The Power of Vocal Exercise

But what about singing SONGS?! Don’t worry… I know you want to sing… which is the reason I make you buzz your lips and sound like a crazy person saying GOO and NAY in every lesson I teach. And… if you truly understood that these things are the key to unlocking that incredible singing voice that you want… you would NAY NAY NAY all day long!

A solid foundation of vocal technique is incredibly important to developing a healthy (and great-sounding!) voice.

So if you’re unsatisfied with the measly range of notes you can sing… if you experience tiredness or strain after singing on a Sunday morning… if you have no idea from day to day if you’re going to be able to hit that big note in the song… here’s where it’s at: scales, scales, scales.

NAY. GOO. MUM. WAH. BUH. (If you’ve been around The Worship Vocalist community for any length of time, you’re probably becoming familiar with some of these by now!)

Some people believe that you’re either “born with it” or you’re not… which is actually not true! I wasn’t “born with it”, and I know a hundred other people who weren’t “born with it”… and our voices have improved dramatically through vocal exercise! If you went to the gym every day (and ate super-foods and not junk), there’s no way your body wouldn’t look amazing in a matter of time. It’s the same with the voice—it’s made up of muscles just like the other muscles in your body. And without good technique, those muscles will be weak and unreliable (and when something is unreliable, your confidence takes a hike. Would you get into a car with brakes that only work half the time?!). But… WITH good technique, naturally your range expands, your muscles strengthen and your voice becomes incredibly reliable (so you don’t have to cringe when you get to that high note anymore… can I get an AMEN?!).

Your voice was designed by God to work in a very specific, coordinated way—it’s a beautifully complex human instrument!

And when you learn the intricacies of this instrument… when you do the right exercises to strengthen your weaknesses and create healthy vocal cord closure… when you learn to use the most efficient resonance for each part of your range… you’ll be able to move throughout your (increased!) range with freedom and ease… you’ll have a beautiful and consistent tone, hit the high notes, be able to do the octave jumps, do lightning-fast licks and trills… whatever you want!

And NOT (I repeat… not!) so that you can say “look at me… look at what my voice can do!” But because HE deserves the glory… and He GETS glory when we hone our skills and when we use them passionately and humbly (which doesn’t mean shrinking back… the world needs our boldness and artistry!). The Creator of our instrument is a MASTER… He is incredibly detailed, creative, and passionate about beauty, and I love what Martin Luther said:

“When man’s natural musical ability is whetted and polished to the extent that it becomes an art, then do we note with great surprise the great and perfect wisdom of God in music, which is, after all, His product and His gift.”

So… now’s your time! If you’re not already on a vocal exercise plan, get on it! My “Discover Your Voice” course is the best place to start (or start back if you’ve fallen off the bandwagon for awhile!)—I take you through 6 weeks of step-by-step vocal workouts (I recommend 15-30 minutes of vocal exercises per day, minimum 3-5 times per week). And if you’ve completed those lessons, make sure to move onto “Master Your Voice”… I’ve designed and recorded literally hundreds of scale and song application exercises and I am absolutely confident that they will transform your voice—if you do them diligently!

You’ve got this—and I’m here to help along the way… so don’t hesitate to reach out! My goal is to help YOU get your voice to the next level this year!