An important aspect of our warm-up routine needs to revolve around articulation. This is especially crucial when preparing to sing or practice music theatre, rap and storytelling-based repertoire. While we can get caught up with vowels, resonance and range, it is easy to forget to warm-up the muscles we need when we articulate.
As someone who has worked with many singers (young and old), I know that “my mummy makes me mash my mini M&M’s on a Monday morning” gets old SUPER quick. So, here are some of our favorite exercises for articulation!
Warming Up the Muscles
Short Syllables
Through articulation, we need to coordinate different parts of our mouth together to create specific sounds. These parts include tongue, teeth, alveolar ridge (behind front teeth and before hard palate), lips, hard palate and soft palate. The following voiced combinations will help you prepare for what’s ahead!
Tongue + teeth = “Tha tha tha”, “thee thee thee”, “ther ther ther”.
Bottom lip + upper teeth = “Fee fee fee”, “fah fah fah”, “voh voh voh”.
Tongue + alveolar ridge = “Tee tee tee”, “deh deh deh”, “loo loo loo”.
Hard palate + tongue = “Yee yee yee”, “yeh yeh yeh”, “yo yo yo”.
Soft palate + tongue = “Tongue, tongue, tongue”, “gee gee gee”, “cook, cook, cook”.
Tongue Twisters
Now that your muscles are all ready to go, we now have to put them into practice! Let’s start with some spoken phrases that will definitely workout your articulation AND brain! (I dare you to say these 5 times in a row!)
Friday’s Five Fresh Fish Specials.
She sells seashells by the seashore, and the shells she sells are seashells.
High roller, low roller, lower roller.
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear, Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair, Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t very fuzzy, was he?
Brave, bleeding boys battle bald, biting babies biting babies ride battle toys while bumbling boys brave bald biting babies.
Quizzical quiz, kiss me quick.
Birdie birdie in the sky laid a turdie in my eye. If cows could fly I’d have a cow pie in my eye.
Pad kid poured curd pulled cod.
Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks.
Round and round the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran.
A Fun Tongue Twisters to Song
It’s time to mix it all together! Let’s combine our warm muscles, practiced quick consonant placement and voice together. Try out the following sung tongue twister at various speeds with clear and precise articulation. This song is to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It (Clap Your Hands)”. Have fun!
Bubble, babble, pebble, rub a dub dub (clap, clap)
Bubble, babble, pebble, rub a dub dub (clap, clap)
Lonely man in the moon, five fifths, give gifts,
Loitering along a long lonely lane (clap, clap)
If you would like to know more tips and tricks about vocal techniques, simple book a lesson with Freya at https://resonantvoiceonline.com/voice-lessons-with-freya-meredith/book-a-lesson/.