How To: Warm up your voice properly before singing

Not sure how to properly warm up your voice before belting a tune? Learn the right way to warm up your voice so you can surprise friends without setting off the neighborhood dogs.

You Will Need:
• Discipline
• A healthy diet
• Breathing exercises
• Lots of water

Step 1: Discipline your voice
Discipline yourself with a good diet and regular exercise. The poor blood flow from self-abuse can compromise vocal quality.

Step 2: Relax the body
Relax your whole body and do a series of breathing exercises, slowly, to exercise your diaphragm.

Step 3: Warm up incrementally
Warm up incrementally, never forcing your voice. Thicker and deeper voices will take longer to prepare.

Step 4: Drink water
Drink lots of room temperature water throughout the day. Give your body time to absorb the water before working your voice.

Step 5: Do scales
Do your scales, starting from middle C and going low, and then high. Be comfortable and don't push it. If it hurts, stop.

Step 6: Build the voice
Build volume, speed, and range as you go. Vocalize a siren sound, using "Ee" as you move up and down your range, and repeat until you feel limber.

Step 7: Work and shape the mouth
Over-enunciate different sounds and phrases to work out your mouth, tongue, and face. Open your mouth for vowels, and make consonants crisp.

Step 8: Avoid using the voice
Avoid using your voice throughout the day you have to sing. Don't raise your voice or whisper, which can also fatigue your voice.

Trivia: A Chinese music teacher, Li Wenxing, is said to sing across six octaves.