Would you expect a runner to set off on a marathon without warming up? Absolutely not! It would be dangerous and risk causing injury. Well, the same principle applies to singing and the importance of vocal warmups.
Vocal coach and performer Ellie Leah, who specialises in acting through song, uses that analogy to emphasise the value of singing warmups. She describes the voice as an actor’s “most valuable asset” and says it should be “protected and used as well and as safely as possible to maintain and sustain performance and audition processes.”
Performers in long-running musicals, for example, could be doing as many as eight shows a week over the course of months, so having a good vocal routine is essential in order to maintain health and stamina throughout that marathon feat of endurance.
Singing teacher and performer Matthew Shaw, whose clients have performed in musicals including Dreamgirls, Les Misérables, and Motown, says vocal warmups are important because “singing uses different muscles and positions from speaking voices, similar to dancing compared to walking.” He adds: “We need to make sure those singing muscles are working and ready to sing.”
Leah and Shaw agree that a good vocal warmup should not tire out the voice. Leah recommends warming up for 10 minutes before a performance, but she says longer warmups are fine before a practice session. Shaw advocates for warming up for 20 minutes, ideally only once the vocal folds are hydrated about three hours after the first water intake of the day.
Both actors and singers should practise vocal care, and warming up is one element of enhancing your singing voice. Other elements include staying hydrated, getting enough rest, and practising breath technique. There is some crossover between vocal exercises for acting and singing, but those for singing may focus on covering a range of pitches and protecting the vocal cords from strain while those for actors may put more of an emphasis on clarity and articulation (although that is important in singing too, of course!).
A good singing warmup will differ for everyone. Leah, who has performed in the West End and on Broadway, says it is important to warm up the head, neck, and shoulders before beginning some semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises. That simply means exercises in which your mouth is partially closed as you vocalise. Next, Leah says, you can open out on some open vowel sounds and play with different voice qualities, such as “exercising the head voice and warming your way to twang, mixed, and belt.”
For Shaw, a good vocal warmup should cover the tilt function, which enables singers to access higher notes with less strain; ensure that tongue, neck, and tummy areas are not too tense; check in with quieter sounds like sirening; and ensure you are using the correct air flow.
Here are eight vocal warmup exercises to put all of these things into practice.
1. Releasing your neck and shoulders
To warm up your neck, look as far left as you can, and then as far right, according to City Academy. Repeat that facing your chin upward and downward. Then rotate your shoulders forward and backward, shrug them upward, and release them down.
This is important to release tension in the muscles of those areas, which are used for singing.
2. Loosening your jaw
You can do this by massaging your jaw, moving your knuckles in circular motions over tight areas while opening and closing your mouth. It releases tension and can improve vocal resonance.
3. SOVT exercises
Try one or more of the following: Sing scales, notes, or even hum lines from a song through a straw submerged in water. Gently hum using an “ooo” or an “eee” sound. Siren up and down your range, using an “ng” sound. Leah says the purpose of these exercises is “to create back pressure, which helps the vocal cords vibrate more efficiently and with less strain, so it is a super safe way to start a warmup.”
4. Humming
Lightly hum on various scales, thinking of adding crying noises and vibrato. Shaw says it will “engage the tilt function, which stretches the vocal folds and allows us to sing at higher pitches.” The tilt function is the forward tilting of the thyroid cartilage (also known as the Adam's apple) to lengthen the vocal cords.
5. Fricatives and lip trills
Work through different fricative sounds. These are consonants that allow a constant airflow to pass through. You can try unvoiced fricatives, such as “sss,” “fff,” “shhh,” and “thhh” sounds – and voiced fricatives such as “zzz” and “vvv.” You can also do lip trills, which involves blowing air through relaxed, closed lips to produce a “prrr” sound. For all of these, focus on taking in small amounts of air while actively controlling the airflow coming out to sustain the sounds. Shaw says it helps activate the correct breathing mechanisms for singing.
6. Releasing tongue root tension
Use a clean tissue or cloth to gently grab your tongue. Pull it forward and slightly downward toward your chin while lightly humming or singing scales. Shaw says it helps free tongue root tension, which could restrict the larynx or potentially even cause vocal damage.
7. Scales and open vowels
Perform some scales and octave-jump exercises using open vowels such as “ah,” “oh,” or “eh.” (There are plenty of YouTube videos with these exercises that you can sing along to.) Octave jumps can help you expand your vocal range and keep you singing in tune.
8. Diaphragm work
Breathe in for four seconds, suspend your breath for four seconds, and then breath out for eight counts or more, Leah says. This helps prevent injury by ensuring that you are singing from your core rather than straining your throat.
Every singer and singing teacher will have their own individual approach to warming up, and their own preferred vocal drills. It’s important to tailor your vocal warmup to your own needs and your own voice type, but these exercises should help get you over the start line.
Now that you’ve learnt about warmups, check out these singing tips from actors including Cynthia Erivo and Hugh Jackman. Or browse the latest job openings for singing talent.