Vocal warm-up: 5 exercises for your voice in 5 minutes
Humming, lip trills, straw phonation: five simple warm-up exercises you can do anywhere, and what research says about how well they work.
JP · · 3 min read
Athletes warm up before training; singers warm up their voices. Five minutes are enough to make your voice feel lighter, more flexible and more secure. Here are five exercises you can do anywhere, no experience needed.
Why warm up?
Most singers feel that their voice works better after warming up. Studies have found measurable effects, for example on stability and vocal comfort. To be honest: the effects vary a lot from person to person, and the evidence is mixed. But the risk is low, and five minutes are quickly spent.
1. Breathe calmly
Stand or sit upright and relaxed. Breathe in through your nose for four counts and let your belly and lower ribs widen. Then breathe out for eight counts on a steady "sss". Repeat two or three times.
The "s" shows you how even your airflow is. A calm airflow is the foundation for steady notes.
2. Humming
Hum on "mm" with closed lips and a loose jaw. Start in the middle of your range and glide gently up and down. You should feel a slight tingle on your lips and nose.
3. Lip trills
Let your lips flutter loosely like a motorboat, "brrr", and add voice. Glide up and down in small arcs. If your lips stop, press lightly on your cheeks with your fingertips.
4. Singing through a straw
Sing through an ordinary drinking straw: first glides up and down, then a simple melody. Keep your lips sealed around the straw and the sound soft. No straw at hand? A very narrow "oo" works similarly.
Straw phonation is one of the most researched voice exercises there is.
5. Sirens on "ng"
Sing "ng" as at the end of "sing" and glide slowly from low to high and back, like a siren. Stay light and connected, without breaks and without pushing. This gently stretches your voice across your whole range.
What do exercises 2 to 5 have in common?
Humming, lip trills, the straw and "ng" partly close the mouth. Experts call these semi-occluded vocal tract exercises. The resulting back pressure helps the vocal folds vibrate efficiently with less effort. A review found the most consistent benefits for vocal comfort, resonance and flexibility.
Guided warm-up
In Singler, the warm-up guides you through all five steps with a timer, each with instructions and an explanation. Afterwards you're ready, for example, to practice singing in tune.