02 Aug Easy and Quick Methods to Warm Up Before Any Show
Article by Eder Ramirez
Picture this: it’s your first gig that’s outside your garage. Naturally, that means you’ve got a crowd of eager people to have good first impressions of you. Of course, you’re also eager to show those folks a good time, and you feel confident you’ll be able to deliver a great show. However. . .
Did you warm up before going on stage? Your confidence isn’t enough to ensure a good first show.
We at FanFlex are good at finding stages to play on, but we also want to ensure you’re ready to go on that stage. Back in my show choir days, I learned some tricks to get my voice, body, and mind ready for when the curtains rose; these tricks are perfect for when the lights first shine on you.
Vocal Warm-Ups
One good way I’ve learned to warm up my voice for singing is by saying tongue twisters, which helps loosen those lips to correctly pronounce and clearly say those complicated words your songs might have. This may feel a little funny to do at first, but just focus on saying the following phrases over and over correctly:
“Red Leather, Yellow Leather. Red Leather, Yellow Leather. Red Leather, Yellow Leather.”
“A big black bug bit a big black bear, made the big black bear bleed black blood.”
When saying these, try to ascend and descend in pitch while keeping your voice audible and clear.
Another good warm-up I can suggest is doing vocal sirens, which are great for loosening those vocal cords. It’s a little difficult to explain in text, so here’s a fantastic video by MusicGurus that explains how to do them. Don’t be afraid to be loud!
Physical Warm-Ups
Got your voice warmed up? Good start, but that’s not everything. Audiences love a dynamic performance, and jumping jacks are perfect for warming up. With jumping jacks, you’re moving almost every part of your body and getting those lungs ready to handle both singing and movement. Trust me, this is one exercise you don’t want to skip, as it’ll avoid getting winded and pulling something during the show. Don’t do too much since you’re warming up or you’ll tire yourself out.
There’s also nothing wrong with rehearsing a little bit of choreography offstage, albeit on a much calmer scale. Don’t get too into it, as you’re just making sure you got your movements down. You can get intense once you’re on stage.
In summary, warming up is as important as actually performing. It’s one aspect of live performance you never want to forget, especially since you just want to give your audiences a good show. Make these tips part of any pre-show ritual, and you’ll be an on-stage darling.