Lesson #5 -
Voice Exercises

“I have a good voice and I am a good reader. Vocal exercise is a waste of my time.” You are certainly entitled to that opinion. Without question, in every field, there are those who are naturally blessed with extraordinary talent. However if you truly want to master your craft then you need to do all possible to reach your maximum potential and develop a competitive edge that will result in a successful voice talent career.

There are people who make music and then there are musicians. There are those who can draw or paint a pretty picture and then there are artists. And there are many people who can read commercials and narrations but only a handful who are truly voice artists.

The point here is that artists at the top of their craft get the majority of the work. The crumbs go to everybody else. If your desire is to rise to the top of your profession then you must build on good fundamentals. Vocal exercises help you to develop, fine-tune, and maintain your voice and vocal abilities. It comes down to this: “How good do you want to be?”

Here then are some of the basics upon which you can build your craft:

Breathe Properly

The quickest way to learn how to breathe correctly is to lie flat on your back on the floor. As you lay there focus on your breathing. As you breathe in and out notice how you exhale. You naturally push air with your diaphragm. This is the way you should process air when you speak.

Now sit or stand and practice taking air into the stomach and forcing the air out with your diaphragm. Use your lungs for extra storage. Once the air has been depleted from the stomach then continue with the reserve air in your lungs.

Again take a deep breath. If you catch yourself filling just the lungs then start over. If you can’t get it right then lay back down on the floor to again study the natural process.

Now, take in air correctly while pushing a steady stream of air from the diaphragm and humming a single comfortable tone. HHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Repeat the process each time seeking to sustain the tone longer.

Find something to read and apply the breathing technique. Read as many words and sentences as possible without taking a breath.

Mastering proper breathing technique for vocal performance takes discipline, dedication, and hard work. It is the foundation for voice talent excellence. Without fail use proper breathing technique for all vocal exercises and for all vocal performances.

Warm Up

Before a voice or practice session you should always warm up. These exercises will serve to loosen the vocal cords and tune them to where they are most productive. Your voice naturally changes pitch during the day. In the mornings it will be deeper and raspy or hoarse. By evening your voice may grow weak and lose range. Proper warm-up and exercise will help you overcome these difficulties.

  • Hum - In your most comfortable sound zone, with proper breathing technique, hold out a monotone hum for as long as possible. Repeat several times until your voice feels more relaxed, natural, and comfortable.

  • B – O - Think fog horn. Slowly hold out a comfortable low tone – BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB – followed by a lower comfortable tone – OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO – Repeat frequently

  • Yeow (”ow” as in “wow”) - Roll and stretch your mouth and facial muscles. Still in a comfortable low tone, slowly, and relaxed. – YY-EEEEE-OW- Repeat frequently. Watch your breathing.

Vocal Sound Improvement Exercises

Personally, since I have a background in music, I use arpeggios and scales when working with vowel sounds. If you’re not musically inclined there are still some ways that you can apply this exercise.

  • First speak the vowels drawing out each letter in a monotone phrase. “AAAAA – EEEEE – IIIII – OOOOO – UUUUU.” Repeat several times.
  • Now employ different sounds, still in monotone, related to each letter. “AHHHH – EHHHH – IHHHH – OOOOO – UHHHH.” Repeat several times.
  • Now apply music. Everybody knows the children’s song “Three Blind Mice.” Using just the first 3 notes sing each of the vowels in a comfortable range for your voice. “AAAAA – EEEEE – IIIII – OOOOO – UUUUU.” Again, repeat several times.
  • Still with “Three Blind Mice” employ the related sounds. “AHHHH – EHHHH – IHHHH – OOOOO – UHHHH.”
  • Remember the song “Do-Re-Me” from the Sound of Music. Use just the first three notes and repeat the exercises.
  • Now, use some of the songs that you know. All you need is the first few notes.
  • Next, change your range. Start on higher and lower tones.

What you’re doing here is loosening your vocal cords and strengthening your quality vocal range. Singers have ranges in which they sing their best. You, as a voice artist, must learn where to pitch your voice. Find the zone where you sound best. These exercises will strengthen your sound zone and enable you to expand your usable range.

Articulation Exercises

You’ve worked on the sounds produced by your voice. Now, let’s work on articulation.

As a kid you may have played around with Tongue Twisters. In regard to voice talent development they are invaluable. You will likely find your favorites but here are some of mine. I use these because they deal with some of the challenges often encountered in reading copy. Use a half dozen of these at a time and repeat them 5 times each.

  • Six sick slick slim sycamore saplings.
  • A box of biscuits, a batch of mixed biscuits
  • Six thick thistle sticks. Six thick thistles stick.
  • Toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat.
  • Mrs. Smith’s Fish Sauce Shop.
  • Three free throws.
  • Knapsack straps.
  • A noisy noise annoys an oyster.
  • The myth of Miss Muffet.
  • Friendly Frank flips fine flapjacks.
  • Vincent vowed vengeance very vehemently.
  • Cheap ship trip.
  • Lovely lemon liniment.
  • Moose noshing much mush.
  • Twelve twins twirled twelve twigs.
  • Peggy Babcock.
  • Six sticky sucker sticks.
  • Crisp crusts crackle crunchily.
  • Thieves seize skis.
  • Truly rural.
  • Ed had edited it.
  • Preshrunk silk shirts
  • The epitome of femininity.
  • Please pay promptly.
  • Strange strategic statistics.
  • Complex Multiples

Take Good Care of Your Voice

  • Watch when and what you eat - Some things just should be eaten before a performance. If you’re serious about raising the voice talent bar on your career then you’ll learn what you can and can’t eat. Greasy foods, acidic foods, sweets, and dairy products are a no-no for me. Also, don’t eat late. Acid reflux can be very damaging to your voice.

  • Keep the weight off - Excessive weight hampers good breath control and even changes the sound quality of the voice.

  • Watch what you drink - Coffee, alcohol, and carbonated beverages are bad for the voice. Coffee? Yes, that’s been hard for me too. Coffee is very acidic and can, over time, adversely affect the voice.

  • Don’t smoke - That’s a no-brainer.

  • Don’t scream - Screaming can do serious damage to the vocal cords.

  • Don’t take on too much - I learned the hard way. Audio books pay well but they can wreak havoc on the vocal cords. Recently I was trying to finish an audio book while taking on several other projects. In the process, I lost my voice, not once but twice in a 3 week period.

  • Get plenty of voice rest - Rest between sessions. Resist the temptation to handle long projects in one sitting. Don’t talk so much.

  • Stay Away from Sick People - Now more than ever. Practice good hygiene.

Breathe correctly, warm-up, exercise, and practice every day for as long as you want a voice talent career.

Drive + Determination + Discipline = Success!

Become more than a voice talent. Become a voice artist.

These lessons have been written by Richard Weirich. 

For help with your voice talent career contact Richard at rw7475@gmail.com or (205) 260-9362. 

Voice Talent coaching services are available.  Initial critiques are free.