Voice Training for Guides at Windsor Castle, March 2005

It’s time for Musical Bumps! Warming up your voice

INTRODUCTION

Your voice is a primary tool in your work! It needs to stay in good condition so you can keep using it. Adults and children need to be able to hear, understand and be inspired by what you are saying and singing. Your voice is also important to you outside your job, in your personal life, so it needs to still be working well for you in your off-duty time. This sheet is intended to help you understand:

· The principles of efficient and healthy voice production

· How to warm your voice up

· How to prevent voice strain

The following simple exercises will form the basis of your warm-up before work. They cover tension in the shoulder and neck area, and the mechanics of respiration. Once you’ve learnt them, it won’t take very long – in the car on the way to classes (maybe not on the bus…).

Face relaxation exercises

These will free up the larynx (voice box), creating greater resonance for less effort. They will prepare your mouth for the vocal gymnastics to come! The greater relaxation will also preserve the voice better.

Tongue swallow: take the tip of your tongue between your teeth and swallow several times. Stick your tongue out a little further and do the same. Now stick your tongue out as far as it can go and try to swallow a couple of times. It may be a little difficult but it stretches the tongue.

Massage tongue muscle: massaging the muscle and tissue underneath the ear, and round the back and underneath of the jaw line reduces the tension in these areas considerably, leading to a warmer, more rounded sound.

Jaw muscle: place your thumbs under the cheekbone, then move them back slightly, and downwards. The section down from here, and to the back line of your jaw is the biting/chewing muscle. Massage this whole area gently, but with firm pressure (some tenderness is okay but don’t bully yourself.) Your jaw should then feel looser, wider, and slightly ‘stupid’. Scrunch up the face and hold for a few seconds, then release.

Massage facial muscles: with your thumbs, massage the rizorius muscle (between your parted teeth, just under the cheekbone) to release the tension.

Loosen the lips (lip roll): part your lips slightly and breathe out through your mouth. Then start to make your lips vibrate (like blowing raspberries!). Do this several times and before adding a humming noise at the end.

Neck and shoulder exercises

These exercises are designed to rid the shoulder and neck area of unwanted tension. When we loosen the muscles we have control over, it helps us relieve the tension in muscles we have less control over, like those around the voice box. Tension around your neck and shoulders can make voice production more difficult, leading in turn to voice strain. It is best to carry out these exercises in a warm room, and it may help to be in front of a mirror. Do them slowly, and discontinue if you feel any pain.

· Start facing straight ahead with shoulders relaxed. Turn your head slowly to the right, feeling the muscle stretch. Return to face the front, then turn slowly to the left. Finish by returning to the front again. Repeat until you have done this 5 times.

· Head nodding: start by facing straight ahead again, then slowly drop your chin onto your chest. Bring your head up until you are looking at the ceiling, allowing your mouth to fall open. Come back to normal. Do this 5 times, remembering to keep your shoulders relaxed.

· This stretches the side of the neck: starting from the usual position, drop your right ear towards the right shoulder without moving your shoulder upwards. You should feel a good stretch. Repeat on the left side. Do each side in turn 5 times.

· Now for the shoulders: shrug your shoulders up to your ears, holding for a few seconds, then let your shoulders fall. Push your shoulders down as far as they will go, then release. Do this 5 times.

· Circle your right shoulder forward 5 times, then back 5 times. Repeat with the left shoulder.

· Push both shoulders forward and hold for a few seconds; pull your shoulders back and hold for the same length of time. Remember to keep your head upright, and don’t allow it to move forward and back with your shoulders. Do this 5 times.

· Move your shoulders and head around gently, feeling relaxed. You should be able to feel the reduced tension, and that you have more movement in this area.

Breathing exercises

Understanding the mechanics of breathing, and how the diaphragm and ribs work together to support the breath, is the key to effective and efficient voice production. These exercises may be done standing up or sitting down provided your back is kept straight and upright. It may help to be in front of a mirror so that you can observe the breathing action.

Place one hand on your diaphragm, and the other on your lower ribs at the side. Breathe in gently and easily through the nose, and slowly out through the mouth. Observe how the diaphragm and the ribs swing upwards and outwards on the in-breath, creating a cavity in the chest to hold the breath. Ribs and diaphragm return gently back to starting position on the out-breath. Try to stay relaxed and not to move your shoulders. Repeat this several times, but pause between each deep breath to avoid hyperventilation.

The pattern of breath:

· Breathe in to the count of 3

· Hold your breath to the count of 3

· Breathe out slowly through your mouth to the count of 3

Repeat this cycle several times, maintaining the breathing in and holding times at a count of 3, but start to extend the breathing out to a count of 4, then 5, then 6, and so on. Only do this when you feel comfortable and relaxed enough to increase the time. Ensure that you establish a rhythmic pattern of breathing, with visible movement in the diaphragm and ribs and no movement in the shoulders.

Circle of breath – this combines the breathing exercises with the neck and shoulder exercises, and it also allows freedom in the muscles around the larynx and base of the tongue, preparing your voice for speaking. The basic exercise is as follows:

· Stand with your weight spread evenly over both feet and your knees slightly flexed (not locked).

· Circle your right arm forwards, looking at your fingertips all the way.

· Inhale on the way up, exhale on the way down. Do this 3 or 4 times, then repeat with your left hand.

Follow your hand throughout the cycle. This ensures not only good neck movement, but also better concentration. Remember to keep your jaw relaxed throughout. It is important to aim for even intake and release of air, trying to avoid gulping a lot of air at the start of inhalation or letting out a rush of air on exhalation. You don’t want to be squeezing out air at the end while you finish your arm circle. Never hold your breath at any time in this exercise; just let the breath turn at the top and bottom of the circle. REACHING makes a big difference to your breath really moving deeply inwards, and releasing fully on the exhalation.

Vocalisation

You are ready to produce some sound now! Stand with your weight evenly distributed over both feet, your knees gently flexed, shoulders relaxed and back of the neck long. Try not to let your lower back stick out, but tuck under the bottom of your back.

· Breathe in to a silent count of 3, then exhale breath on the sound /h/

· Try the same with the sounds /s/ /sh/ /f/ in this order.

· Try to sustain the sound for about 5 seconds each time.

· Increase the time as it becomes comfortable to do so, but do not strain.

Take a deep breath and hum a note. This is your optimum pitch. Listen to it and try to remember it. Take a deep breath, hum, then use the same note to say the following, each on a separate breath, making the vowel sounds as rich as you can.

· ma

· more

· me

· my

· mow

Take a deep breath, hum, then use the same note to say:

· mum

· moon

· man

· mine

· men

· nine

When you feel relaxed enough, take a deep breath, hum and say the following pairs of words, putting your fingers beside your nose to feel the resonance.

· no more

· many men

· my name

· mean man

· more mime

· nine men

Drinking lots of water, reducing caffeine and alcohol intake and getting plenty of sleep will all help keep your voice in tip-top condition. If you feel you are ‘losing’ your voice try to avoid using it as much as possible. Avoid anaesthetic throat sprays – drink warm water rather than cold which will help to relax the muscles but ensure you won’t be putting a strain your voice without realising it.

Now your voice is ready for Time for Musical Bumps, Little Bunnies and everything else in between!