What are the best vocal excercises to warm up my singing voice?

Question

I want to sound my best, but I am a beginner.

Answer 1

Most vocal coaches start their students off with humming exercises. This works well because by doing so, you don't exert as much effort as when you start off singing open vowels at once.

Answer 2

I like singing a series of vowels on one note, followed by an arpeggio of sorts. The long notes warm up the chords, and the arpeggio loosens them up.

I also like scales that jump notes, rather than progress in a standard sequence. Limbers up the voice.

Vocal sighs from high to low are also good.

Alot of times, though, I just sing softly along with the radio. Not for volume, just to get the throat moving.

Answer 3

Sing a middle range song without pushing for sound. This gets the vocal chords working and allows them to warm up without pushing for high notes, volume or style. Hum the tune to start, bringing in the words as you feel more prepared. It's important to start in the middle of your range, and allow the vocal chords warm up before attempting the higher or louder notes.

I also drink warm (not hot) tea or beverage to warm the throat around the vocal chords.

Answer 4

It's hard to beat good old scales and arpeggios.

Answer 5

singing scales

Answer 6

I think...(at least from what i've learnt so far) start off with singing the pitches 'do-re-mi-re-do' on a syllable, preferably 'da' as it gives you the depth of sound you need (the 'da' sound opens up your throat more than other syllables like 'la'). Repeat this over and over again, going up a semitone each time. This will slowly loosen up your vocal cords and open your throat. Start it somewhere in the middle of your voice range (the pitches you're most comfortable with) because that's the gentlest on your vocal cords. Go upwards until you can go no higher without cracking continuously, then slowly work your way down again and into your lower register. When you've finished that, do full scales ('do' to 're' in the next octave, then back down to 'do'). Do these full scales as quickly as possible without making it sound like a siren, as in do more like gliding up to the top note and gliding back down instead of trying to articulate each note clearly. When you go up the scale, slowly shape your mouth into the 'orh' syllable and vice versa when you come down. It gives you a fuller sound on the top notes. As before, work your way upwards then back down. You'll probably find yourself ending in your lower registers.

After that, start doing arpeggios (pitches 'do-mi-so-mi-do' still on 'da') on the note that you ended the previous exercise on. Work your way upwards by a semitone each time you repeat. Go up until you start cracking, then come back down again and end in your middle register. The arpeggios should have loosened and stretched your cords by now. Take a little rest so that you don't overwork your cords as you proceed on with other exercises.

After arpeggios, you may/may not choose to do another similar exercise. But if you want to, you can start doing 'do-so-mi-do' on the syllables da-vi-eh-ni, starting in middle register, go up and come back down to your low register as before. This is slightly harder because now you've to shape your mouth into those syllables without loosing the open tone quality that comes with singing 'da'. Slide your way into each note and syllable.

Next, start on octave leaps. sing a note starting in your lower register, do a small glide up to the same note an octave above and glide back down to the note you started on. Use 'da' on the starting note, slightly shape your mouth into 'orh' on the high note, then melt back into 'ah' as you come back down. The 'orh' sound at the top helps you to keep your mouth position vertical on higher notes (because an open, vertical space is very important for projection of high notes). Repeat this throughout your register (same as before - the moment you start cracking come back down immediately). And keep in mind that you're not supposed to squeeze your voice or squeeze your body when you start entering the high registers which are not as comfortable as your middle. In fact, the higher you go, the more you have to make sure your shoulders stay down and the more you have to keep your jaw down, so that you keep that space in your mouth open and free. A good way to achieve this is think of yourself going down as you go upwards. Imagine you're a lift. when it goes up, its mechanisms/cables go down. A vocal teacher will probably help you feel this by trying to push your shoulders down when you slide up to the high note. Octave leaps help you to make your voice more pliant and elastic so you sound better and can reach high notes easier. Note: octave leaps can be done on da-orh-ah, or da-wa (with a more vertical 'a' sound please)-ah. Both work equally well.

Throughout your warm-up (and also while singing), never sit on your first note when you have to sing a phrase in 1 breath, especially if the phrase peaks in the middle or towards the end. (eg. octave leaps - if you sit on the low note and give out too much air on it, you won't be able to sing the high note properly. Same goes for the scales/arpeggios. Higher notes in general need more breath support than low notes.)

This should get your voice warmed up quite a lot. And warming it up sufficiently can easily take 20 mins. Start singing in your middle range first, then go on to pieces which demand higher or lower notes.

IMPT: for classical bel canto, you should always make sure that all your notes are linked to one another via tiny, non-obtrusive glisses. That is perhaps the hardest part. It's different from choir where each note needs clear articulation. Make sure also that you always 'take your sound from the ground' (as my teacher always tells me) so that you sound grounded and full. You should feel most of the vibrations in your chest cavity (unless you're singing in your upper register/head voice) and not your throat or nose. Stand straight with feet shoulder-width apart (sometimes you may feel more comfortable to have 1 foot slightly in front of the other), head held straight, and chest slightly puffed out. This helps you to breathe and make use of your inhaled air efficiently. Never tense up your body. Always relax your neck, throat and shoulders. Feel yourself opening up all around (but especially in the chest, throat and belly cavities) as you go higher. Never sing from your throat or nose because it doesn't do any good to your voice. Never push for sound, the sound will come as you learn more and become more experienced in singing correctly. You should never feel tired around your neck and shoulders if you're singing properly. Instead, you should be feeling your diaphragm work a lot and perhaps even feel sore if you're not used to breathing and singing with it. I had diaphragm-ache after my first practice session. But now it doesn't feel so bad.

Other exercises could include half-scales (do-re-mi-fa-so-fa-mi-re-do sung twice), and another exercise which is too long to spell out here coherently. I could probably show you better if I sang it or played it on the piano. It goes like 'do ti-do-re do-re-mi re-mi-fa mi-fa-so la-so-fa so-fa-mi fa-mi-re mi-re-do' in the rhythm of crotchet quaver-quaver, and all sung on a continuous 'da', in 1 breath.

It's never easy to be a beginner in voice :). I'm a beginner too, learning bel canto style. So far I've only had 2 lessons. But my teacher has already shown me how to warm up properly and sing properly. She's really good :). I already hear massive improvements in my voice. The problem is duplicating it when I practise at home!

All the best for your singing and sorry if I made your eyes/brain hurt reading this long, massive post. It must be the longest answer I've ever typed!