We are all aware that every professional athlete must stretch their muscles in order to effectively prepare for a major game. Similarly, any seasoned performer or voice actor recognizes the importance of vocal warm-ups or vocal exercises in order to provide their best performance when they step up to the microphone or best headphones.
As an actor, having a strong and healthy voice is vital. Your voice is one of your most valuable assets, and it is completely trainable. Range, dynamic range, volume, lung capacity, articulation, and resonance can all be improved.
Simply choose a comfortable but firm spot to lie down on your back. Then begin by generating a low humming sound and practice panting. Then shift your body to one side and stand up while maintaining your breathing rhythm. Roll over to the other side and repeat. If you approach the microphone uptight or stressed, you will surely sound tense and stressed. However, if you enter the booth feeling comfortable, supple, and physically prepared to handle that song or script read, your vocal performances will reflect that mood as well.
Alignment is also important for voice over actors. If your body is centered and grounded, the sound can be discharged without interference. When you are aligned, you are forced to let go of any personal tendencies and tensions, which allows you to speak more freely. If your posture is slouched and your neck is tense, it will be difficult for your voice instrument to function properly.
The more you focus on your vocal tone, the more flexible your singing or a professional dubbing artist acting abilities will be. Meanwhile, jogging through a set of vocal warm-up exercises every time before an extended vocal practice minimizes your chances of injury. Be thorough in your warm ups.
Try to breathe in through your nostrils, raise your shoulders, and feel your stomach expand while standing in actors' neutral (feet shoulder length apart, chest out, spine nice and straight). Then, exhale through your lips in one huge breath, dropping your shoulders. Repeat, allowing a little more air into your lungs each time. You should feel energized and a little higher with each drop of your shoulders.
The goal is to gently warm up your vocal cords, beginning with an "ff" sound: breathe in, and then create an "ff" sound on the out breath. Depending on your lung capacity, you could exhale for 10 seconds or 40 seconds; just concentrate on the stage of your voice. If you practice this every day, you'll notice that your exhales will get longer and longer. Perform three rounds of "ff," "sh," and "ss." So "ff" becomes "vv," "sh" becomes "zh" (as in "measure"), and "ss" becomes "zz." Inhale once more and expel with a sound. Perform 3 rounds of each. Now that your vocal cords have warmed up, your breath should be very grounded.
To complete the breath support exercises, softly sigh out on the following open vowel sounds: "uh", "ah", "oh", "oo", "ee". Do 3 rounds of each, starting easy and gradually increasing the volume. Again, the goal is to sound loose and comfortable rather than "as loud as possible." Pushing and attempting to "project" might cause strain in the vocal cords, which is not desirable.
Massage your articulators one at a time, gently massaging the lips, gums, and cheeks. Stick out your tongue as far as it will go, then pull it back in. Rep 3 times more. Try to contact your nose with your tongue three times. Now try to contact your chin three times. Finally, create large circles with your tongue inside your cheek, three in one direction and three in the other. Remember to do the other cheek!
You can also open your mouth as wide as it will go, then constrict it as much as you can. To expand your mouth and lips, alternate between these two positions. Remember that doing any practice on a regular basis is more beneficial than conducting a big, thorough warm up once in a while. Warm up slowly and cautiously if you have a sore throat or other vocal difficulties. Check out our natural sore throat treatment for some advice on how to deal with a painful throat. If you are unsure about any of these exercises, we recommend that you skip them rather than attempt to complete them. If you need help, look for a local vocal coach, they will guide you according to your vocal cords.
If you are looking for more opportunities, get registered at Voyzapp - a leading voice over company in India with a team of 30K+ registered voice artists. It’s a great opportunity to grow as a voice actor and be able to get dream projects. Start your career with us and be a part of the growing team.