Alex Fisher Singing Teaching

If you’re new to singing, warming up your voice properly is one of the best habits you can develop. A good warmup helps prevent strain, improves tone quality, and makes singing feel easier. But with so many exercises out there, how do you know which ones are best for you? In this post, we’ll break down key vocal warmups, explore how to adapt them for different voice types, and give you a quick 15-minute warmup plan to get started.

Why Warm Up?

Just like athletes stretch before a workout, singers need to prepare their vocal cords before singing. Warming up:
Improves vocal flexibility and endurance
Reduces tension and prevents strain
Enhances breath support
Helps with pitch accuracy and resonance

Skipping a warmup can lead to vocal fatigue and even long-term damage (Ziegler, 2018), so it’s worth spending a few minutes preparing your voice before jumping into a song.

Lip Trills: The Ultimate All-in-One Warmup

Lip trills (or lip bubbles) are one of the best exercises for any singer. They help with breath control, resonance, and vocal cord coordination without putting stress on your voice.

How to Do Lip Trills:

1. Relax your lips and take a deep breath.
2. Exhale while gently buzzing your lips together in a ‘Brrr’ sound.
3. Glide up and down your vocal range (like a siren).

Benefits: Strengthens the voice, improves agility, and engages proper breath support, while doing this it is important to remember not to push too hard and create unwanted tension, its a light exercise to introduces the spoken voice into singing.
Video Guide: Lip Trill Exercise

SOVT Exercises: Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Warmups

SOVT exercises (like straw phonation or humming) create back pressure in the vocal tract, making vocal folds vibrate more efficiently (Titze, 2000).

Examples of SOVT Warmups:

• Straw phonation: Hum into a straw for smooth vocal fold closure.
• Humming: Keeps the sound light and resonant.
• V on a scale: Singing “vvv” slides through your range effortlessly.

Video Guide: SOVT Straw Phonation

Breathy Singers vs. Muscle-Heavy Singers

Different voices need different warmups!

Breathy Singers (voices that sound airy or weak)

Avoid soft, unsupported singing.
Focus on glottal compression (bringing vocal cords together).
Best exercises: “mm” humming, “ng” sounds, or gentle staccato exercises.

Muscle-Heavy Singers (voices that feel tight or heavy)

Avoid pushing or over-engaging muscles.
Focus on light, relaxed phonation and breath control.
Best exercises: Lip trills, straw phonation, and gentle sirens.

Video Guide: Exercises for a breathy voice

Breath Support: Finding the Right Balance

Breath support is not about taking big breaths, but about controlling airflow. Overusing air can make the voice breathy and weak, while too much pressure can cause strain (Miller, 1996).

Best Breath Support Exercises:

• The “S” or “Z” sustain: Hiss out an “S” or “Z” sound for as long as possible.
• Panting Exercise: Helps engage lower support muscles.
• Silent Inhalation: Breathe in without raising the chest.

Video Guide: Breath Support Basics

How to Find Your Vocal Range

Knowing your range helps you pick the right warmups and songs.

Steps to Find Your Range:

1. Use a keyboard or piano app to find your lowest comfortable note.
2. Sing up the scale until you reach your highest note.
3. Mark the lowest and highest note you can sing with ease.

Video Guide: Find Your Vocal Range

How to Arrange a 15-Minute Warmup

Here’s a quick and effective warmup plan you can customize to suit your individual needs:

5-Minute Gentle Start:

Lip trills (sirens and slides)
Humming(ng or mm sounds)

5-Minute Technique Work:

SOVT exercises (straw phonation or V sounds)
Breath control exercises

5-Minute Flexibility & Range:

Simple scales or arpeggios

Staccato exercises for agility

Light Belting, can be adjusted based on the repertoire at hand.

Full Warmup Video: 15-Min Vocal Warmup

Final Thoughts

A good warmup routine sets the stage for effortless singing. Experiment with different exercises to see what works best for your unique voice. Whether you’re breathy, muscle-heavy, or somewhere in between, warming up correctly will improve your vocal health, flexibility, and confidence over time.

References:

• Miller, R. (1996). The Structure of Singing: System and Art in Vocal Technique. Schirmer Books.
• Titze, I. R. (2000). Principles of Voice Production. National Center for Voice and Speech.
• Ziegler, A. (2018). Singing for a Lifetime: Protecting Your Vocal Health. Oxford University Press.