Vvv-ay Squats Descending

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For this vvv-ay squat exercise, on the way up we make a “vvv” sound and on the way down it’s an “aaay” sound.
When making the “vvv” sound, really feel the pressure building in the front of the face.
Then when you release into the “aaay” sound it comes out louder.
This variation of the squats can help us unlock more power in our voices!
We’ll start on one note, go to the same note but one octave higher and come back down.
Ok, now we have to add the squat!
The reason we do this is because it helps us to ground ourselves, breathe lower and it helps us to build our range by learning to connect the muscle activation with the sound and support the voice with the body.
Start by standing with your feet a little wider than hip width apart and toes pointing forwards.
Keeping your back straight, bend at the knees and push the hips back, making sure your knees are pointing the same direction as your toes.
We’re aiming for a 90 degree angle.
Then come back up, pressing through your heels and straightening your legs.
When we add the sound, we want the highest part of the exercise to happen at the lowest point in the squat.
Only sing the notes that feel comfortable to sing, avoid any strain or discomfort in the voice.
You should feel the muscles in the core engaging as we do this.
You can also experiment with adding some weight.
Please do this carefully and only if you’ve been advised that it’s safe for you to do by a doctor.
If not just continue without weight.
One of the best ways to do this is to use a chair - you want to pick it up at the bottom of the legs and keep hold of it while you squat.