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Loud Pipes Save Lives...Warm Pipes Save Careers

Anybody who does voiceovers or uses their voice regularly for extended periods of time, like public speakers, know the value of vocal warm ups. Or at least they should know the value of Vocal Warm Ups. Just like athletes stretch their muscles before working out or competing, a voice actor should work their muscles as well. So I am going to share with you my vocal workout. You could call it the P90X of Vocal work outs. It's intense, but gets great results.

Voice-overs involve a lot more than just your vocal chords. There is a tremendous physiology involved in the proper performance. Sure, you could ignore the warm ups and vocal workouts and be fine, many people do but you also run the risk of destroying your instrument. You could strain a vocal chord (yes it is possible) you could fatigue your pipes that could lead to recurrent bouts of laryngitis, you could even develop vocal nodules... don’t know what a nodule is?

“A Vocal Nodule is a mass of tissue that develops on the vocal folds and reduces or obstructs the ability of the vocal folds to create the rapid changes in air pressure which generate human speech.” In Short, you can't talk the way you once did.

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There are operations to repair the vocal chords, but there's no guarantee that you will return to the way you sounded before. So why not work out and train your muscles in an attempt to avoid any of these potential issues.

Here is my work out, I do it every day without fail at least once. On Heavy recording days I start the day doing it about five times, on lighter days I actually do it before each project. If you are listening to this already I have included the rhythm and pronunciation guide to go along with it. If you are reading this, then click the link below to get the audio.

I use varying inflections and “flips” in my registers throughout the exercise. This is important to improving your range and provides a much more well-rounded workout. You should also focus on your breathing. And breath support. I've Placed asterisks * where a breath should be taken, can you make it?

*Trinidad, and the Big Mississippi and the Town Honolulu and the Lake Titicaca

The Popocatepetl is not in Canada, rather in Mexico Mexico Mexico

*Canada Malago Rimini Brendasci

Canada Malago Rimini Brendasci

Canada Malago Rimini Brendasci

Yes, Tibet Tibet Tibet

*Nagasaki Yokohama, Nagasaki Yokohama...

Whata tado to die today at a minute or two till two.

A thing distinctly hard to say but harder still to do.

*For to beat a tattoo at twenty till two,

and a rat a tat tat tat tat tat tat tattoo

and the Dragon will come when he hears the drum

at a minute or two till two today

at a minute or two till two

*Bee Bop Bee Bop Tee Tee Tee

Bee Bop Bee Bop Tee Tee Tee

Bee Bop Bee Bop Tee Tee Tee

Ssssssss Ahhhhhh

*Bee Bop Bee Bop Tee Tee Tee

Bee Bop Bee Bop Tee Tee Tee

Bee Bop Bee Bop Tee Tee Tee

Ssssssss Ahhhhhh

*Aluminum Linoleum, Aluminum Linoleum Aluminum Linoleum

Toy boat Toy Boat Toy Boat Toy Boat

Red leather Yellow Leather, Red Leather Yellow Leather, Red Leather Yellow Leather

Cinnamon Synonym Cinnamon Synonym Cinnamon Synonym Cinnamon Synonym

Unique New York, Unique New York , Unique New York, Unique New York

*Wooo, Woah, Wore, Wow,

Wooo, Woah, Wore, Wow,

Wooo, Woah, Wore, Wow,

Wooo, Woah, Wore, Wow....

One set for me is doing this exercise three times in a row and increasing in speed each time...how fast can you do it and still maintain diction? As with anything the more you do it, the better you get.

What do you do for vocal warm ups? Go ahead and share in the comments below, I would love to try what you do. Thanks for taking the time to read and or listen and if you like it, please share it with your friends and colleagues. I'd really appreciate it.

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