Another 9-minute Vocal Warm-up

Last week, I introduced one of the 9-minute warm-ups like to use in my voice studio. Today, I’m introducing a second take on this 9-minute warm-up concept. It addresses the same subsystems, just a little differently. 

Lip trills with just airflow

This will set the airflow up for singing. Learn more about why I love semi-occluded vocal tract exercises here (add link to SOVT

Lip trills on ascending thirds

Starting in your lower range, complete your favorite semi-occluded task while producing pitch glides up and down by thirds, moving up by half steps. Starting with these small intervals allows the voice to warm up slowly.

Lip trills on descending fifths

Starting somewhere near where you left off in the last exercise, complete your favorite semi-occluded task while producing pitch glides down and up by fifths moving down by half step. Increasing the interval allows for further coordination of the subsystems of voicing while slowly increasing the range for an efficient warm-up.

Lip trills on ascending octaves

Starting somewhere in your lower register, complete your favorite semi-occluded task while producing pitch glides up and down by octaves moving up by half step. This last set of lip trill exercises provides work toward increasing your range by “touching” the upper register with reduced muscle tension (although in my case, there was still more muscle tension between my eyebrows - we’re all a work in progress in some way!)

Descending pattern on /u-i/

Starting in your mid-upper range, sing the pattern sol-fa-mi-re-do-re-mi-fa-sol-fa-mi-re-do (5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1) using the vowels /u/ and /i/ alternating for the first 8 notes, and then continue on /u/ for the last 5 notes. Move this pattern down by half-step until you hit your lowest note, or just to your comfortably low range. Focus on feeling the resonance in the front of your face or on your hard palate. I use this exercise to lower the larynx a little after reaching high on the last exercise and focus my resonance where I want it.

Ascending pattern on resonant vowels 

Starting in your lower middle range, sing the pattern do-do-do-do-do-re-mi-fa-sol-fa-mi-re do (1-1-1-1-1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1) using the syllables /mi me ma mo mu mo ma me mi me ma mo mu/ (“mee may mah moh moo moh mah may mee may mah moh moo”) moving up by half step up to your middle upper register. I can really feel the resonance coming off the /m/ sound.

Ascending arpeggio pattern on /ba ve a/

Returning to your comfortably low range, sing the pattern do-mi-sol-do’-ti-do’-re’-do’-ti-la-sol-fa-mi-re-do (1-3-5-8-7-8-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1) using the syllables /ba ba ba ba ve ja ve ja ve ja ve ja ve ja ve/ (“bah bah bah bah vay ah vay ah vay ah vay ah vay ah vay”) moving up by half step to your upper range.

Bonus exercise that will take you past 9-minutes:

Messa di voce

Starting in a comfortably low range, sing each note of a major scale with a Messa di voce (starting quietly, slowly increase loudness to forte and then slowly decrease loudness back down to piano). The goal is to keep the crescendo and decrescendo as even as possible. You could also try doing this within a certain number of beats to help you think about keeping this even. This exercise provides work on control of the voice.

Once you’ve finished this warm-up additional vocalises/exercises may be needed to further coordinate quick-moving vocalizations, work on belting, or further work on accessing some of the extremes of your range. Keep in mind: if it hurts or doesn’t feel fairly easy, it might be worth consulting a voice teacher to help you develop a more tailored warm-up program for your goals.