Q&A for How to Warm up Your Voice

The best thing you can do is yawn and let out a big sigh. By yawning and sighing, you're opening up your throat and you're relaxing your muscles. This allows your vocal cords to expand and stretch. You can also try massaging your jaw. By massaging the sides of your jaw, you're opening up that space in your mouth and you're relaxing those muscles.

Try singing "whoooooo!", in which you start at a very low note, and then slur your way up to the highest that you can in a cheer-type way. It's an odd warmup but it helps you to get your higher range warmed up without damaging your voice.

It is possible for your voice to crack due to exhaustion. However, there are other reasons your voice could be cracking, such as: you've reached your range limit, poor posture, or lack of confidence and supportive air.

Using your stomach is the most important part of singing. To help, have good posture so that your diaphragm can go to its fullest. You will also have more power when you use your stomach, so far from being bad, it is very important to use your stomach when singing.

Try and make time before your audition to warm up, as there's no guarantee that they'll provide time and space to do so. If you can't make time beforehand, try to hum during the day while you're doing other things to get your voice relaxed at least a little.

Use your diaphragm. It is where you need to support your air if you want a bigger breath for anything. Lay on the floor, put your hand on your upper stomach right under your ribcage and think about breathing all the way to your stomach. Keep doing this until your hand moves up and down. Then, try it standing up, and then try getting your air from your stomach while you talk, and keep building until you have the outcome you want.

The most important part is to feel like you are breathing from deep in your belly, not your chest. You should see your stomach area expand when you breathe in. This gives you more air and helps you stay relaxed. Breathing through your nose is actually best for your vocal chords because the air is warmer when it reaches them, but it can be hard to get enough air this way. If you have plenty of time, like during a long rest, take a long slow breath through your nose, and then maybe a short breath through your mouth if you need it. If you have less time, or need to really belt out a section, take a sharp inhale through your mouth.

Keep working on it; with enough practice, the problems and tension will go away. Try to find some warm ups specific to that range, and use them every day. You can also find a voice coach; he or she will be able to help you train your voice and resolve any problems.

Go on vocal rest for a few days, gargle salt water and sip on warm beverages until your voice comes back.

Try to do high voice exercises, instead of low ones. If that doesn't work, you should ask a vocals teacher.

Make sure you are fully warming up your voice while breathing correctly. If it persists, consider seeing an ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor.

Vibrato isn't something that you can make happen unless you have it naturally. It doesn't have to be strong naturally, you just have to have it. If you notice a slight vibrato at all, try to pay attention to what it feels like and keep practicing it. Once you know what it feels like, you can try to use it by making your voice feel that way. The more you practice, the better it gets!

If you practice, you may be able to lengthen your vocal range. If the the note is not within your range you probably will still struggle, but practice should definitely help! Also, try to relax your voice as tension will make it much more difficult to reach the note.

It simply isn't within your personal vocal range. You may be able to expand your range with time and practice, but forcing your voice low can damage it.

Keep practicing with lower notes and working your way up to higher notes.

Play a note on a piano or equivalent and get your student to try and match it. If they are off, show them how you match it, then ask them to try again. Use hand/finger signals to tone them up or down until they sit at the right pitch. Ask if they can hear the difference when it is matched and when it is not. Repeat on the same note until they can get it relatively quickly. Then move onto next note.

Warm up a bit longer than you normally do. Then start with the lowest note you can hit comfortably, and begin to go to the next note down on the scale. Don't push yourself and don't go lower than the next note down. Keep repeating this until you can sing each note comfortably.

Instead of singing with just your lungs, try singing from your diaphragm and taking big deep breaths. Your vocal cords may be congested, vocal warm ups and drinking warm liquids like tea and honey should help.

Keep your hand on your abdomen, around the centre of your rib cage. Keep your shoulders at a natural stance while making sure your chest is expanding and your diaphragm (where your hand is) is moving up and down. Down as you breathe in. Down as you breathe out.

There is no required time, but from personal experience, a minimum of 5 minutes.

Try to warm up your voice very thoroughly before singing and start singing in a range where you don't crack. it could be that you have a very limited range, and just need to work your way outwards.

Maybe you can try singing more in your head voice. When you sing in your head voice there is less vibrato and more of a steady note.

Try to go in a corner or a quiet spot where you can really hear your voice. That said, you should try doing it with other people because you can learn how to balance your voice and see what type of voice your voice sounds good with.

By practicing and doing vocal warm ups.