up. When should I feel the resonance start to shift and begin to blend? Should I feel it a few notes before my break or really close to the break?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@lschrumpf - with lip rolls you will find you'll need to blend slightly earlier than your "break" so it can blend easily. Lip rolls don't apply a lot of closure on the vocal cords so they will want to naturally transition to a lighter sound earlier than you're probably used to. If you find lip rolls don't do it for you, just try using a buzzing hum. Humming puts slightly more pressure on the cords to close. I find them slightly better than lip rolls.

[lschrumpf]

@RocktheStageNYC

Your videos are really good, but I've been having some major issues. I've been practicing lip rolls for about 2 months, and I can do then just fine, but I can't connect it past my break. No matter what I try, I can't Get a smooth transition. Any ideas? Thanks!

[RocktheStageNYC]

@lschrumpf - how are you doing the lip rolls is the key. Are they relaxed or are you pushing to your top? The key to lip rolls is relaxation and letting the sound float into your head - don't force it.

[benobel]

When I record my lips roll, the sound "disappears" at the end. Anyone know why?

[SantoG3]

I love the UFO lol so comic...

[reyreaper23]

It's hard to do Lip Rolls with braces.XD

[Grmo19]

@reyreaper23 I can't do it at all. Have you managed it?

[reyreaper23]

@Grmo19 I did what some do with lip rolls, the one where you put fingers on your cheek just next to your lips, and i got the result.

[Grmo19]

@reyreaper23 I played around with that, and had to do it a little differently, but I eventually figured it out. Sometimes I can do it without pressing anywhere now, which is a huge relief.

[reyreaper23]

@Grmo19 Yes, good for you.. and sticking my lips out more did the trick.

[RocktheStageNYC]

@Grmo19 - you can also to tongue trills - or rolling "rrrrr"s

[LalalaJustYoutubin]

@reyreaper23 hahaha i know what you feel . :)

[voicewisdom]

Hi - I like that you do this with such relaxed lips and throat. I have found that you can do even more effective lip rolls by avoiding 'p' or 't' at the start - these create a small amount of tension at the lips. Starting purely with airflow removes any tension from lips, jaw and tongue, freeing the vibratory mechanism and opening the mouth resonance even more. It also requires us to breath from deep abdominal muscles - otherwise the lip vibration doesn't launch.

[RocktheStageNYC]

@voicewisdom - Thank you Alexander. It should be very loose and with a dopey kind of feeling. No tension in the neck whatsoever. Tension in the neck means tension on the cords and that's counter to what the liprolls are designed for.

[playmygame100]

damn it works thanks for thew video..may i have your email?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@playmygame100 - visit my website to contact me.

[nfmblossoming]

oh gosh~ I think I blew to much air out xD grr it's hard if you have a short lung capacity~ I spat on my screen xD but it's actually fun to do it :D problem is that I can't feel my lips anymore... it's like they're not there xD almost like I blew them off my face xD

[Simstyle12]

it makes my voice feel so much lighter but damn, its so hard to hold for like atleast 10 secs lol & it does kinda help tho when i put my fingers in the hollow places of my cheek .

[RocktheStageNYC]

@Simstyle12 - the more you do them, the easier it gets to hold them for longer. You have to relax and not blow too much air through your lips.

[00Crazyness]

I just end up spitting every where lol :(

[RocktheStageNYC]

@00Crazyness - too much air pressure. Its a lighter thing to do than you think. Try holding the sides of your mouth up between your thumb and 2nd finger. Hold them right in the hollow spot of your cheeks. This relives some tension from the lips and can help people do this better. If all else fails you try tongue trills or simple humming.

[00Crazyness]

@RocktheStageNYC Thanks for actually replying back :)..I will try that next time and I'm liking all the videos, gonna subscribe now.

[kaosumi]

lol it's not hard! Thank you very much! but it tickles my lips xDDD

[12enma12]

OMG!

its hard!!

ba Brr Ba Brr Ba ba ba Brr!!

but it helps~!thx!

[RocktheStageNYC]

@12enma12 - try lifting the corners of your mouth with the thumb and index finger of one hand. Sort of pick up the area where your cheeks meet the corners of your mouth. That may help.

[12enma12]

I tried and true it does!!!

thx!!! X3!!!!

[batsarecool09]

mine only lasts for a few seconds =(

[RocktheStageNYC]

@batsarecool09 - you may have too much tension in the lips or you are blowing out too much air. Its a VERY relaxed thing. Very relaxed and bubbly.

[musicalsubgenre]

oh my god I can't do it!! I roll my r's instead.

[RocktheStageNYC]

@musicalsubgenre - either one works the same way.

[oioikanone]

i think i need to draw a ufo as well. otherwise my roommate might think i'm nuts or soething...

[justinftw100]

subscribed

[Gigsixstrings]

hah, I had trouble with moving my tongue but now, finally, it started working like a jet engine! ;) cool exercise!

[RockstarWilliamz]

I used to be able to this when I was younger but now this seems impossible!! my tongue keeps getting in the way and then my cheeks fill up with air and i just blow out spit. LOL

[RocktheStageNYC]

@RockstarWilliamz - you can substitue this with tongue trills - like rolling R's. They do the same thing.

It helps sometimes to hold up the edges of your mouth with your index and thumb fingers - like how a grandmother would pinch your cheeks but on the edges of your mouth. Hold the edges of the mouth up and try the lip roll. That sometimes helps.

[RockstarWilliamz]

Ha, thanks! Holding the edges of my mouth really helped.

[foreverud666]

wht should be the tongue position during lip roll??

[RocktheStageNYC]

it should be resting flat in your mouth and slightly forward up against the bottom front teeth.

[foreverud666]

thankyou \m/

[AquaBlue10]

oooh, we don't have to use our hands, that helps, Thanks!

[squaree]

You're really good. This will surely help. :D

[ZZZDeep]

Can you please tell me something about singing rock with the schratcier vioce, kinda whiskey voice, It hurts when I sing like that, how do you do to sing so witouth the pain in the throat? :)

[RocktheStageNYC]

if you are referring to singing with some grit or gravel to your voice - I can't describe the process here in words. It has to be taught slowly and with someone who knows that they're doing. There are many ways to do it wrong.

[mburch1974]

I like being able to visualize this :)

[RocktheStageNYC]

I found visuals help students keep the image of how to make these sounds or vocal movements easier and you remember it forever.

We as humans remember more of what we see than what we hear or read.

[raymondking092094]

the lip roll helped my voice a little,,,

and especially after youve just done the lip roll and start singing my voice sounds more clearer and more outstanding...im a male and i can sometimes hit soprano after using the lip roll...only thing how can i find my vocal range i dont have a piano...

[filmsforyou]

Thanks a lot! The spaceship really helps!

[mjmacrock]

Kevin how long should i warm up .. and how much should i wait and then sing ... Cuz i was warming up and after 10 minutes i started singing and damn my voice was not relaxed at all!???

[RocktheStageNYC]

its different for each person and how much training you've had. I well trained vocalist can probably warm up in about 20min as they know how to target their weak spots. A less skilled singer will take longer.

10min is nowhere near enough time. There's a process for warm ups - you're slowly warming the right muscles, working resonance and stretching past your highest note of what you're singing.

wait time doesn't matter as long as its within 60min of performing.

[raymondking092094]

my voice be relaxed just do it...

or maybe you might not be doing something right...

because when i do it it works really good...start singing soon after youve done it correctly....

[robbyperez]

Dude, I'm past the 50's space ship, the Enterprise, the Superstar Destroyer.... gimme somthing else...

[MrChubbleyWarner]

This is also a good indicator if your breathing correctly, as your lips stop bubbling when the airflow is not strong enough.

[6death6moon6]

Hi i would really like to improve my vocal range, but i don't know where to start. The problem is i've tried to access my head voice, and i ended up with a sort of thing that is definitely not chest voice but not even falsetto or head voice, though it's sorta of high and thin, it takes a lot of pushing to produce and sounds kinda lame.

I've tried some exercises but every time i get to a certain pitch i can't help but pushing and end up with this thing.What can i do? Thanks in advance :)

[RocktheStageNYC]

what can you do - subscribe to my channel, watch all my videos and try the exercises

[CleosAintPeter]

Recently I saw this technique on the youtube channel of Eric Arcineaux (however you spell it) and I was wondering if you got it from him.

[RocktheStageNYC]

Lips rolls are a VERY common warm up exercise. I'm not even sure who discovered this technique, but its been around a long time.

[CleosAintPeter]

Haha funny you say that because, after watching this video, I saw instructions on lip rolls in quite a few places. I've actually started doing lip rolls recently and it's certainly helped my breathing.

[JakeTF2]

jesus, im dying to be a singer but seein all these like, proffesional notes and phrases people are using is sorta making me feel like i have alot to learn, i wanna increase my range but i dont know how to go about it. i have this whole lip roll thing sorted and can do it no problem

[RocktheStageNYC]

LIps rolls are just a warm up - go through my other videos and try those and see what happens to your voice. Then contact me to see what we can do for you in terms of private lessons.

[JakeTF2]

ok will do, thanks man :)

[lashinout]

I can't do a lip roll. Tried pinching and all sorts of things on my face and mouth, just can't do it. I can do a lip roll though, does this achieve the same thing?

[RocktheStageNYC]

can you or can't you do a lip roll? you contradict yourself here. One can substitute a tongue trill for a lip roll - it achieves the same thing.

A tongue trill is how Spanish people say their "Rrr's".

[TaylorIsBallerr]

Okayy. So. I want to sing, in some way professionally. I know it's a slim shot but I LOVE singing. But I need a lot of help. i know I could do it, I just don't know the excercises or have the money to get a teacher. So I know this is one excercise but could you help me find a way to make my voice stronger and better?? Help would be very much appreciated. .

[RocktheStageNYC]

dude, your 16 - get your parents or any family member to get you some competent instruction or buy you some of the at-home vocal courses like Brett Manning's or Jeanie Deva, Hillary Canto. You only have to pay for the course and learn at your own pace.

I can't possibly instruct you via messages on YouTube. Go to my website under "free stuff" sign up for me private blog. I post stuff there I don't put on YouTube.

Thats the best advice I can give you.

[karatemomma]

would you recommend Brett Manning over Seth Riggs?

[RocktheStageNYC]

Brett started out as a Riggs user but left the SLS community over various disagreements with policy and teachings. I think Brett's course is much more expansive & flexible than Seth Riggs. I have found a lot of Riggs practioner's to be like Scientologists in their view of speech level singing - almost CULTISH in their narrow mindedness. Brett's pedagogy is more inclusive. I'm not an SLS singer myself but I use & teach some of the techniques myself as part of my overall curriculum .

[Hardrock3742]

are you supposed to roll your tounge? or just let your lips smack eachother

[RocktheStageNYC]

the lip roll is just that. a lip roll or lip bubble - lips flapping together to make the sound of a motorboat.

you can do a similar exercise where you roll the tongue the spanish "rrrrr" - "rrrrrroling"

[RJcur]

Thankyou very much, I struggle with the transistions, this should help me.

[RocktheStageNYC]

Do the flying saucer on various pitches from high to low and low to high. You are tricking your cords into transitions.

[RJcur]

Will do, thankyou for the help!

[ddrj5422]

Are lip drills ok if I can see my teeth when i do it in the mirror

[RocktheStageNYC]

Lip rolls or bubbles should very relaxed with your lips just moving enough to make the sound.

if you can see your front teeth a little, that's OK

.

No need to try to make a pitch or tone like I do in the video. Simply blow enough air to make them "bubble". Once you master that then try make a sound/pitch/tone.

[Harajuku102]

I can't do the lip trills, I've been trying for 2 months. Do you think it's because I have braces?

Also, i've heard you can roll your tongue like the do in spanish RR's. is that true?

[RocktheStageNYC]

Yes, braces will interfere with proper lips rolls if your braces are on the outside of your teeth. If they are behind them, you're probably not blowing the right amount of air through your lips.

Yes you can also do "tongue trills" instead of "lip rolls". Just like the Spanish RR's. You get the same benefit of taking some the pressure off the cords as you warm up.

[RocktheStageNYC]

the video is 4:25min and requires some explanation so people do them correctly. I demonstrate the exercise a minute into the video. The "Flying saucer" is a psychological technique to remember what to do and how it should feel. The problem with most YouTube videos about this is that they don't explain what is happening when you do these. I think people outta know. Its the mark of a good teacher.

[cutewig]

Seems like we have almost an identical range. I can sing clearly A2 to B5, and I can hit E2 to D6, not so clearly. What do you consider yourself, a baritone or a tenor? I believe I'm a baritone, but a singing coach told me I'm a tenor, because I cannot sing a G2 loudly, and I can very easily sing C5 to F5 in head voice. I believe anyone who can hit a clear and relatively strong A2 can't be a tenor, what do you think?

[RocktheStageNYC]

Out of curiosity I took out my handy "virtual piano" and started vocalizing.

My lowest note is A1 on a vocal fry, lowest clean note is C2. I can go that low only because I've worked that range my whole life. I used to imitate my Dad all the time - who had a really low speaking voice. My "resting tone" or speaking voice hovers somewhere between B3 and C4 (middle C) - right smack in the tenor range.

If can't do a G2 loudly but you can hit C5 & F5 easily you're not a baritone you're a tenor.

[cutewig]

I don't believe I'm a tenor.. My speaking voice is mostly C3. The easiest songs to sing for me are baritone songs: Johnny Cash (except when he goes as low as C2), Godsmack,, Seether, Pearl Jam, in all, I sing very easily in an A2-G#4 range, my easiest range being Bb2-C4. I don't think a tenor is comfortable in such range. A4 to D6 I can reach, but very uncomfortably, and I definitely force my self to achieve that. Do tenors really sing coMfortably and very thickly in the C3-C4 range, as I do?

[RocktheStageNYC]

I can sing very comfortably and with a lot of "roundess" throughout the C3-C4 range. I can go down to A2 quite easily if I want but my most powerful range is in the C4-C5 area - the basic tenor range.

Going higher is actually a more coordinated efforts than singing low so getting "up"in range is not an easy task for anyone but those whose speaking voice is in a natural tenor range like Steve Perry.

But there plenty of gifted tenors with naturally lower male voices like Geoff Tate.

[TwilightReign666]

How do you work out lower notes?

[RocktheStageNYC]

not sure what you mean. Work them out in what way?

[TwilightReign666]

I was referring to expanding my range at the bottom end. Also making my low notes sounds more vital, solid and powerful. I mean, wow C2 is amazing, cause I thought only true Basso Profondos can reach that low in the normal voice. I can reach notes lower than F2 only with stuff like growls (false vocal cords), fry, or forced (loud) fry which sounds pretty ridiculous unless you are singing black metal. (Black Metal IS ridiculous ^_^)

[RocktheStageNYC]

working low notes is just like working higher notes. But low notes require more air support than high notes.

contact me through my website and I'll send you an exercise MP3 that will help you work your lower range. A freebie on me>

[cutewig]

Well, dude, just out of curiosity, how low can YOU go doing lip rolls? (Your very lowest note). Also, you say U saw them play in 1982. Either you were a kid when that happened, or you really look much younger than your real age, if these videos here are recent. So U can also reach D6, bro? Have you ever tried to shatter glass with your voice yet? I'll try that feat very soon, when I can reach 110 decibels!

[cutewig]

BTW, dude, you really, really look like Bruce Dickinson, from Iron Maiden, in his younger days, when he just started singing 4 the band!

[RocktheStageNYC]

Thanks. That's a first for me. Wish I SOUNDED like Bruce in his "Number of the Beast" days. They didn't call him "The Air Raid Siren" for nothing. I saw them here In NYC at The Palladium in 1982 on "The Beast on the Road" tour and it was hands down the best live metal vocal performance I have ever heard. Second behind that was Geoff Tate on "The Warning" tour in '85. Intense.

[cutewig]

I cannot do lip rolls lower than C3. but I can sing clearly A2, and even go as low as E2 (very weak but clear) with no vocal fry. For highs I have no problems, I can go as high as A5, and my highest note is D6 (screaming very loudly). Any idea why I can't go lower than C3, when doing these lip rolls? I'm kind of frustrated and stuck, please help!

[RocktheStageNYC]

Nice range. I can hit D6 in full head voice if I've been practicing all week. My everyday high is B5.

Doing lips rolls into your lower ranges isn't really necessary as lower notes don't stress the cords like higher notes. Lips rolls take some stress off the cords as you warm up and it gets blood flowing to them. I demonstrate going high to low here only to emphasize bridging should be light and stress free. As long as you can do lips rolls you're good to go - don't worry about pitch too much.

[RocktheStageNYC]

as an added note - Lip rolls aren't really about doing them on pitches. You can do them simply by blowing air through your lips without a pitch and still get the benefits.

Be sure to work your lower range as much as your upper range for a balanced voice. And its a nice way to take a break from just working your upper notes. It's "cross training" for the voice.

[mradaChris]

Great analogy with the flying saucer!

chrsi

[RocktheStageNYC]

Thanks. Visualization is a great way to get students to understand and retain a lesson or technique. You may not remember everything I explained, but you'll remember the Flying Saucer.