Exercise #1. Start with a gentle, somewhat breathy hum. Just move up and down the first three notes of a major scale. Start around middle C and move chromatically (by semitones) up the keyboard for one octave. When you have stepped up through the octave, work your way back down (again in semitone steps) to where you started. Listen to the audio example, sing along with it, and then use the accompaniment and try the exercise yourself.

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Exercise #2. Still as a warmup, do the same exercise, but this time on the syllable, "noh." Once again, start around middle C and move chromatically up and back down one octave.

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Exercise #3. Lip trills make a great warmup exercise but are difficult for some people to do. Tension can cause problems with this exercise, so focus on staying relaxed. Listen to the audio file to get an idea about what a lip trill is. Notice how breathy the tone sounds. I would like you to do this exercise up and down the first five notes of the major scale. Start on middle C and go up and down the octave. It is important to stay loose and relaxed. If your face muscles are too tight the lips will not trill freely.

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Simple exercises like these three are great for warming up the voice and will often be repeated at the beginning or during the course of a voice lesson.

Remember to always warm up the voice for about 15-20 minutes before a lesson or rehearsal.

The Lesson

Moving on now into the lesson, let's look at some more exercises for you to try.

Exercise #4. On the syllable, "yah," and feeling the placement of the syllable very forward in your face, sing a descending scale pattern starting on the dominant (5th note) of the major scale. Repeat this exercise moving up chromatically for about an octave. Come back down and go right to the bottom of your range with comfort.* Then return to middle C again. Think about the forward placement of the sound. It is an important consideration in your singing.

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*Always go for comfort in the range of your exercises for now. Don't sing so high or so low that it causes discomfort. Over time, your range will increase and extreme notes will become easier for you. Also, be sure to breathe between each of the exercise parts before moving up.

Exercise #5. On the syllable "moh," sing up and down an arpeggiated major triad starting on middle C. Be sure that the "O" vowel is closed, as in the word, "flow," and that it stays pure throughout the exercise. Don't let it change as in a diphthong (e.g., "Oh" gliding to "Uh"). Take this exercise chromatically up and then back down the octave.

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Exercise #6. On the syllable "noh," I would now like you to sing a descending major scale pattern beginning on the dominant (5th) of the scale. Start on the g above middle C and go down chromatically until you have reached the bottom of your comfortable range. This will be different for lower and higher voices in men and women. It is important in this exercise that you do not press the sound as it goes lower. It is healthier if you put less pressure on the lower notes of your range. Less pressure usually produces a better sound as well.

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Exercise #7. Sliding (glissando) up to and down from the fifth of the scale, I want you to try this exercise on each of "may," "mee," "my," "moh," and "moo." Start around middle C and then moving chromatically up and back down about an octave. The slide should be very smooth and even. Take your time and enjoy it!

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Exercise #8. This exercise may look like one of the easiest of all, but it is in fact one of the hardest to do properly. On a single pitch, again starting around middle C, and on a neutral vowel like "ah" or "oh," start as quietly as you can, crescendo to ff (fortissimo), then decrescendo back to pp (pianissimo). Try to move evenly through the dynamic change in both directions, and make it last as long as a single breath allows. This is a control and breath exercise. Once again, move up chromatically for about an octave.

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This completes the first lesson. If you have done everything properly and completely, the lesson should have lasted about 15-20 minutes. (Perhaps a bit more if you listened to all of the audio examples.) Pay attention to the tips included with each exercise; these are especially important since you can't hear yourself well and have no teacher listening to you. Don't be in a rush to move on to the next lesson. The first lesson can be repeated for many weeks with much benefit to your vocal training. You will also see much repetition of material as you move to subsequent lessons. We learn to sing by repetition.