How to Warm Up Your Vocals

If you’re about to sing, let me tell you something right now. Your voice is your instrument, your superpower, your gift. And baby, you better treat it with the care it deserves. Knowing how to warm up your vocals isn’t just about sounding better. It’s how you protect, prepare, and unlock the voice that lives inside you.

Whether you’re brand new to singing or you’ve been on the mic for years, this guide is going to walk you through my personal, proven warm-up routine step by step so you can sing with more confidence, control, and fire every single time.

Step 1: Loosen That Beautiful Body

Before we even get to singing, I need you to relax. Shake out your neck. Roll your shoulders. Release that jaw, honey. You cannot sing freely if your body is locked up with tension. These little stretches are non-negotiable. They create the space your voice needs to move and resonate.

If you’re still learning how posture and alignment affect your voice, check out my singing lessons for beginners. We break this down step-by-step and help you build solid foundations.

Step 2: Breathe Like a Pro From the Diaphragm

Let’s get real. Breath is the fuel for your sound. And shallow chest breathing? That’s not it. Stand tall, hand on your belly. Inhale through your nose and feel your stomach rise. Then exhale through pursed lips, slow, steady, and controlled.

This ain’t just breathing, it’s vocal power training. Want more drills to supercharge your breath support? Head over to my vocal workout course where I’ve packed in all my go-to breathing exercises.

Step 3: Start Soft with Humming and Lip Trills

We’re not diving straight into high notes yet. We warm up gently. Begin with humming, closed lips, buzz in your nose and cheeks. Then roll into some juicy lip trills (aka the “motorboat” sound). These get your vocal folds moving without strain and help smooth out register shifts.

If you’re building your range or struggling with cracks, I want you inside my singing exercises to improve range. We go deep into how to glide between notes like butter.

Step 4: Stretch Your Range with Scales and Sirens

Now it’s time to wake up that voice! Start on a comfortable pitch and slide up and down on vowel sounds like “ah” and “ee.” Then, move into sirens, a continuous glide from your lowest to highest note. These train your transitions, build range, and help you sing with more ease.

If you’re starting from square one and want to build range and coordination from the ground up, you belong in singing from scratch. You’ll learn the mechanics of every note, every shift, every register.

Step 5: Activate That Articulation

Diction is how your audience feels your words. Don’t mumble through your songs. Practice tongue twisters like “red leather, yellow leather” with clear, crisp enunciation.

You want agility? You want style? Then my vocal riffs and runs course is calling your name. You’ll build speed, clarity, and that head-turning wow factor in every phrase.

Step 6: Cool Down Your Voice, Just Like an Athlete

You wouldn’t sprint and then just stop, would you? Same thing here. Cool down with low humming, gentle slides, and relaxed breath. This keeps your voice healthy and ready for tomorrow.

If you’re practicing daily (and you should be!), protect that voice with full routines found inside Mama Cheryl’s Big Bundle. It’s got everything, warm-ups, workouts, cool-downs, and recovery, all in one place.

Why Warming Up Your Voice Matters

Warming up is non-negotiable. I don’t care if you’re singing to a crowd of 10,000 or in your shower, your voice deserves care. Vocal warm-ups:

• Protect against strain and injury
  
• Improve tone, clarity, and stamina
  
• Help you access your full vocal range
  
• Build confidence every time you sing
  

Skipping your warm-up is like asking your voice to sprint on cold muscles. Don’t do it.

Quick Mama Cheryl Warm-Up Routine

Here’s your cheat sheet:

• Stretch your neck, shoulders, jaw
  
• Breathe deep from your diaphragm
  
• Hum and trill to ease in
  
• Slide through scales and sirens
  
• Practice articulation with tongue twisters
  
• Cool down with soft tones and breath
  

Repeat this daily and your voice will thank you, baby!

Final Word from Mama Cheryl

Learning how to warm up your vocals is a gift you give your future voice. And I’m here to tell you: You are worthy of sounding your absolute best.

You don’t need a magic voice. You need a consistent routine. Start today. Stay committed. And if you ever need help, I’ve got you, inside every course, every video, every note.

Let’s warm up and work it, baby!