How to do a vocal warmup?

Question

I love to sing, but I've never taken singing classes, so I dont know how to do a vocal warmup. I would like to be able to sing easily without straining my vocal cords like I always do.

Answer 1

Humming is a good start. Make sure your lips are not pressed together, nor your molars. Leave a lot of room inside your mouth, as if you had a raw egg in there that you didn't want to break. the sensation of the hum will be less on your lips and more along the ridge of your nose up to your forehead. It will be a small light sound, rather like a mosquito buzz ( not a bumblebee). Don't try for loudness or intensity when humming, but simply the feeling of moving your air gently through your throat and mouth.
Now give a big belly sigh, the kind you use when it's TGIF, and you're tired. Notice how little energy it takes to get that sigh through your throat? All the work is done in your belly and back. This is how it should always be while singing. Strength in your body, ease in your throat. That is the A-1 rule for not hurting and straining the delicate mechanism in your throat.
Now sigh with real notes, and make sure they stay as centered as the first sigh did. Slide your voice up and down, pitch-wise, making sure it's always easy and comfortable. Again, don't try for loudness, as this is a function that will come with time.
Sigh on all the main vowels: a,e i,o,u both the long and short ones ( hat vs father, egg vs bean, etc). this is already detail work, but necessary to be able to further relax your tongue and jaw.
Check out your local community chorus. Ask at your college or university. There are lots of people interested in singing nowadays, and we teachers are waiting to help you.
Best wishes and keep on singing

Answer 2

Start by humming quietly up and down a lowish scale.
Then gradually increase the pitch.
Then do the same again but by going ah, ah, ah, etc.
When you feel you are ready start increasing the volume.
Stop as soon as anything feels wrong or uncomfortable.
I would suggest you try to have a few lessons though, as the voice can be damaged very easily.
There are books available on warm-up techniques.