~Vishal Agarwal
Western Vocal Trainer

If you’re just starting your singing journey, welcome! I know how exciting (and sometimes confusing) it can be when you want to improve your voice but don’t know where to start. The good news is, vocal exercises don’t need to be complicated or scary. You just need to show up every day and do a few simple things, and you’ll slowly but surely start to feel more confident and in control of your voice.

Here are a few basic vocal exercises for singers that helped me (and many others) in the beginning. You can easily do them at home without any fancy equipment.

1. Breathe Like a Singer

It sounds basic, but most of us don’t breathe properly when we sing. Learning to breathe from your diaphragm (and not your chest) gives your voice power and control. Vocal warm up exercises can help you improve your breathing for singing.

Try this: Sit or stand up straight. Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Take a deep breath in through your nose and let your belly rise (not your chest). Then slowly exhale through your mouth. Do this for 5 minutes daily and notice the difference in your singing.

2. Lip Trills (a.k.a. The Horse Sound)

I know this one sounds funny, but trust me, it works. Lip trills is one of the most amazing vocal exercises for singers for warming up the voice without straining it.

How to do it: Blow air through your lips while keeping them relaxed, like you're going “brrrrrr.” Once you're comfortable with the sound, try sliding your voice up and down in pitch while doing it. You’ll feel your voice loosening up in no time.

3. Humming

Humming is super chill and a great vocal exercise for warming up gently. It also helps with tone and resonance and is a must do vocal warm up for beginners.

Do this: Pick a simple tune or a scale and hum it with your lips closed. You should feel a slight buzz in your nose or face—that’s a good sign you’re resonating well.

4. Sirens

Yep, just like a police siren! This is one of the most fun vocal exercises for singers and it helps you stretch your vocal range without pushing.

Here’s how: Make an “oo” or “ee” sound and gently slide from your lowest note to your highest and back down. Try to keep the sound smooth, with no breaks. It's like giving your voice a nice stretch.

5. Scales with Vowels

This is one of the most important vocal exercises for beginners. Once you're a bit warmed up, try singing 5-note scales using vowel sounds like “ah,” “ee,” or “oo.”

Start in a comfortable range and don’t force your voice. This helps improve clarity and pitch control over time. Go slow and be patient as this may be a little difficult as compared to the rest of the vocal exercises!

A Few More Tips

  • Always practice vocal warm up exercises before singing.
  • Stay hydrated. Sip water often while practicing vocal exercises for beginners.
  • If something feels painful or uncomfortable, stop.
  • Short, regular practice of vocal exercises is better than long tiring sessions.

Conclusion

These vocal exercises might feel small, but they make a big difference if you do them consistently. Think of these vocal warm up exercises as daily workouts for your voice. Keep it light, have fun with it, and don’t stress about being perfect because everyone starts somewhere.

Happy singing!

~Vishal Agarwal
Western Vocal Trainer
Spardha School of Music & Dance