Strengthen your voice with these easy workouts
What's the story
The cricothyroid muscle is key to vocal expression as it regulates vocal cord tension for pitch adjustment. By strengthening this muscle, you can achieve a wider and more stable pitch range - a game-changer for singers, actors, and anyone who uses their voice professionally. Here are five powerful exercises to supercharge your cricothyroid muscle without any fancy equipment.t
Warm-up
Humming warm-ups
Humming is a great way to gently engage the cricothyroid muscle without straining your voice. Start with a comfortable pitch and slowly slide up and down within your natural range, like a siren. Do this for five minutes. This warms up the vocal cords by increasing blood flow to the area, preventing strain when you move on to more demanding exercises.
Scale work
Glissando scales
Glissando scales involve sliding from one relaxed low note to your highest, and then back down, across a full octave. This exercise requires meticulous control of your cricothyroid muscle. Do this exercise 10 times, ensuring the notes transition smoothly. It not only builds the muscle but also improves pitch accuracy.
Precision training
Staccato notes on different vowels
Singing staccato notes on various vowels such as "ee," "ah," "oo," etc. is beneficial as it allows you to isolate and exercise the cricothyroid muscle more effectively. To do this, sing a series of short, detached (staccato) notes across your vocal range on each vowel sound. Strive for clear and distinct notes to ensure you're working the muscle properly. Repeat this exercise five times on each vowel.
Relaxation method
Yawn-sigh technique
The yawn-sigh technique is a great way to relax the voice while still warming up the cricothyroid muscle gently. Simply imitate a yawn to stretch open your throat then exhale into a sigh while descending through your vocal range smoothly. This exercise releases tension around the larynx and vocal cords while still keeping the necessary muscles engaged.
Flexibility drill
Siren sounds
Imitating siren sounds is a more advanced exercise. You start at your lowest note, slide up through your whole range to your highest note, and then back down again in one smooth motion like a siren's wail. This exercise encourages flexibility in all singing muscles including the cricothyroid but emphasizes control as you glide through your whole range without breaks.