Vocal Warmup & Health
Welcome to the Warm-ups section! This collection of lessons explores various warm ups which are essential to any singer's routine. We'll also give you helpful reminders and professional tips at maintaining your vocal health and preserving your voice. When you're stuck in a rut and not sure what how to start a regular practice routine, we recommend using these lessons to get you ready and more comfortable. These are great as standalone routines or you can use them at the beginning of your regular practice routine. A good warm-up is the key to avoiding any vocal strain and prepare you to sing your very best.
TUTORIALS
All About Vocal Cooldowns
By Camille van NiekerkVocal cooldowns are just as important as warmups. Just as an athlete needs to cool down their body, singers need to cool down their vocal cords. In this lesson we'll cover when & why to cool down; types of exercises to use; order of exercises; stretch & self-massage and much more!
Agility Exercises For All Genres
By Camille van NiekerkYou'll need some vocal agility for any style you sing. In this lesson we'll cover - Staccato exercises; scales & arpeggios; wide interval leaps and much more.
Strengthen Your Voice
By Camille van NiekerkNeed more vocal power? Do you have a difficult time holding a note? Wish you could sing louder without hurting your voice? In this live lesson we will show you how to strengthen your voice. We'll cover: Onset exercises; SOVT's; dynamic exercises; vowel work and much more.
Daily Head Voice Workout For Tenors And High Baritone
By Abram PoliakoffEven if you don’t foresee yourself using a lot of head voice in the songs you sing, it’s crucial that you spend some time in head voice when you warm up. Head voice not just for high notes: it’s also for flexibility! Join Abram for this daily voice workout.
Daily Register Blending Practice for High Voices
By Camille van NiekerkRegister blending is a skill that will not be required often, but is still very worth working on. In this lesson you will be developing the ability to transition seamlessly between registers; and develop the ability to sing at different volumes and intensities throughout your range.
Daily Range Extension Practice For High Voices
By Camille van NiekerkThis series will cover the three areas most singers care about: low notes, high head voice or falsetto, and mix or belt range. This series is intended for altos, mezzos and sopranos.
Vocal Strain, Pain and Health
By Abram PoliakoffThis week we will talk about vocal strain and pain. The signs that you might be pushing your singing too hard. And ways to heal yourself and stay healthy!
Common Frustrations for Beginning Singers
By Abram PoliakoffAs a beginning singer, there are frustrations that are common across everyone. Learn what those frustrations are and how to get around them.
Vocal Agility Exercises
By Abram PoliakoffAre you working on your riffs and runs but hitting walls? This week we will work on your vocal agility and built your singing voice!
Fix Common Issues with Vocal Tone
By Abram PoliakoffHere are some simple and easy fixes for common vocal tone issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some great vocal warmups for singers start with gentle humming or lip trills to relax and engage your vocal cords without straining them. Then, work through some scales to gradually increase your pitch range and get your voice fully warmed up.
For a quick 5 minutes vocal warm up, try some lip trills or gentle humming for a couple of minutes. It’s effective and quickly preps your vocal cords for singing or speaking without overdoing it.
When your voice is sick, keep singing warmups light and gentle—like humming or low, quiet scales. Also, drink lots of warm fluids and rest your voice as much as possible.
Start with some light humming, followed by a few pitch glides (from low to high sounds) to get your voice comfortable. Finish with a few tongue and lip trills to help with articulation.
Two good vocal warm ups are humming and lip trills. These are super effective and easy vocal warm-ups that gently activate your vocal cords without causing strain. Both are great for starting any vocal exercise.
Breathing exercises and resonance drills, like humming and vocal slides, improve the quality and projection of your speaking voice. They help develop control and clarity, making your voice sound more confident.
Hydrate regularly, practice breathing exercises, and do daily warm-ups. Consistency with these habits will help your voice sound smoother and stronger over time.
To strengthen a weak speaking voice, practice deep breathing and speak from your diaphragm to add power. Also, try projection exercises like speaking in front of a mirror to boost confidence and clarity.
Focus on articulation exercises, like tongue twisters, and practice controlling your breath to avoid running out mid-sentence. Over time, these will improve clarity and help you speak with ease.
The four vocal function exercises are sustained phonation (holding a sound steadily), pitch glides (sliding between notes), lip trills, and staccato sounds on different pitches. They work together to strengthen and balance your vocal cords.
