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Courses/Stage 11

Warming Up & Protecting Your Voice: Don't Wreck It

Vocals8 minBreath · singing in tune · protecting your voice · picking a key

Warm up before you sing, and don't force a shout while you sing — protect your voice so you can keep singing for the long haul. This lesson also covers a few vocal “warning signs.”

Video lessons are in production — follow the notes and practice checklist below and you'll learn it just fine.
Stage 11 · Singing: The Other Half4 lessons

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  1. The Foundation of Singing: Breath & Belly Breathing8 min
  2. How to Fix Singing Out of Tune: Calibrate with a Tuner and Your Guitar9 min
  3. Warming Up & Protecting Your Voice: Don't Wreck It8 min
  4. Choosing a Key for Your Voice (and Simple Harmony)8 min

The warm-up trio (almost impossible to hurt yourself with)

Lip trills: lips loosely closed, a steady exhale buzzing your lips “brrr,” then add pitch sliding up and down. Humming: hum gently with your mouth closed, quick and quiet. The siren: like a fire engine, slide your voice from low to high and back down through your whole range.

All three are “low-impact” exercises, almost impossible to injure yourself with, and the best for warming up. 5–10 minutes daily, or 10–15 minutes before a demanding song.

Don't use brute force

Forcing volume and forcing high notes puts brute strain on the vocal cords and tightens the throat — it's the most common way beginners wreck their voice. Picture the state where, mid-yawn, the larynx naturally drops and the throat relaxes — that's the looseness you want for singing. Rely on a steady airflow and resonance, not brute force.

  • 💡 Drink plenty of water; if your voice goes hoarse, tired or sore, stop — never “push through the pain and keep singing.”

Vocal warning signs

If any of these show up, rest, and see a doctor if needed: a voice that stays hoarse, suddenly losing your high notes, your voice suddenly dropping lower, a raw and tight throat, talking becoming an effort, a constant urge to clear your throat. Your voice is your instrument, and it's not as easy to fix as changing a string.

⚠️ Common mistakes

  • Belting high notes without warming up — an easy way to strain your vocal cords.
  • Forcing high notes and volume with brute strength — those should come from breath and resonance, not a shout.

Practice checklist

  • Warm up for 5 minutes with lip trills / humming / the siren before you sing.
  • Find a high note you'd normally “shout,” sing it gently instead using breath and a relaxed throat, and compare.