Voice Exercises Training Center

Voice Exercises Training Center

Welcome to the My Voice Exercises training center. We have all of the resources you need to strengthen your voice. Voice exercises, vocal techniques, and ear training to help you advance your skill level in singing are just some of the useful pieces of information you’ll find here.

Breathing Exercises • •

Breathing Exercises for Singing Additional Breathing Exercises for Singing

Voice Warm-up Exercises • •

Vocal Warm-up Exercises Singing Warm-up Exercises

Voice Projection • • •

Voice Projection Exercises Voice Resonance Exercises Voice Exercises for a Stronger Singing Voice

Voice Control • • •

Voice Control Exercises Vocal Technique and Sound Placement Vocal Training with Ear and Pitch Exercises

Deep Voice Exercises

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Exercises for a Deeper Voice Exercises for the Mature Singing Voice Neck Exercises to Deepen the Voice

Breathing Exercises For Singing Posted in Breathing Exercises, Singing Exercises, Voice Warm Ups by admin Prior to learning how to sing, you should first learn breathing exercises for singing to control your breathing so that when you do sing, you perform at your optimal level. All humans are born with the natural ability to breathe. Unfortunately, as people grow older, they get lazy with their breathing habits. People develop the habit of taking shallow breaths, which improperly uses only the upper part of the lungs. This impedes the natural use of your full lung space.

Anatomy of Breathing Before you learn breathing exercises for singing and how to properly maximize vocal effectiveness, it is helpful to first understand the basic anatomy of the human respiratory system.

Your lungs are surrounded by a muscle structure called the diaphragm. The diaphragm is connected to your ribs and acts as an inflation apparatus. Highly effective singers learn to manipulate their diaphragm system and control the rate and volume of air that is exhaled. This in turn affects the quality of a singer’s voice. To understand how the diaphragm works in practice, try holding your hand in front of your face and breathing on it slowly. Pay special attention to your diaphragm as you

breathe outwards. As you breathe out, feel you stomach move inwards as air is exhaled. Allow your stomach’s inward movement to flow naturally; you don’t want to “suck in” your stomach. Allow the diaphragm to steadily deflate at its own natural pace until you reach the end of your breath. This contracting motion is the correct breathing method to use when you are singing. Singers should not force excess air through their vocal chords in an attempt to produce a stronger sound. Pushing the diaphragm can place excess pressure against your vocal chords and this can cause damage to the voice. Singing is accomplished when a person expands the lungs by breathing in and “controlling” the amount of air exhaled, while singing a note. When a singer breathes in, you can imagine the diaphragm as the muscular support for the lungs as your lungs expand like a balloon. When you sing, you are simply slowing down the exit rate of air as your lungs deflate and air is exhaled. Most adults adopt shallow breathing habits and actively use only the top half of their lungs during normal respiration. However, the best way to breathe – and the correct breathing method you should use for singing – is to use the entire lung, filling the balloon in its entirety. This way singers have more air available, and you also take advantage of an extra set of refined muscles (the diaphragm and abdomen) to assist in the control of air exhalation and singing notes.

Breathing Exercises for Singing Practice the exercise outlined below to improve your breathing control for singing. The exercise might feel exhaustive at first, but try to incorporate this into your daily routine. You will find that over time, your body will need less effort to breath, and you will have greater control over your diaphragm and abdominal muscles when singing. • • •

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Lay down flat on your back. Place both hands on your stomach with your fingers pointing towards your belly button. Take a deep breath and concentrate on filling your stomach with air. You should not be filling yourself with air to the point of bursting, but make sure you inhale deeply enough that there is a noticeable difference between a deep and shallow breath. Feel your stomach expand and notice how your hands gently rise up and outwards as your chest also expands. This inhalation process occurs not only at the front of the body but also on the sides and back of your body as well. Exhale slowly for five seconds. Repeat this exercise 10x

Integrate these breathing exercises for singing into your daily routine. Practice this every morning in bed after you wake up, and practice once more before you go to sleep. The breathing exercise for singing only takes 5 to 10 minutes a day. Once you feel comfortable practicing this routine, you can gradually increase this workout to 3 or 4 times a day. Once you master this technique, you can start to practice as often as possible. Perform breathing exercises while sitting, standing, or even while you’re doing everyday tasks. Practice until breathing from your abdomen becomes a natural habit. You can also try exercises to improve your breathing control.

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While exhaling on a single breath, try singing numbers. Start with the number 1, singing each number in a clear, strong voice Sing out the numbers in sequential order, and see how far you can get. Continue to practice this breathing control exercise for singing until you can reach the number 25 without straining or running out of breath.

Additional Breathing Exercises for Singing Posted in Breathing Exercises, Vocal Exercises, Voice Warm Ups by admin This article builds on the principles learned from the introduction. It seeks to teach additional breathing techniques for singing – to improve your breathing capacity and control during vocalization. As we mentioned in the first article about breathing exercises for singing, breathing properly is a foundational skill for good singing. When you sing, you are carrying tones using the flow of air in your breath. If you have greater control over your airflow, you will possess greater control over your singing tone. It might help to imagine a kite flying in the air. With a strong flowing air current, the kite flies smoothly and steadily in the sky. If there is an inconsistent flow of air, the kite dips and bobs uncontrollably. Your singing voice is just like the flying kite. With a strong steady flow of air, your voice will effortlessly flow to our ears. However, if the airflow in your lungs is not controlled well, your voice will quiver and break. However, prior to attempting these exercises, please make note that inhaling more oxygen than what your body is used to can cause dizziness. You should always use caution and stand close to a support in case you feel lightheaded. Always consult your Doctor before starting a new exercise routine.

The Four Count Breathing Exercise Proper breathing while singing engages the diaphragm. Practice the routine outlined below to reinforce good breathing habits. • • •

Inhale deeply, then exhale completely Inhale and exhale Inhale again, only this time, inhale for four seconds. Hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds and wait four seconds before inhaling again

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Repeat the four second breathing exercise 3 times in a row

Inhale 2 3 4, Hold 2 3 4 Exhale 2 3 4 and Wait 2 3 Again. Inhale 2 3 4, Hold 2 3 4 Exhale 2 3 4 and Wait 2 3 Last Time. Inhale 2 3 4, Hold 2 3 4 Exhale 2 3 4 and Wait 2 3 4. You can practice this exercise everyday. Forming superior breathing habits is all about repetition. The more you practice breathing with your diaphragm, the stronger the habit will become, and the greater control you will have over your voice. As you become more skilled, increase the length of time in between breathing phases. Inhale for 8, 12, or even 16 seconds. Try varying the time between inhalation and exhalation. Singing incorporates many different phrase lengths, so you should practice managing different patterns of airflow.

Bend Over Breathing Exercise • • • • • • •

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Stand with your feet about shoulders width apart Bend over at the waist, such that your hands are almost touching the floor. Relax your head and shoulders completely From this position, begin to inhale Let your torso rise a little with the inhalation of the breath Allow your body to slump down again as you exhale Take a second breath, allowing your body to rise as you breathe in, and fall as you breathe out On your third breath, gradually straighten your torso to the upright position, and slowly raise your arms above your head. The goal is to lift your rib cage higher. Make sure you continue to breathe in slowly throughout this movement. Allow your body to slump down again as you exhale Repeat this exercise three more times.

Arm Stretch Breathing Exercise • • •

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Stand up straight with your weight positioned slightly more on one foot than the other Relax your stomach muscles and breathe in slowly As you inhale, raise your arms sideways to shoulder level, then bring them forward, stretching as far in front of you as possible. You should be inhaling during this entire movement Exhale and relax your arms back down Repeat this exercise 4 times

Panting Breathing Exercise • • • •

Sit in a comfortable chair, with back straight and good posture Start panting, taking quick, deep breaths. 1 second for inhalation, 1 second exhalation Perform 20-30 repetitions Take a 2 minute break

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Then pant faster, about half a second for inhalation, half a second for exhalation Perform 20-30 repetitions Take a 2 minute break Try panting even faster, aiming for quarter second inhalation, and quarter second exhalation Perform 20-30 repetitions.

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Voice Warm Up Exercises Posted in Singing Exercises, Vocal Exercises, Voice Warm Ups by admin When you play basketball, baseball, or even go running, it’s important to stretch out the your muscles in order to prevent injury. Similarly, it is important to warm up your vocal chords prior to performing any strenuous singing activities. Singing places significant levels of strain on the voice, and also stresses the diaphragm muscles. Proper voice warm up exercises can help stretch these vocal muscles out, and prepare them for vigorous singing activities. The following lists three different exercises that you can practice to warm up your voice.

Humming as a Voice Warm Up Exercise Try saying the word “hmmmm?” This is called humming, and is one of the most basic exercises for vocal warm up. •

Say the word “hmm?” You should allow the pitch to shift upwards as you hum.

As your pitch moves higher, you should feel a buzzing sensation in your nose. This sensation may progress towards your eyes and move upwards into your head. The humming sound will resonate inside your head, resonating off the space inside your skill to amplify the voiced pitches. •

Repeat the voice warm up by saying “hmmm?” This time allow the pitch to shift downwards. This should be similar to the noise made when you are contemplative.

Feel the buzzing sensation move downwards into the chest area. • •

Hum the first three notes of the basic scale. Hum do re mi, then return to mi do Repeat this exercise 3 times

Do Rei Mi Rei Do •

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Repeat the do rei mi exercise, but shift up to the next pitch. Singing employs a variety of pitch ranges, so you want to warm up your vocal chords to all of the ranges. Repeat this exercise at each pitch 3 times

The Lip Trill Voice Warm Up Exercise Pretend that you are underwater. Imagine blowing air out from your lips, feeling the vibrating sensation of your lips as air exits from your lungs. Perform this same motion, only this time you are outside the water. Relax your lips as you release air from your mouth. Your diaphragm muscles should control the release of air. It sometimes help to place one hand against either side of jaw to focus the passage of air on vibrating the lips. Special note: avoid blowing air from your mouth using your lip muscles. Your lips should be completely relaxed and air should be moved through the mouth using your diaphragm.

Once you are able to perform the lip trill successfully, practice trilling a single note. • • • • • •

First hum the note, in order to properly benchmark against a quality sound Reproduce the note using a lip trill exercise. Practice a five note basic scale using lip trills. Repeat this scale three times Practice the scale using a higher pitch range with the lip trill, repeating each note three times. Practice the scale using a lower pitch range with the lip trill. Repeat each note three times.

Practicing lip trills can help warm up your diaphragm and aid in relaxing the lips. Relaxed lips will help you better articulate when you are speaking and singing because this allows the mouth to pronounce words and sounds easier.

Voice Warm Up Exercise by Singing Musical Scales Practicing the basic musical scales is a good way to warm up your voice, in addition to reviewing basic notes and pitches. All good singers should practice basic singing scales regularly in order to keep the voice and ears in pitch when they actually sing. The basic major scale consists of 7 notes: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti

Complete the major scale by including another “do” in a higher octave following the last “Ti” note. Practice a voice warm up exercise by following the below steps: • •

Sing a low “do” note for a 5 second period Move up the basic scale in sequential order, holding each note for a 5 second period.

Special note: always begin a voice warm up exercise with lower notes because lower notes place less tension on the vocal chords. •

Next, sing another basic musical scale called the “Major Arpeggio.” Hold each note for a 5 second period also.

Do, Mi, So, (high)Do • • • •

Repeat the basic major scale using a higher pitch range Repeat the basic major scale using a lower pitch range Repeat the major arpeggio scale using a higher pitch Repeat the major arpeggio scale using a lower pitch

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Voice Projection Exercises Posted in Vocal Exercises, Voice Projection, Voice Training Exercises by admin Voice projection is the act of using the voice strongly and clearly. It is actively employed as a technique to command attention and respect in a room. Teachers use this in a classroom to gain students’ attention. Actors and singers use strong voice projection to be heard clearly places such as large theaters. If you pay special attention to professional singers, you will begin to notice that all good singers possess voices that can boom and roar into the distance. Very few people are born with a natural booming voice that projects long distances; however, by practicing the proper voice projection exercises, you can develop a strong and powerful voice that projects. Special note: yelling is not the same as voice projecting. Yelling should never be used in singing. Yelling can cause serious physical damage to your vocal cords. When people yell, they are forcing air through the voice box. This is the number one cause of the

development of vocal nodules, which is a serious physical ailment that needs surgical intervention to correct.

Where Does Voice Projection Come From? Whenever you sing a note, your vocal cords allow a certain amount of pressure to build up before the vocal cords are opened, releasing the pent up air to create a musical note. Louder notes are created with a stronger air pressure in the vocal cords. The vocal cords also open faster in order to release the air quicker. Essentially, higher volume voice uses higher air pressure in conjunction with a quicker opening of the vocal cords. A lower volume voice uses a lower air pressure in conjunction with a slower opening of the vocal cords. Strong voice projection is related to air pressure and your vocal cord opening rate. It is not related to how much air your exhale; this is why we specifically mention that you should not yell.

How to Develop Stronger Voice Projection In order to develop stronger voice projection, you must first strengthen the muscles inside the voice box. The voice box houses your vocal cords when you sing, and improved projective power and volume can be achieved by strengthening these muscles. A more muscular and robust voice box will allow you to create a higher air pressure, which produces louder notes.

Voice Projection Exercise Materials: •

Swiss Ball

Strong voice projection is directly related to your posture. This exercise focuses on improving posture to strengthen your voice projection. 1. Kneel on the ground, facing the rubber swiss ball 2. Lean forward until your stomach is on the ball. Place your feet on the ground behind you. Your hands should be placed on the ground in front of you. 3. Place you hands behind the back of your head 4. Lift with your lower back until your body forms a straight line from toe to head. 5. Lower your body slowly 6. Repeat the exercise 10 times 7. Perform 3 sets of 10.

How to Improve Voice Resonance Posted in Deep Voice Exercises, Vocal Exercises, Voice Projection by admin Voice resonance is often referred to as the quality of someone’s voice. I am sure that everyone has heard the sound of his or her voice on the telephone or answering machine before. Is your voice deep, rich and full? Or is it high, sharp, and penetrating. The sound of your voice that you hear off the answering machine is largely determined by your vocal resonance. As we have reviewed previously, sound is created by the speed and vibration of air through the vocal cords. Resonance is determined by the cavity in which these air vibrations take place. Imagine the difference between a violin and cello. Both instruments share similar a similar string structure, but the major differences in sound quality are caused by the differences in size and shape of the hallow cavity that the strings vibrate over.

In people, the hallow cavities are found in our throat, mouth, chest and nasal cavities. The differences in the sizes of your physical cavities is the reason why people have different sounding voices. When you have a cold, and your sinuses get blocked, your voice also does not resonate as well. This explains why people have a tendency to sound funny when they are sick.

Voice Resonance Exercises 1. Hum any note at a comfortable pitch. 2. Shift the pitch slightly lower. You should pay special attention to how your chest feels. 3. Hold the note and continue to hum until you can feel the vibration in your chest. 4. Try to increase the intensity of the humming vibration 5. Next, move the pitch slightly two octaves higher and pay special attention to how your head feels. 6. Feel the vibration in your head and chest and try to increase the intensity of the humming vibration 7. Open your mouth and hum until you feel the vibration in your tongue and lips, behind and above your mouth. 8. Continue humming until you can feel the differences. Try to increase the vibration intensity.

9. Refocus your concentration to the vibrations in your chest once more. 10. Repeat this exercise 5 times, remembering to end the exercise with the focus on your chest in order to develop a full, vibrant sound. Special note: avoid forcing air when you are humming. Also remember to breath frequently. Stop if you get light headed.

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Voice Exercises for a Stronger Singing Voice Posted in Singing Exercises, Voice Projection, Voice Training Exercises by admin It won’t make a difference if you are the most wonderful singer in the world – if people in your audience cannot hear you. In developing a stronger singing voice, remember that a strong voice is not dependent on your throat or mouth – real singing power comes from the lungs. This is why we have repeatedly stressed that strong singing does not involve yelling. When individuals yell to the point where the throat becomes sore and voice hoarse, they are physically damaging the voice box, and not properly using the lungs and diaphragm for a strong singing voice. To better help you develop a strong singing voice, try practicing the lung exercise outlined below. 1. Sit upright and place one hand on your stomach and your other hand behind your back. Picture your two hands on top of each other, separated only by your torso. 2. Take a deep breath, attempting to move both of your hands out as far as possible while they are still placed on your body. It takes a lot of practice and lung strength to make your back move, so don’t worry too much if your back doesn’t move at first. 3. Exhale quickly, making no sound as you breathe out. Noise during the exhalation process is an indicator of tension in the voice box. 4. Breathe in again, hands still on your stomach and back 5. Exhale again, only this time say the first letter of the alphabet. 6. Repeat this exercise until you reach the letter Z. As you advance through the alphabet imagine that you can speaking to someone farther and farther away. Your voice should get louder and stronger while still breathing normally. This is called belly breathing. Remember how this movement feels as you practice the voice exercises. Belly breathing is how you always want to breathe in order to maximize the use of your lung capacity to generate a full and rich voice.

Voice Control Exercises Posted in Singing Exercises, Vocal Exercises, Voice Control by admin Many people have difficulty singing the mid range of scales during the transition from low to high notes. This is commonly referred to as “the bridge” or the “breaking point.” When singers encounter the bridge, they can often sound like they are running out of breath, funny voice, or completely out of tune. However, by practicing proper voice control exercises, this dilemma can be avoided. The human singing voice can be divided into two voices: the head voice and the chest voice. The head voice comprises higher notes and is often characterized by a clear sound. The chest voice comprises the lower note and is characterized by a deeper, fuller sound. Many vocal coaches mistakenly treat the two voices separately, and coach students to practice different voice exercises for each voice. However to successfully master the breaking point of your range, the voice needs to be treated as one cohesive unit. Most songs involve singers to shift their voice past the breaking point. If a song involves quite a loud volume, the singer very often comes across sounding croaky, rather than with the rich projective voice in resonant singing.

To successfully master the middle range, practice the following exercise. This exercise is designed to help singers achieve a seamless sound when transitioning across notes while using a single breath.

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Sing from the letter E to H, starting slowly and quietly – gradually building volume as you cross from one vowel to the next Repeat the exercise, singing from E to H again. Only this time, alternate and change pitch between every vowel Repeat the exercise, singing from E to O Repeat the exercise, singing from E to O. Again, alternate and change pitch between every vowel.

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Vocal Technique and Sound Placement Posted in Singing Exercises, Vocal Exercises, Voice Control by admin To improve voice control, aspiring singers should diligently practice improving their vocal technique. This involves mastering the middle range of the voice. All singers possess a “breaking point,” which is a range of notes that lie within the chest voice and head voice. To eliminate the croakiness and loss in quality of sound in hitting certain notes, aspiring singers should practice transitioning between vocal ranges. Consistent practice is the key to retaining a high quality sound between the high and low ranges. In our prior review of vocal resonance, you’ve been introduced to the idea that sound is produced when air passes through the vocal cords and bounces across the cavities within the body. The surfaces in the throat and mouth that sounds bounce off of are called the “placement.” An advanced vocal technique to improve the quality of your sound involves the manipulation and rearrangement of the surfaces in your voice box to produce a higher quality sound.

Sound Placement Anatomy Two surfaces that singers should possess keen awareness of manipulating are the soft palette and hard palette within the mouth. The soft palette is the soft tissue located in the back of the throat. You can feel this tissue when you curl your tongue into the back of your mouth. The hard palette is a skeletal like structure located at the front of your mouth. It includes the roof of your mouth above the tongue.

Very often singers will seek to bounce sound waves off of the soft palette, producing a hollower, deeper sound. But aiming the voice towards the hard palette can help amplify sound and can reduce any muffling that occurs when sound waves are bounced off the tissue in the soft palette. In order to practice the manipulation of space within your mouth, practice the following voice exercise for improved vocal technique.

Sound Placement Exercise • • • • • • •

Take a deep breath Pick a comfortable range and sing the alphabet from A – Z with your teeth clenched together. Repeat the exercise alphabet, only this time with your teeth slightly apart Sing the alphabet with the jaw pulled back Sing the alphabet with your jaw pulled back as far as possible Sing the alphabet with your chin raise as high as possible Sing the alphabet with your chin moved as forward as possible

You should notice that the sounds produced by your voice box are very different with each step of the exercise. For example, raising the chin should close off the back of the throat and this can limit your ability to hit higher notes. Singing with clenched teeth reduces projection of sound. Practice this set of exercises diligently and you will soon discover that best placement of your soft and hard palette for higher quality sound.

Vocal Training with Ear and Pitch Exercises Posted in Singing Exercises, Vocal Exercises, Voice Control by admin At the most fundamental level, good singing is about recognizing and hitting a certain note correctly and in succession. Many adept musicians have their ears trained to automatically recognize a note’s pitch, so that they can reproduce the correct notes without necessarily listening to the song again. If you want to improve as a singer, you must endure vocal training to teach yourself to recognize notes and pitches by ear

alone. Some people are born with “perfect pitch” – an innate talent to recognize notes – but this is an ability that can be learned through practice. But what is pitch? Most instruments, including the human voice, are physically capable of producing an infinite number of notes, with only the most minuscule and tiny differences between each note. When instruments are “tuned,” a trained ear finds the exact fixed sound they want for a particular note. All other notes produced by the instrument are then played using this sound as a reference.

Likewise, someone singing “off key” or “off pitch” refers to someone that is not singing according to the recognized standard of the song. Often times, musicians use a middle C or E as the reference tuning sound.

What are Vocal Exercises to Learn How to Pitch Correctly? The real secret to proper vocal training and to learn how to recognize notes and chords by ear is through repetitive listening and singing back. It helps to have some professional assistance on this topic since a professional vocal coach will already have a trained ear and can provide feedback on your progression. But as with all of the other exercises outlined on this site, there are definitely a few drills that you can practice on your own to develop your ear and pitch recognition.

Things You will Need: • •

A microphone if you to record yourself on computer. Alternatively a cassette tape recorder also works well A musical instrument that is already perfectly tuned and in pitch. Popular choices are a keyboard piano, guitar, or violin. Likewise a device designed for tuning such as a Chromatic Tuner also works well. If you no access to any tuned instruments, use the Virtual Piano, as a last resort. It’s serviceable, but a live instrument always yields best results.

Pitching Warm- Up Exercise • • • • •

Use the instrument to play a single note C, which is within your normal vocal range. Listen to the note and then play it again. This time sing along with the note as you play. Repeat this exercise, progressing upwards through different notes of the scale. Continue this exercise, moving downwards through the bottom range of the scale Then repeat the exercise again using random notes

Voice and Ear Training Exercises Once you feel comfortable reproducing the pitch of notes you hear, you’re ready to move on to more advanced drills. • • • • •

Play the chord C, or notes C, E, and G at once. Play the C chord again, listening for the specific note E and attempt to sing it. Repeat the exercise listening to individual notes within the chord until you can hear and sing each of them easily. Repeat this exercise with the chords D, E, F and G. Repeat this exercise using random chords Repeat this exercise using minor chords, until you feel comfortable hearing and reproducing any note from any chord on every scale.

Remember to record yourself singing these notes as you practice. You should be replaying your recordings to provide feedback that you are indeed hitting the correct pitches.

Advanced Ear and Vocal Training with Pitch Once you master the exercise above, try this more advanced voice training exercise. • • •

Play a C chord an octave above your normal vocal range. Sing the notes in the chord using your normal range Repeat this exercise using random and different chords above your normal octave range

You want to be able to recognize and reproduce the notes in a chord regardless of the scale they are played on. Steady practice will help improve your ear and vocal technique to pitch notes no matter what other noise the music is accompanied with.

Exercises for a Deeper Voice Posted in Deep Voice Exercises, Singing Exercises, Voice Exercises for Actors, Voice Exercises for Speakers by admin There are many reasons why someone would want a deeper voice. Perhaps you are a singer, seeking to reach a lower register to diversify your musical roles. Perhaps you are a man that simply dislikes the high pitch of your own voice. Whatever the reason, don’t feel alone. There are thousands of people like you out there that would like to change the tone of their own voice. Deeper voices are typically associated with masculinity and confidence. Just think back to all a few current great male singers and leading voices – people such as: Barry White, James Earl Jones, and Josh Groban. These people all share a deep, rich, and silky smooth voice in common.

There are several exercises you can practice at home to help deepen and smooth out the sound of your voice. Diligently practice the exercises outlined below and you’ll be surprising your friends with a deeper voice in no time.

Deep Voice Exercise – Recite the Alphabet •

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Start reciting the alphabet, starting with the letter A. Take deep breaths. Go slowly and deliberately. Do not rush any of the letters. Speak each letter out completely. After you reach the letter Z, repeat the exercise, only this time drop your tone one octave lower. Repeat the exercise again, dropping your tone another octave lower. Continue repeating this exercise until you reach the lowest tone that your body is physically capable of reaching.

This exercise can be practiced multiple times a day. Over time, you will gradually start to notice the physical transformation in your voice box when you speak with a deeper voice. With enough practice, this exercise can loosen up your vocal cords so that the deeper voice becomes a habit.

Deep Voice Exercise – Binga Bonga A second exercise for a deeper voice that can be practiced at home is the following: • • • • •

Say the words “binga bonga, dinga donga, and kinga konga” Speak each word slowly and purposely Hold the end portion of each word as long as you can. Repeat the exercise, lowering your tone an octave lower each time the exercise is performed. Continue to repeat this exercise until you reach the lowest tone your body is physically capable of producing.

This exercise for a deeper voice can also be repeated throughout the day at your leisure. However as a special reminder, if your throat begins to feel sore and your voice hoarse – STOP. Never overwork your voice box because this can lead to vocal cord damage and an injured voice box can severely impede your progress to achieve a deeper voice.

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Exercises to Develop a Mature Singing Voice Posted in Deep Voice Exercises, Singing Exercises, Vocal Exercises by admin A frequent question that crops up from many younger male singers is what is the quickest way to develop a more mature singing voice. While there is no single guaranteed path to success for anyone, these are several tips that expert vocal coaches recommend to deepen a person’s voice. But firstly, it helps to understand what causes a person to possess a deep voice.

What Causes a Deep Voice The timbre and tone of a person’s voice is primarily related to the group of muscles in your throat. These muscles are commonly referred to as the voice box. In general, the more tension and tighter these groups are muscles are, the higher your voice will be. The looser and more relaxed these muscles are, the lower your voice.

Many men are genetically blessed with a deep voice once they pass puberty. Others might accidentally achieve a deeper voice through extensive yelling and smoking. Some people achieve a deeper voice over time through training. If you currently possess a high pitched voice and would like to develop a huskier, more mature singing voice, investing some time and effort into practicing a few deep voice exercises can help you naturally deepen your voice and achieve the tone and pitch you desire. Follow the tips outlined below to learn about some of the more effective exercises that you can use to start developing a deeper voice today.

Humming: the Best Exercise for Developing a More Mature Singing Voice Most expert vocal coaches agree that humming is the most effective voice exercises to deepen a person’s voice. To use humming as a natural method to deep the sound of your voice: • • •

Pick a low sounding song. Often rhythmic music such as blues or jazz are good choices. Hum along to the beat of the music, making a conscious effort to hum slowly As you hum along to the music, try to lower the tone of the voice deeper and deeper

The key to make humming an effective deep voice exercise is to practice often. But never overwork your vocal cords to the point where you feel pain or become hoarse. This is a signal that you are injuring your voice box.

Practice Good Posture to Deepen Your Voice Besides making a person look taller and more confident, good posture can also aid in modulating the pitch of a person’s voice. Your posture is important because it influences how air passes through your respiratory system and exits your voice box and mouth. You can test out how posture influences your voice, but keeping your chin down and slouching as you try to sing the alphabet. A lowered chin and bad posture restricts the airflow through your voice organs and decreases the ability of your diaphragm to drive air through your larynx. Practice standing and sitting with your back straight and chest out. You can to develop the habit of lifting up your chin when you speak to increase the airflow through your vocal cords and improve voice resonance. An exercise to find the ideal position for your chin when you are speaking and singing: • •

Lower your chin so that it touches your chest. Using your diaphragm, push air through your voice box and begin humming at a low pitch, keeping your chin at your chest

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As you hum, gradually raise your chin. Note the location of your chin as your voice loosens and your voice becomes deeper.

Neck Exercises Help Deepen Your Voice It also helps to practice strengthening the muscles of your neck to develop a deeper voice. Stronger neck muscles can help alleviate some of the pressure and stresses placed on the voice box. Anytime your voice box loosens, the pitch of your voice should become deeper and more resonant. Exercises that can strengthen your neck involve lifting weights that target the neck and shoulders. These weightlifting exercises include the military press and shoulder shrugs. Refer to our detailed article on neck exercises for additional neck exercises that can help deepen your voice. Lifting weights can be dangerous if performed improperly. It is always recommended to consult a qualified personal trainer on proper technique when you are lifting heavy objects.

Neck Exercises to Deepen the Voice Posted in Deep Voice Exercises, Voice Training Exercises, Voice Yoga by admin Stretching and practicing neck exercises can strengthen the neck and deepen the voice by reducing tensions that are placed on your vocal cords. By relieving some of the pressure on your voice box, you can achieve a lower pitch and improved vocal resonance. Special note: all neck exercises should be performed slowly and with caution. If you feel any amount of pain – stop. Consult with your physician if you have a history of back or neck problems.

Neck Stretching Exercise A simple exercise to stretch out the neck involves targeting the sternocleidomastoid muscle. This is a muscle positioned behind your ear, past your throat, and attached to your collarbone. A sternocleidomastoid muscle under high tension can place stress on the throat and vocal cords. This can cause the sensation of having a sore throat and restrict the amount of air that flows through your windpipes, which can make you voice sound higher. Fortunately, regular stretching can loosen this tension and deepen the voice. To perform the neck stretching exercise: • • • •

Slowly turn your head to the left. Try to align your chin with your shoulder. Hold this position for a count of 10 seconds You can increase this stretch by placing your left hand outside your chin and applying a very gentle pressure Relax and repeat the stretch on the right side

Neck Exercise – Isometric Front and Back • •

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Begin by placing your hands flat on your forehead Firmly, push your forehead against your hands, using your neck muscles to resist this force. The goal of this exercise is to not allow your forehead to move forward or backward and maintain a constant level of tension on your neck muscles Continue pushing for a 10 second count and relax Repeat this exercise, only switch to the backside and push from the rear part of your head. It helps to first clasp your hands together behind your head Perform 3 sets of neck exercises for the front and 3 sets for the back.

Neck Exercise – Isometric Sides • •

• • •

Begin by placing your right hand against the side of your head. Push firmly against your right hand, using your neck muscles to resist this force. The goal of this exercise is to not allow your head to move and maintain a constant level of tension on your neck muscles. Continue pushing and hold for a count of 10 seconds, then relax Repeat this exercise, only switch to the left side Perform 3 sets of this exercise on the right side, and 3 sets on the left side.

Neck Exercise – Shoulder Shrugs • • • • • •

Hold a comfortable amount of free weights; you’re going to be using the free weights as dead weight. Keep your chin up, looking straight ahead and your chest up Lift your shoulders up in a shrugging motion, flexing the upper trapezius muscle Relax your trapezius muscles and allow your shoulders to return to a resting position Repeat this motion for 10 repetitions Complete 3 sets of this exercise.

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Neck Exercises to Deepen the Voice Posted in Deep Voice Exercises, Voice Training Exercises, Voice Yoga by admin Stretching and practicing neck exercises can strengthen the neck and deepen the voice by reducing tensions that are placed on your vocal cords. By relieving some of the pressure on your voice box, you can achieve a lower pitch and improved vocal resonance. Special note: all neck exercises should be performed slowly and with caution. If you feel any amount of pain – stop. Consult with your physician if you have a history of back or neck problems.

Neck Stretching Exercise

A simple exercise to stretch out the neck involves targeting the sternocleidomastoid muscle. This is a muscle positioned behind your ear, past your throat, and attached to your collarbone. A sternocleidomastoid muscle under high tension can place stress on the throat and vocal cords. This can cause the sensation of having a sore throat and restrict the amount of air that flows through your windpipes, which can make you voice sound higher. Fortunately, regular stretching can loosen this tension and deepen the voice. To perform the neck stretching exercise: • • • •

Slowly turn your head to the left. Try to align your chin with your shoulder. Hold this position for a count of 10 seconds You can increase this stretch by placing your left hand outside your chin and applying a very gentle pressure Relax and repeat the stretch on the right side

Neck Exercise – Isometric Front and Back • •

• • •

Begin by placing your hands flat on your forehead Firmly, push your forehead against your hands, using your neck muscles to resist this force. The goal of this exercise is to not allow your forehead to move forward or backward and maintain a constant level of tension on your neck muscles Continue pushing for a 10 second count and relax Repeat this exercise, only switch to the backside and push from the rear part of your head. It helps to first clasp your hands together behind your head Perform 3 sets of neck exercises for the front and 3 sets for the back.

Neck Exercise – Isometric Sides • •

• • •

Begin by placing your right hand against the side of your head. Push firmly against your right hand, using your neck muscles to resist this force. The goal of this exercise is to not allow your head to move and maintain a constant level of tension on your neck muscles. Continue pushing and hold for a count of 10 seconds, then relax Repeat this exercise, only switch to the left side Perform 3 sets of this exercise on the right side, and 3 sets on the left side.

Neck Exercise – Shoulder Shrugs • • • • • •

Hold a comfortable amount of free weights; you’re going to be using the free weights as dead weight. Keep your chin up, looking straight ahead and your chest up Lift your shoulders up in a shrugging motion, flexing the upper trapezius muscle Relax your trapezius muscles and allow your shoulders to return to a resting position Repeat this motion for 10 repetitions Complete 3 sets of this exercise.

Check out the video below for additional detailed instructions.

Neck Exercise – Military Press • • • • • •

Hold a comfortable amount of free weights or with a bar. This exercise works the deltoids and neck With your back straight, hold the weights with an overhand grip Bring the weight down to approximately chest level, inhaling as you bring the weights down Lift the weight up, exhaling as you lift the weights up Repeat this motion for 10 repetitions Complete 3 sets of this exercise