A 9-minute Vocal Warm-Up

My go-to warm-up for many of my students is this week’s topic!

In the last post, we talked about vocal warm-ups: why, when, and what? This week, we’re going to review one of my favorite warm-ups for myself and some of the students I teach in my voice studio. 

The 9-minute warm-up

My colleague, Chandler Thompson, introduced this concept to me (she’s fabulous like that). She said she had patients and students who wanted her to provide a regular warm-up routine for them, and mentioned a lot of the things I already was using with my students, but with the time restraint of 9 minutes. Mostly because once things get toward 10 minutes, students (and patients) may be less likely to do them because they seem like a chore.

Since speaking with Chandler about this (several years ago now), I’ve developed my own versions of a 9-minute warm-up. Today, I’ll be reviewing what I include in this 9-minute warm-up.

This warm-up does not include the general stretching routine I frequently recommend (that will be a separate post/video). 

1. Airflow

Using a semi-occluded vocal tract - lip trills are one of my favorites - start your warm-up by just moving air with no voice. This warms up the respiratory tract for the longer phrases you’re about to sing.

2. Arpeggiated scale using semi-occluded vocal tract

Starting comfortably low, use lip trills (or some other semi-occluded task) singing an arpeggiated scale (Do-sol-mi-do’-sol-mi-do, or 1-5-3-8-5-3-1). Take this up by half-step until you touch the top of your range. This further warms up your respiratory tract while starting to coordinate voice with the breath.

3. Descending fifths using semi-occluded vocal tract

Starting toward the top of your middle register sing descending fifths using lip trills (or some other semi-occluded task). Take this down by half step until you reach the bottom of your range without straining. This continues to work toward coordination of your respiratory and phonatory sub-systems (https://staceymenton.com/blog/vocal-tract-anatomy). It also reduces any tension you may have caused trying to reach the top of your range - although ideally you avoid any significant tension on the ascending arpeggio in number 2!)

4. Major/minor sixth arpeggio on vowels

This exercise I like to do in the middle range. Sing an arpeggiated scale first with a major sixth, then a minor sixth (Do-mi-sol-la-sol-mi-do-mi-sol-le-sol-mi-do or 1-3-5-M6-5-3-1-3-5-m6-5-3-1) using a pure vowel. I like to work toward doing this on /a/ because that is a hard vowel for me to accomplish without pulling the sound back sometimes. I frequently start with /i/ (read “eee”) first, then work toward opening the vowel to /a/, as able. This exercise adds in vowel work. While you complete this set, try to maintain similar sensations between semi-occlusion and singing on vowels.

5. 5-note descending scale on “yum”

Starting toward the top of your middle register, sing a 5-note descending scale (sol-fa-mi-re-do or 5-4-3-2-1) on yum-yum-yum-yum-yum moving down by half step. I use this exercise to focus on forward resonance. The /m/ on the word “yum” allows the singer to feel vibrations in the front of the face and possibly on the roof of the mouth - a sign that you’re aligning the vocal subsystems (https://staceymenton.com/blog/how-does-the-voice-work) appropriately. 

6. 5-note descending scale on words with lingual protrusion

Starting comfortably low in your range, sing a 5-note descending scale (sol-fa-mi-re-do or 5-4-3-2-1) on the words “How are you today?” with your tongue out and down. Move up by half step to a comfortably high middle range. This exercise helps to reduce base-of-tongue tension while singing, leaving your tongue free to move easily after completion.

7. Descending fifths on words

Starting where you left off in the exercise above, sing a descending fifth pattern (sol-do or 5-1) on the words “I’m fine.” Move down by half steps to a comfortably low area. This is an answer to the question “How are you today?” It adds normal articulation to the coordination of the other 3 subsystems of voicing.

8. Hooting

Starting in your upper register, and trying to sound like a coo-coo clock on the sound “hoo,” sing the staccato pattern: sol-mi-sol-mi-sol-mi-re-do (5-3-5-3-5-3-2-1). This exercise is excellent for accessing your upper register/falsetto without straining.

9. Belting

Finally, the last exercise in this warm-up routine is to sing the phrase “Hey taxi” on sol-do-sol-do (5-1-5-1) starting in your lower register and moving up by half step until you feel sufficiently warmed up. This exercise is meant to warm-up this type of vocal production. I find that starting this way lets me easily access this type of sound later in my practicing or performances. I like to sing in several different styles, and encourage my students to do the same.

This set of warm-up exercises should get you to the point where you feel ready to sing, but additional exercises to improve coordination for faster-moving notes or for accessing different styles, may take some additional warm-up/technique exercises.

Remember: if it’s not feeling easy, it’s probably time to stop and seek additional direction from a professional!

Do you have a favorite vocal warm-up? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment on my Facebook page to keep this discussion going!