A Day in the Life Guitar Lesson

Chapter 1: (02:19) A Day in the Life Review

1. Warm-up the body.
2. Single note hum.
3. Three note hum.
4. Hum "me-me-me-me" to "mah-mah-mah-mah" to "me-ma-me-ma" to "mo-mo-mo-mo."
5. Wake up the breath with "sah-sah-sah" long and sutained then five times staccato.
6. "Sah" in five note descending scales then five note ascending scales
7. Start softly with each. Then, gradually get louder and louder, faster and faster until you reach the volume and speed that you feel you will be using during the performance.
8. Practice singing along with guitar rhythms that you’ve been using in the last few lessons or with material that you’ve discovered on your own and apply the steps listed above to your playing.
9. Relax and enjoy!

I'm hoping that you've noticed a couple of changes in the review section, the last of which is to relax and enjoy the process of both warming-up and performing. Many people are so stressed out with the entire process and fearful of the performance itself that they forget that the ultimate goal is really just to have fun and impart that enjoyment to your audience, whether it be your little ol' Granny or tens of thousands of screaming adoring fans. Also, I want to point out that the warm-up should happen gradually. Don't rush through it. Rather, pay attention to how your voice sounds/feels and progress through the steps as a function of that.

A Day in the Life (of a Singer)

We've talked extensively about the importance of stretching the body, warming the voice and general healthy practices of the aspiring singer, right? Now, I want to give you a brief outline of what a 24 hour period before a performance could look like from the perspective of a performer, me! This is based on years and years of performance experience and a routine that I’ve found to be thorough and effective. The period of time that I will be examining will be mid-day the day before the performance to the evening of so, a little more than 24 hours, but work with me, would you people! Ready? Here we go! Chapter 2: (11:52) Preparation Noon (day before)

I thoroughly stretch my body, especially the neck, shoulders, hamstrings, and back. If I happen to have the day off or some time during work, I try to work out, especially the cardiovascular system. I try to get my work out in a day before the day of the performance, because this gives the body a chance to bounce back from the strain that can result from a strenuous workout. I stretch thoroughly after the workout as well to mitigate the possibly deleterious effects. Before, during, and after I drink water and tend to drink more (probably about as much as I should be drinking all the time but) before performances. Check with your doctor or nutritionist for the proper amount that you should be drinking so you don’t over do it.

Afternoon (day before)

I try to have as non-stressful a day as possible, but who doesn't right? Stress from the day before can really creep into performance day and potentially hurt your playing. I avoid too much more physical activity if possible (I know that may be more difficult for some of you) but if I have to exert myself, I make sure and re-stretch the day of the performance.

Evening (day before)

I take it as easy as possible and avoid super-salty or spicy foods as these can dehydrate the body and compromise your performance. I also really try to avoid alcohol, because that is the king of dehydrators and can severely affect your singing skills as well as longevity on stage. I also try to stay up as late as I think I will be up on the night of the performance so that I don't start to lose energy half the way through the show. This can be a tough one for some, especially if they are early morning risers. Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not implying that you deprive yourself of sleep, but rather stretch out your normal circadian (sleep) rhythms so that you're not exhausted on stage.

Morning (day of the show)

Start your day with a big glass of warm water. This is a good start to any day, mainly because most of us are usually dehydrated when we wake up. A glass of water first thing in the morning before coffee or food really absorbs more quickly into the thirsty body and will set a precedent of hydration for the day of the performance. Plan on drinking water throughout the day if you don't already do this as part of your daily regimen. I cannot emphasize this enough...chronic dehydration is prevalent in as many as 90% of all humans and will definitely effect your ability to sing at your maximum.

Noon (day of the show)

I stretch again while focusing on areas that may tend to tense the neck and shoulders and adversely affect the vocal chords. If I can't stretch during this period, then I do it when I get home, but I definitely do it before the evening of the show. I avoid alcohol and dehydrating types of foods, especially salty stuff. I also avoid talking or yelling (in general) extensively the entire day of the performance, because the vocal chords only have so much energy and then they tend to give out if overused. Did you know that some opera singers don’t speak for as much as two weeks before their performances?

Evening (night of the show)

I eat a good meal, but not too large and not too spicy, because this can cause acid reflux and/or gastro-intestinal types of problems that may interfere with the performance. There's nothing worse than having to burp in the middle of a song! It’s also best to eat at least an hour or so before you begin. No, you won’t cramp up like when swimming, but it's best to allow time for digestion before you introduce the stress of a performance to your body. I also try to do some light relaxation techniques, whether it's just watching something relaxing on T.V. for a while, or sitting outside on the deck. Calming oneself before the show can really help you get focused on the performance at hand. If you have a substantial drive to the venue, which is often the situation, take some time to chill out after you get there and get your gear set up. Also, find some time on the way there or once you’ve arrived to do a thorough vocal warming and stretching again if you're feeling tight. It's easy to get caught up in the stress and excitement of the planning phases and completely forget to do a proper warm-up.

Perform

Relax, breathe, and get comfortable on the stage or space that you will be performing by walking around and "owning" it. What I mean by owning is that it can be helpful to really claim that space as yours and put your gear/guitars where they're accessible, get comfortable where you're going to sit/stand, and really get acclimated with the area that you’re going to call your own for the next few hours. I also talk to the staff and sometimes the patrons if they are nearby to further familiarize myself with the room. Continue to drink water (not soda) and minimal if any alcohol due to the dehydrating, not to mention debilitating effects. Last but certainly not least, have fun! A happy and easy-going attitude going into a performance is perhaps the most important piece of preparation that a performer can do and the only way to prepare for that is to relax, breathe, and smile, because after all, performing is one of the most enjoyable things that we can do, right???

Further
Beyond the vocal preparation that you will need to complete, those of you who sing and play an instrument (e.g. guitar) will need to take further steps to thoroughly prepare.
Chapter 3: (04:58) Prep for Guitarists 1. Stretch your hands and wrists.
2. Tune-up! Moving instruments about, especially in cold or dry climates, can make them go out of tune and proper tuning will help to create the sound that you desire.
3. Play some warm-up chords. I usually warm up for a few minutes just to acclimate my fingers to the guitar strings.
4. Check your connections and/or sound. Doing a sound check is paramount, especially when it comes to checking the volume of your guitar in relation to your voice. If guitar is too loud no one will hear you and that’s not so good!
5. Check your volume and quality of your sound in relation to other musicians on stage, if there are any. Same reasons as above apply even more so because imbalanced sound makes for bad stage mojo!
6. Check the acoustics in the room. This can be done by standing in different spots in the room and doing another sound check. If you’re a soloist then you can possibly bribe one of the patrons or a friend to help you out with this aspect.
7. Do a space check - make sure that you're not going to bump expensive instruments into walls, beams, or people.
8. Combine warm ups - as you should know by now, you can do vocal warm-up with guitar warm-ups and save time, but make sure that you give yourself sufficient time to properly warm up your vocal chords.
9. Enjoy!!!!

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