How to Use a Keyboard to Assist in Vocal Warm-ups

Vocal warm-ups are important to singers and public speakers because they make the voice sound better during the performance or practice session and promote vocal health and are part of voice training. A keyboard is useful for vocal warm-ups. Although a piano is the obvious choice, even a small, portable electronic keyboard is helpful and allows you to warm up anywhere.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Stretch out your upper body in preparation for vocal warm-ups. Stretch the arms straight up over your head, then out to the sides, then to the front and the back. Holding your arms over your head stretch sideways to one side and then the other.

2. Relax your face and throat to prepare for vocal warm-ups. Yawn, and gently massage your face and neck with both hands. Be aware of your tongue, making it soft and letting it lay in the bottom your mouth.

3. Breathe deeply and slowing for several breaths. Breathe from the diaphragm. Draw a full, deep breath and then begin counting out loud. Enunciate the numbers clearly, and exhale as little as possible on each count. Keep the throat and mouth relaxed. See how high you can count before you run out of air.

4. Find a note on the keyboard that is about in the middle of your vocal range. Play a five-tone major scale up and down from this note.

5. Sing the five-tone up and down scale from Step 4 on the syllable "ah." Then move to the next note up from the one you started with, play a five-tone scale up and down, and sing that scale on the syllable "ah." Repeat this until you have reached the top of your range.

6. Return to the starting note that was about in the middle of your vocal range. Play a five-tone scale down.

7. Sing the downward five-tone scale from Step 6 on the syllable "ah." Move to the next note down from the starting note and play and then sing that five-tone scale down. Repeat this until you have reached the bottom of your range.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a glass of room temperature water available to keep the mouth and throat moist. Singing is dehydrating.
• Try these keyboard warmups with other vowels such as ee, ay, o, oo, and in sequence as ee, ay, ah, o, oo. This is not only a good warm-up, but helps practice vowel differentiation.
• Avoid beverages containing alcohol or caffeine when singing or when speaking in public. Alcohol and caffeine are both dehydrating, and can lead you to overly strain your voice.