Physical Warm-Up for Singing

So here we are, preparing to sing a song. The first thing I want to teach you is a physical warm-up.

Connection with Your Body

It's not going to be major, no aerobics, stretching, or intense exercises. Instead, it's about:

• Physical connection
• Mental connection

Stand Up

Please stand up for me. Everyone at home, assume a nice, solid stance. You can have:

• Feet shoulder-width apart
• One foot in front of the other
• Whatever feels comfortable for you

Now, gradually start to gently sway your body. Beautiful! Even the crew is joining in, which is fantastic.

Hey, Ross! (Ross is my accompanist for today.) Swaying, mate. Just get that gentle flow going in your body, feeling the movement as the blood begins to flow.

Breathing Techniques

As I sway, I feel my rib cage gradually pop out and expand. With that, I start to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.

• In through the nose
• Out through the mouth

Keep swaying gently as you relax. It only takes two or three breaths to get the air flowing in your body. This warm-up is all about:

• Relaxation
• Calming your muscles
• Preparing to sing the song

Focus on Breath

Now, slow down the swaying. Let's work on breathing again:

• In through the nose
• Out through the mouth

Draw that air in slowly from the ground and then blow it out hard.

• Draw it in
• Blow it out

As I do this, I feel my lungs expand. My rib cage is where I want to feel it. Imagine where you want to be while slowly drawing the air in and letting it out.

Loosening Your Body

Let's get back into the sway. Start to loosen your neck by rolling your head around. Get rid of all the tension:

• Roll it side to side
• Front to back
• Round and round, really slowly

Facial Massage

While you're doing that, let's talk about the muscles in your face:

• Extend your mouth
• Open up wide
• Stick your tongue out
• Scrunch your face up, then open it wide again

This is like a facial massage, loosening all those muscles so they're pliable and elastic.

Inhale and Expand

For me personally, I like to work on expanding my lungs. I raise my arms above my head and do inhaling exercises:

• Push my hands high to the ceiling while dropping my shoulders
• Inhale through the nose and out through the mouth

Remember: Breathe deep!

Understanding Diaphragmatic Breathing

Many people fall into the habit of breathing from the top of their chests, which only fills a small percentage of the lung space. Instead, learn to use the entire space of your lungs.

When you take a breath:

• The diaphragm pulls down
• It extends the lungs, sucking air into the bottom

This helps fill all spaces in the lung, allowing you to sing longer phrases comfortably.

Hands on Your Stomach

Place your hands on your stomach and take a deep breath. Try to move your fingers apart. The more you do that, the more expansion you'll feel and, yes, you might feel a bit dizzy, this is a good sign! It means you're getting air into your body and blood flowing to the muscles you need.

Importance of Breathing Exercises

All these exercises are crucial before you start making vocal sounds.

Observation on Breathing

Look at a newborn baby: they have beautiful, rounded barrel chests. This is because they breathe correctly from the very beginning.

• As we grow older, we can develop bad breathing habits.
• A baby can cry or scream for hours without losing their voice because they breathe correctly.

Just like animals, like dogs, who can bark all night without losing their voice thanks to their natural way of breathing.

The Goal

Try to get back to that natural way of breathing.

• Work on your breathing exercises
• Drop your shoulders
• Push the air down
• Draw that air into the bottom of your lungs

The more you practice, the easier it becomes.

Final Note

So, this warm-up isn't about major physical exercises, just gentle swaying to help you enter a peaceful, calm mindset for singing.