How to progress with your singing faster and shorten your warm up times

Breaking Out of Vocal Habits: A New Approach to Warm-Ups

When you start singing, what’s the very first sound you make? Do you dive straight into powerful, loud notes? Or do you prefer to ease in with something softer to warm up your voice? Many singers have a routine they stick to, but what if that routine is actually holding you back?

Why We Avoid Certain Sounds First

If your voice feels rough or unsteady, you might instinctively avoid certain sounds at the beginning of your session. Maybe soft singing feels impossible right away, so you start with something louder. Or perhaps you struggle to find a certain coordination, so you “save it for later” when your voice is more warmed up.

The issue is that this avoidance can turn into a crutch. Over time, you reinforce the belief that you have to warm up a certain way, and you never test whether you could actually access those tricky sounds earlier.

The Challenge: Start With What Feels Hardest

Here’s a simple challenge: whatever you usually struggle to do first, try starting with it. Just for a few minutes. If it doesn’t work, that’s okay—move on. But at least you’re testing your limits instead of assuming they exist.

Think of it like opening a door. If one door doesn’t budge right away, the usual response is to try a different one and come back later. But what if, with a little effort, that first door could open sooner than you expected? You’ll never know unless you push on it.

Balancing Experimentation and Efficiency

Of course, this doesn’t mean bashing your head against a wall. If a certain coordination truly isn’t accessible at the start, you don’t have to force it. The key is balance:

• Test the difficult thing first. If it works, great! If not, move on.
• Return to your usual approach if needed. Sometimes, your go-to warm-ups really are the most efficient way to get your voice ready.
• Keep experimenting. What feels impossible today might feel natural in a few weeks.

Surprising Yourself With Progress

Over time, this method can lead to unexpected breakthroughs. Many singers find that things they once struggled with start becoming available earlier in their warm-ups. What used to take 30 minutes to find might suddenly be there in five.

You don’t have to abandon your usual warm-up routine entirely—but by occasionally challenging your assumptions, you’ll keep expanding your vocal flexibility. And who knows? You might discover you’re capable of much more than you ever realized.