Vocal Warm-Up

Renee Grant-Williams

I suppose the big question is: Why bother to warm up? Singing is very physical and you must take time to re-establish your vocal muscle memory in small increments before bringing all the elements together to sing a song. A good warm-up will help you wake up your vocal cords and coordinate your brain, body, and voice so they work well together.

I prefer warm-ups that work like building blocks, starting with the fundamental building block, which is effortless breathing. If you get the breathing part right, you stand a good chance of doing well with the rest of it. If you fail to establish your breathing correctly you will always be off-kilter.

Once you have established the breathing, you can add support and begin to create sounds. Always thinking of starting with the easiest before tackling the more difficult, I recommend that the first sounds you make be in the voice you use most often — your speaking voice.

Next, locate the source of the resonance that gives your voice its color and tone. Stick with your speaking voice until you are convinced that these elements of breathing and support are working well together. Only then should you begin to stretch out by singing scales, starting with short and easy scales, gradually increasing the range and difficulty as your voice warms up. I cringe whenever I hear a young singer warm up by launching full-voiced into a long high scale without applying any concentrated technique to what they are doing.

Monitor yourself. If you watch yourself closely in a full-length mirror as you warm up you can see what is going on with your breathing and support, and whether you are distressing your throat by stretching your neck up to reach the high notes.

Make your warm-up as long or as short as you choose. Always start at the beginning by re-establishing your breathing and working from smaller to larger increments. You can go as far as time permits and still know that you’re covering the most important foundation basics in sequence.

Once you establish a good warm-up routine, try to come back to the principles several times a day. And try to use your vocal techniques when you speak. Remember, your voice is a fragile instrument; if you treat it gently by always warming it up carefully, it will serve you long and well.