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If you’ve been practicing endless vocal warmups from YouTube but still feel stuck in your singing progress, you’re not alone. Many singers spend months—or even years—doing the wrong exercises without realizing those warmups may actually be hurting their voice instead of helping it.
In this post, I’ll share five powerful reasons why most vocal warmups don’t work, how they might be holding you back, and what to do instead to see real results in your singing.
Many popular warmups you find online push your voice into high-pressure function instead of the healthier low-pressure function that singers need.
They rely heavily on consonants and harsh vowels.
They rarely address breathing.
They encourage mechanical repetition instead of mindful practice.
The way you breathe instantly influences whether your system shifts into high or low pressure mode. When you warm up without awareness, you reinforce bad habits rather than correcting them.
👉 To truly benefit, focus less on which exercise you’re doing and more on how you’re doing it.
Singing is not about copying sounds—it’s about building new habits. Many singers try to multitask while warming up (in the car, while cooking, or softly so nobody hears). This only keeps you in high-pressure mode.
Instead, treat your warmups like a meditation:
Slow them down.
Pay attention to your breath and body.
Notice the sensations in your vocal tract.
Even five minutes of mindful, body-aware practice is far more effective than an hour of distracted repetition.
Your voice is unique. What works for one singer might harm another. Unfortunately, many YouTube warmups are one-size-fits-all exercises that ignore individual needs.
For example:
Lip trills may be beneficial for some voices but damaging for others.
Some exercises designed for trained singers can overwhelm beginners.
This is why working with a trained vocal coach is essential—you need customized exercises that match your voice, not someone else’s.
Your nervous system must feel safe to learn new singing skills. But many people practice warmups in unsafe conditions without realizing it.
If you warm up:
While driving
When you’re hungry, thirsty, or stressed
After an argument or in a noisy environment
…your body is in alert mode rather than safe mode. In this state, your voice cannot relax or develop properly.
Notice how singing feels easier after a massage, a good laugh with friends, or dancing? That’s because your system is finally in safety mode. Prioritize practicing in that state, and your results will skyrocket.
Many warmups jump into higher pitches right away. This puts your voice into tension-dominant mode, which is the opposite of what a warmup should do.
A proper warmup should:
Begin gently in your lower range.
Keep you connected to your vocal muscles.
Progress gradually before exploring higher notes.
By staying in a comfortable range longer, you can actually retrain vocal habits that will later unlock those higher notes safely. Rushing into high notes only creates strain and reinforces bad technique.
If you want your warmups to truly prepare your voice, remember these key principles:
Focus on low-pressure function and mindful breathing.
Treat warmups as awareness practices, not mechanical drills.
Use customized exercises for your voice, not generic YouTube routines.
Warm up in a safe, relaxed environment.
Always start low, then build up gradually.
When you apply these steps, your warmups will finally begin to support—not sabotage—your vocal growth.
If this resonates with you, I’d love to help you personally. In my coaching program, you get:
One-on-one personalized lessons
Access to Voice & Movement workshops designed to connect you deeply with your instrument
Tailored exercises that actually work for your unique voice
👉 Book a call with me here to learn more and discover how you can finally break free from ineffective warmups and start singing with confidence.
Highly recommended; Jorgelina, the primary singing instructor knows her stuff and really helped guide me through finding my mixed voice.
She has huge amounts of knowledge on the science and theory behind singing and approaches lessons in a very structured but still personalised manner. Very happy with my decision to take lessons here.
I really struggled with the high notes before coming to Jorgelina! She's coached me through so many techniques and although there is so much to learn I feel like I've seen lots of progress already. My confidence has grown massively since joining the group classes too and she encourages performing at every opportunity. I love that Jorgelina takes a holistic approach to singing and understands that it's not just about sounding great, the voice also has strong connections to the body and mind. Thanks Jorgelina!
Bruh. Jorgelina is an awesome singing teacher! Super knowledgable, very engaged and 100% passionate. She's helped me a lot. Her methods and techniques feel organic and natural. She moves at your pace and is super supportive about you achieving your singing goals. Would recommend her to anyone with a vagus nerve (thats everyone btw!).
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