Hi,
I’d like to share my basic warm-up sequence and would be happy to hear your thoughts on it.
- Breathing exercises to activate support: box breathing, long exhales on “S” or “F,” and strong diaphragmatic “SH” or “SS.”
- Lip trills, slow and sustained over a wider range (e.g. 5–8–5–3–1, gliding). This further engages support and prepares the vocal cords without strain.
- Descending fifth or octave SOVT work using straw phonation or “mmm” with tongue out (8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1). A gentle warm-up with focus on precision and placement.
- NG glides (third or fifth): 3–1, 5–1, 1–3–1, or 1–5–1. These help encourage forward resonance and placement in the mask.
- Partial vocalization scales (MUM, GUG, BUB), in a fifth, octave, or 9-tone scale (1–2–3–4–5–6–7–8–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1). This gradually increases vocal fold engagement.
- Slow octave glides (1–8–1) on “oo” or “uu,” to smooth transitions and register shifts.
- Arpeggios to activate head voice, typically 1–3–5–8–8–8–8–5–3–1 on “GEE” or “NGYE.”
After this, I move on to more targeted exercises such as agility, articulation, jaw relaxation, and others.
Happy singing!
