Using songs as warm ups - sing with me!

Want a fun, quick way to gently wake up your voice without feeling like you are boring yourself with ‘formal singing practice’? 

One of the best ways to warm up your voice (and body) is to sing simple songs or song sections, but you can also cast your mind back further to your childhood! Do you remember what you sang or heard as a child? Why not revive those happy tunes again?

Children’s songs or nursery rhymes are perfect for the voice for the following reasons:

• They are simple and fun
• Quick and easy to learn
• Evokes happy memories – instant mood boosters!
• You can sing them in a light, child-like way instead of blasting your voice (be a kid again!)
• Keeps your voice flexible as you sing gently on many different pitches
• Easy to commit to memory (then sing anywhere, any time!)
• Can be great tongue twisters – perfect for articulation
• Without realizing it, they also teach you basic music theory such as scales, tempo, rhythm, timing, etc. – you are multitasking!
• Use them to connect with your children or other people – teach them and have fun singing together!
• Use as ‘inbetweener’ songs while rehearsing other complicated or ‘adult’ songs to stay motivated.
• Singing ‘silly’ songs helps you to relax and incorporate movement to the music – great for body and mind!
• Many of these songs include making weird noises (e.g. ‘Old MacDonald Had a Farm’) – great for trying new sounds, character voices, etc.
• Provides creative inspiration, inspires your imagination, and focuses on storytelling - useful skills for performance, artistry, and composition
• Helpful if English is not your first language
• Great way to learn other languages… and more!

You may recall nursery rhymes and children’s songs which are unique to your life experience, culture, and country, but a few examples of the more well-known and traditional English songs are below:

• ‘Alouette’
• ‘Are You Sleeping?(Brother John)’
• ’Baa Baa Black Sheep’
• ’Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe’
• ’Five Little Ducks’
• ’Frère Jacques’
• ’Grand Old Duke of York’
• ’Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes’
• ’Hickory Dickory Dock’
• ’Humpty Dumpty’
• ’Hush Little Baby’

What if you cannot think of any songs from childhood? Easy! You can find many of them on the Internet on YouTube or other sources. For example, all of the songs listed above (and more) can be found at '7 Great Ways Nursery Rhymes Boost Children’s Listening Comprehension' by Ox & Owl Literacy. 

Don’t worry if you have to visit websites or watch videos catering for children, or other people hear you singing children’s songs; invite them to join in! You may also find that some of the songs you knew may have altered music or lyrics, or not be exactly as you remember them, but it does not matter too much.

Finally, if you want to step it up a notch, you can try singing basic children’s canons or rounds – a type of song where one person (or group of singers) starts singing then others follow at different times.

One of my favourites as a child was (and still is!) “Why Shouldn’t My Goose”.  Watch my video demonstrating this song in four voices, then sing it with me!

Want to know more about how I can help you sing better? Visit my website and select one or more learning options that suit you. From short training, one-on-one lessons, and more, I have something for everyone. Beginners to experienced singers, please contact me today – I’d love to help you with your singing!

Be Free To Sing,

Yvonne