Vocal Warm Ups... What?
Tom Plenderleith • April 30, 2025
Vocal warm ups work!
I’ll paint the scene. You’ve spent hours preparing for your big presentation at work. The slides are to die for, the detail is delicious, and you know the content better than you know your own family.
Please welcome to the stage – YOU!
The crowd goes absolutely wild. They cannot wait to hear what you have to say about the future of space travel – your field of expertise, of course.
You take your place in the limelight, take a deep breath, and – uh oh, what’s this? It’s a bloomin’ frog in your throat, and not the cute type.
A metaphorical frog in the throat can manifest in many different ways for a speaker: phlegm (gross), a tongue that feels tied, tripping over your words, breathlessness, gasping for air, or a tired, croaky voice – like a frog.
I know what I want to say, it’s just not coming out!
It’s a bit like hitting ‘the wall’ on marathon day.
Now, imagine me standing at the back of the room, frowning at you as you cough up Kermit.
‘Did you do your vocal warm-up?’
A vocal warm-up is a series of vocal exercises and stretches usually undertaken before a speech or performance.
As a classically trained actor (darling), I’ve spent many hours in my life warming up my vocals – giving the punters the best chance to understand Shakespeare’s delicious prose (Richard III, second year, Italia Conti – classic).
I’d like to give you my three favourite warm-ups, which are simple, quick, and incredibly effective!
We’re going to focus on three areas: Breath, Resonance, and Articulation.
I won’t bore you with the details. If you’re interested in what these three things mean, then ask ChatGPT – they’re pretty knowledgeable. But just trust me, bro!
Breath
– Life.
Your support network – especially when it comes to voice! Think of a limp flag in a light wind. Underwhelming... We want that flag to be erect in a storm of breath! Your vocal folds need breath to operate optimally.
Exercise: 8-6-8 (seconds – feel free to adjust)
- Exhale fully – empty your lungs.
- Breathe in for 8 seconds – into your tummy! This is very important – flop out that belly and fill it with delicious air.
- Hold for 6 seconds. Need I say more?
- Release slowly for 8 seconds.
- Start to feel the control with this – enjoy the method. A slow inhale, a calm hold, and a slow exhale.
- Repeat 5 times!
Resonance – Sound!
Resonance comes from all over the body – the nose, the head, the chest – lots of places. We’re going to warm up the engine. When a car engine starts on a cold day, it can sound a little meh. Let’s get it firing before the big race!
Exercise: The Siren
- Deep breath into the tummy – 8 seconds, perhaps?
- Exhale on a hum – your usual pitch. The kind you’d use when you “mmmhmm” in agreement.
- Repeat, but this time increase the pitch to the top of your range – like an ambulance siren.
- Repeat again, but this time go up and down the siren on one breath.
- Repeat as many times as you like!
Remember – CONTROL. That comes from the breath.
Articulation – The Strength!
Ever listened to the news and thought, ‘Goodness me, their voices are so clipped and strong’? This is how! There are many ‘articulators’, but we’re going to focus on three: tongue, lips, and jaw. Let’s get them strong and healthy!
Exercise: Tongue Twister
- Pick a tongue twister. I like “Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry”, but any is fine.
- Say the tongue twister at a normal conversational pace – 1 minute.
- Repeat, but this time imagine you’ve got a massive piece of gum in your mouth. Overwork the jaw – like you’re talking through a really thick pane of glass – 1 minute.
- Place a pinky or pen lid between your teeth. The jaw can’t move, so the tongue and lips have to do all the work!
- Repeat step 1.
Once you’ve done all four steps, try to speed up the tongue twister. If it gets messy, slow back down.
I hope these help! You can do them pretty much anywhere and incorporate them into your daily routine – in the shower, while boiling the kettle, or in between meetings.
But MOST IMPORTANTLY
– try to complete at least one before your next presentation or speech!
People might laugh at you – but you can tell them where to stick it with a wonderfully warmed-up voice...
Tom Plenderleith
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