Vocal warm-ups are a great way to exercise your voice for several reasons:
• They are easy to learn
• They take your voice through its full range
• They allow you to focus on problem areas like breathing, resonance and vowel formation
without having to worry about notes and words
• They add strength and flexibility to your voice
In order to accomplish this, we start with easier warm-ups with a limited and easy range and
then progress to ones that are more difficult and wider ranging.
I have put together this compilation for you to pick and choose the ones that work best for you.
Vocal warm-ups can tire your voice just like any other kind of vocal use, so you must be
judicious in your choices and know when to stop—especially if you are preparing for a
performance of any kind.
As a rule of thumb, I would always do the first 4 warm-ups. After that, Choose two or three
from 5-12. Then finish up with 2 or 3 from 13-23. It’s a good idea to do vocal “sighs” or
“sirens,” lip/tongue trills, and breathing exercises periodically to keep your voice relaxed and
your breath engaged.
I believe that if you have an understanding of the intent of the vocal exercises that it will help you
to get the most out of them. Here is a description of each warm-up and what I use it for.
#1. A descending 5 note hum: Sol Fa Mi Re Do. This is a good first warm-up because it is in a
lower range of your voice. It does not require agility or any vowels at all. The jaw should be
dropped comfortably while performing this warm-up and focus should be given to slow and
deliberate proper breathing. Never try to sing this exercise loudly. Keep it light and easy.
Alternatives: You could also sing this on a vowel: “No” or “Moo” or something along those
lines.
#2. An alternating pattern: Do Mi Re Fa Mi Sol Fa Re Do. This should be sung on Nee, Eh,
Ah, Oh, oo. This warm up stays in the same range as the one above, but adds vowels and
melodic complexity. This is a good time for you to focus on proper vowel formation. The “Ee”
vowel should not be spread horizontally, but should have a little bit of “oo” in it. The “Eh”
vowel should not be a “long-A” sound, but more of a shwah E. The “Ah” vowel should have
lots of vertical space and above all things, should not sound like “uh.” Oh should be very round
with plenty of vertical space inside the mouth. “Oo” should be a very tight “draw-string” vowel
on your lips. It should sound very “hooty” and “fluty.” Imagine you are kissing an owl.
#3. This exercise should be done as a lip or tongue trill. The pattern is Do Mi Sol Mi Do.
Most people find that when they do lip or tongue trills, they can sing higher than they otherwise
can with less vocal effort. Going over your “break” is almost never a problem with this
exercise. It tends to make the voice feel very free and easy, and that’s always a good thing! In
fact, any exercise that is giving you difficult can usually benefit from doing it a few times on a lip
or tongue trill.
#4. This exercise is very beneficial for strengthening the soft palette. It is also a very tiring
exercise, and you need to use it with caution before a performance. It is Sol Fa Mi Re Do Re
Mi Fa Sol Fa Mi Re Do and it should be sung on “Mee-ah, Mee-ah, Mee-ah, Mee-ah, Mee-
ah, Mee-ah, Mee. Focus should be given to a very vertical “Ah” sound and you should be
wary of a nasal “ee” sound. You can check to see if you are singing through your nose by
plugging your nose. If your sound remains the same, you are not singing through your nose. If
you hear a change in your sound, it probably means that some of your sound is traveling through
your nose. Note: You cannot sing an “m” or an “n” with your nose plugged. I would suggest
alternating “singing” this warm up by hissing every other repetition (ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss
ss ss.) This engages your breath and keeps your focus on correct breathing. You can also
place a hand on your stomach muscles to determine the location of your breath, and this is also
a good physical reminder.
#5. Zing-a-zoo. Pattern: Do Do Mi, Do Do Mi, Fa Fa La, Fa Fa La, Sol Fa Mi Re Do and it
should be sung “Zing-ah Zing-ah Zoo, Zing-ah Zing-ah Zoo, Zing-ah Zing-ah Zoo, Zing-ah Zing-
ah Zoo, Zing-ah Zing-ah Zing-ah Zing-ah Zoo. This is a fun, busy little warm-up that can be
chosen as one of the first group of optional warm-ups. You can have fun with this one by
clapping on all of the “Zing-ah’s” or all of the “Zoo’s.” The alternating rhythmic patterns make it
very interesting and challenging. You can also alternate this warm-up by changing the beginning
consonants to “Fl” “Ch” “Sh” and so on.
#6 & #7. This is a fun little 3 part round. The words are “Round and round we go, we hold
each other’s hands and weave ourselves in a circle, the time has come, the dance goes on.”
The first track is to teach you the notes. The second track is to sing along.
#8. Pattern: Sol Fa Mi Re Do. The words are “Poppy Petunia, Poppy Petunia, Gladiola. The
plosive “P’s” should be given the focus for this warm-up. You can alternate this warm-up with
tongue twisters like “Toy Boat, Toy Boat, Toy” or “Red Leather, Yellow Leather, Red
Leather” or “Red Buick, Blue Buick, Red Buick.”
#9. This exercise focuses on the dental consonants. The pattern is Do Re Mi Fa Mi Re Do.
The words are “The lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue, the lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue.
Focus should be given to articulate each consonant sharply. Don’t be lazy with your diction!
#10. The pattern: Do Re Mi Re Do Re Mi Re Do Re Mi Re Do. The words are “Biddy Biddy
Biddy Biddy, Beddy, Beddy, Beddy, Beddy, Boddy, Boddy, Boddy, Boddy Boo.” This
exercise can be alternated with other beginning consonants as well.
#11. The pattern is Do Mi Sol, Do Re Mi Fa Sol Fa Mi Re Do. The words are “Zing, Zing,
Zing, Zeh, Zeh, Zeh, Zeh, Zeh.” This would be a good exercise to alternate with “ss” instead of
notes to engage the breath, lip/tongue trills, and other beginning consonants.
#12. The pattern is Sol Do, Sol Re, Sol Mi, Re Mi Re Do. The words are “Viva la musica,
Viva la musica, Viva la musica. As the scale ascends, you may want to migrate the oo sound in
Musica to something a bit more open like the oo in “book.” Note: The “s” should not be a “Z”
sound.
#13. This is a fun round that uses rolled “R’s” and lots of sharp consonants. It doesn’t give you
any place to breathe, so you have to catch your breath wherever you can. Just make sure that
when you do, that you take your breath as low as possible through an open throat. It can be
sung as a 2-part round with the second group entering after the first group sings “Er Zi.” The
words, as near as I can tell, are “Er Zi Re Eepoh Ka Koo Nah Di Mah, Pahoo Re KuhKiKah
Re Na Poon Gah Re, KuhKiKah Re Na Poon Gah Re (repeat)”
#14. Another round, the words are simply “Gelobet Sei Der Herr Mein Gott.” I think it means
“Praise to the Lord, my God.” This is a 3 part round with a very wide range.
#15. A final 4 part round, the words are the same as the words to the “Doxology.” If Biology
is the study of life, does that make this song the study of “Dox?”
#16. This is a very fun diction warm-up. The words are “Bottles on the tabletop will topple
while Mable mops the gop up off the floor.” It is a challenge to keep the diction crisp and clear
as the tempo accelerates.
#17. The pattern: Sol Do Sol Mi Do. The words are “I love to sing.” Focus on keeping the
support in your breath through the entire phrase. Also work on popping a nice open “Ah”
vowel in the word “love” instead of making it “I luv to sing.”
#18. The pattern “Do Sol Mi Fa Sol Fa Mi Re Do.” The words are “Nine New Neckties and
a Nightshirt and a Nose.” Again, the goal is to get through the “N’s” and to the vowels,
especially the open “Ah” vowel in “Nine.”
#19. The patern: Sol Do, Sol Do, Sol Do Sol Mi Do. This should be sung on “Ti-Eh, Ti-Ah,
Ti-Oh.” Some people like to swing their arms as they sing this to engage the body and
hopefully keep things loose. One of the dangers that singers often fall into is holding tension
somewhere in their bodies. Some people clench their fists, some lock their legs/knees, some
clench their jaws, some stick out their necks, etc. The idea is to keep the body and voice free
and relaxed and swinging the arms sometimes encourages this to happen.
#20. This aggressive warm-up is Do Mi Sol Do, Ti Do Re Do Ti La Sol Fa Mi Re Do. The
words are “Mah Mah Mah Mah, Veh-Ah Veh-Ah Veh-Ah Veh-Ah Veh-ah Veh.” Care
should be taken to keep the Ah’s with plenty of vertical space so that they don’t become “uh’
s.” It’s also a really good exercise to work on your vibrato and resonance—especially on the
last held-out “mah.”
#21. This exercise is a very flexible exercise that can be sung “Zeh-Lah,” or it can be sung on
the sol-fege syllables. I have given all 3 options. It’s fun to sing in a group, because it can be
sung in all 3 parts simultaneously producing incidental harmonies. The sol fege syllables are
either “Do Ti La Sol Fa Mi Re Do Ti Do” or “Do Re Do Ti La Sol Fa Mi Re Do.”
#22. This is a great exercise for working on expanding your range and adding flexibility to your
voice. It’s another very aggressive warm-up that you have to be careful with because it will tire
your voice. The pattern is Do Re Mi Fa Sol Fa Mi Re Do Re Mi Fa Sol Fa Mi Re Do Re Mi
Fa Sol La Ti Do Re Do Re Do Re Do Ti La Sol Fa Mi Re Do. It is sung on EE for the first
pattern, Eh, for the second pattern, and Ah for the last pattern. This is a good exercise to
alternate with hissing and lip trilling to remind you to move the breath and to help with navigating
your registers.
#23. This is another great flexibility exercise with a wide range. The pattern is Do Sol La Ti Do
Sol La Ti Do Re Mi Fa Sol Fa Mi Re Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do Re Do Ti La Sol Fa Mi Re
Do Sol Mi Re Mi Re Do. The words: “I wander through the lovely woods, I wander through
the woods.” Care should be given to giving vertical space to the “Ah” in Wander.” The Ah
vowel requires a special attention, because it requires so much jaw motion to give it the proper
space. Allowing the “Ah” vowel to become an ugly “uh” vowel is one of the most common
mistakes that singers make.
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