Warming up your voice is an essential practice for singers, actors, and speakers alike. Just as athletes prepare their bodies for peak performance, singers must prepare their vocal cords to avoid strain and make a great performance.
In this article, we’ll explore 5 fundamental exercises and address common questions about vocal warm-ups. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a curious beginner, these techniques will help you understand how to warm up your voice and improve your vocal abilities. So, let’s dive in.
The importance of vocal warm-ups
Vocal cords are delicate muscles, and without proper preparation, they can be easily strained. Warming up gradually increases blood flow, enhances flexibility, and allows you to access your full vocal range.
“If you sing without warming up you have the tendency to wear out much quicker, for your voice to get tired much quicker, for you to feel hoarse and dry,” says Eric Vetro in his BBC Maestro course.
Regular practice of vocal warm-up exercises can improve singing voice quality, strengthen vocal cords, and even prevent long-term damage.
6 vocal warm-up exercises to try
Here are 6 exercises to try.
1. Vocal slides: Hee
This is the perfect exercise to start your warm up.
- Sing one long note – heee – on the roof of the mouth.
- No vibrato. Keep the note steady, feeling the vibrations against the hard
palate, the roof of your mouth.
- Hold the note for as long as you can, focusing on the breathing support
from your abdominals.
Do this several times on all the vowels; hoo, hoe, hee, hah and hay.
Benefits of vocal slides:
- A gentle way to start warming up the voice
- Consciously connecting that sound to our breathing
- We’re locating the correct placement right up front at the roof of the mouth.
2. Vocal slides with Vibrato
Repeat the previous exercise but adding vibrato (from the Italian for ‘vibrate’). Vibrato is a musical effect where a note changes pitch subtly and quickly.
- Repeat, but sliding from a lower to a higher pitch and back again, up and
down, nice and loose.
- After a few slides, add vibrato to the final, lowest note.
- Repeat, while rolling the head side to side to keep the neck muscles relaxed.
- Next roll the shoulders.
- Then swing the arms.
- Keep everything loose and easy.
Tip:
Different music requires different levels of vibrato, but controlling those levels
depends on keeping the mouth relaxed. Starting out, it can help to clasp your hands together and move them quickly back & forth to shake your body to trigger your vibrato to begin.
Benefits of vocal slides with vibrato:
- Enhances vocal flexibility – sliding smoothly between pitches helps loosen up the vocal cords, making transitions effortless.
- Reduces tension– The controlled motion of a vocal slide encourages relaxation in the throat, tongue, and jaw, while vibrato helps release tightness and prevent strain.
- Improves breath support – Sustaining vibrato through a slide strengthens breath control, helping singers develop endurance and stability in their vocal production.
3. Humming
Humming is a foundational exercise that focuses on resonance and breath control.
- Perform the same vocal slides as above, but this time with humming.
- Now repeat this once more with your tongue out between your lips.
Benefits of humming:
- Builds resonance by stimulating vibrations in the vocal mask (mouth, nose, and sinuses).
- Improves breath control and airflow.
- Prepares your voice for more advanced exercises.
- One habit some singers have is their tongue pulling backwards involuntarily when they sing, so humming with your tongue out helps remind your brain that it’s ok to make space.
4. Lip trills (or Lip bubbling)
Lip trills, or lip bubbles, are a playful yet powerful exercise.
- Relax your lips and take a deep breath.
- Exhale while gently blowing air through your lips, causing them to flutter or “trill.”
- Add a pitch to the trill, starting at a low note and sliding upward.
- Experiment with scales and intervals to challenge your range.
Tip:
If you feel your lips tense or tighten at any stage, you will notice the bubbling motion stop. This can be a great indicator of leaving your comfortable singing range.
Benefits of lip trills:
- Strengthens vocal cords by engaging core vocal muscles.
- Promotes steady airflow and breath control.
- Reduces vocal tension by encouraging relaxation.
5. Yawn-sigh
It’s an effective way to reset the voice, ensuring ease, clarity, and control before singing.
- Open your mouth wide as if yawning, allowing your throat to expand and your jaw to relax.
- Take a slow, deep breath through your mouth, feeling the openness in your throat.
- Let out a gentle sigh while sliding from a comfortable high note down to a lower pitch.
- Avoid any tension; let the sound flow naturally and smoothly.
- Notice how your voice feels more open and relaxed with each repetition.
Benefit of yawn-sigh:
- Helps relax the throat, jaw, and tongue, reducing strain, reducing vocal tension.
- Encourages natural resonance – opens the vocal tract, allowing for a fuller, more resonant tone.
- Helps connect chest and head voice effortlessly, preventing vocal breaks.
6. Squeaky door
There are plenty of names for this exercise. It’s one for blending lower and upper voices and can help smoothen out a hoarse voice. It gets its name from sounding like a squeaky door closing.
- Sing ‘hmmm’ and imagine that you are creating the sound right in the centre of your head.
- Aim for a high placement on the low note so you’ll be in place and ready for the high note when you get to it.
- As you approach the upper voice, think thinner and narrower to help you sing through the transition – with a big, belting sound the voice can become shouty, too heavy and crack into a falsetto.
Benefits of squeaky door:
- Trains the vocal cords to come together gently and efficiently, reducing breathiness and improving vocal clarity.
- Prevents excess tension and promotes a smooth, connected vocal tone across registers.
- By engaging the vocal cords at a minimal pressure level, this exercise helps singers develop better control over their voice without strain.
Do vocal exercises really work?
Many people wonder if vocal warm-ups are truly effective. The answer is a resounding yes. Regular practice of voice exercises, including those outlined above, enhances vocal stamina, prevents injury, and helps you unlock your voice. Over time, you’ll notice improved pitch accuracy, greater vocal agility, and a richer tone.
How to build a vocal warm-up routine
Creating a personalised vocal warm-up routine doesn’t have to be complicated.
Follow these steps to design a routine that suits your needs:
- Start with relaxation:
- Begin with a few deep breaths to centre yourself and release any physical tension.
- Slightly bend your knees, bend over forward from your waist, let your head hang down loosely and freely, let your arms hang freely, take a few deep breaths in and out.
- Practise regularly
Depending on your goals, set aside regular timeslots to practice your vocal slides, humming and squeaky doors.
- Focus on specific goals
If you want to work on specific areas, pitch control, belting, or breath support – practise exercises that support these.
- Gradually increase intensity: Move from simple exercises to more complex ones as your voice warms up.
- Cool down: End every session with soft humming or gentle scales to bring your voice back to a relaxed state.
Warming up your voice is a vital part of any performance or practice session. By incorporating these exercises, you can strengthen your vocal cords, improve your range, and protect your voice from strain. And, with consistent practice, you’ll not only enhance your vocal abilities but also gain confidence in your performance.
Whether you’re preparing for a big audition or practising in the shower, remember that your voice is a powerful instrument. Treat it with care, and it will reward you. If you want to learn more about taking your voice to the next level, head over to Eric Vetro’s course Sing Like the Stars.
