“Best Warm-Ups for My Voice Part”? Let’s Ask a Better Question

One of the most common questions I hear as a vocal coach sounds something like this: “What are the best warm-ups for [insert your voice part here]?”

And every time I hear it, I want to gently pause the conversation and ask a different question first.

What do you mean when you say you’re a tenor, for example?

Because that answer changes everything.

“Tenor” Can Mean a Lot of Different Things

Sometimes when someone asks about tenor warm-ups, they’re talking about style.

For example:

• A classical tenor singing opera or art song

• A singer trained in classical technique with a specific timbral goal

That’s a very specific context. In that case, yes, there are certain types of exercises you’ll want to use. Things like:

• Sustains

• Resonance-focused work

• Vibrato development

• Exercises that allow for weight and depth in the mid-to-upper range

But very often, that’s not what people mean.

More commonly, “tenor” is being used as a voice part label. As in:

• A higher-voiced male singer

• Someone singing contemporary music

• Pop, musical theatre, worship, rock, R&B, etc.

And in that case, asking for “the best warm-ups for a tenor” isn’t actually specific enough to be helpful.

A Better Way to Think About Warm-Ups

Instead of asking: “What’s the best warm-up for a tenor?”

I encourage singers to ask:

• What am I singing today?

• What style am I singing in?

• What does my voice need right now?

• What are my strengths and challenges?

Because those answers should guide your warm-ups far more than a range label ever will.

Your voice part doesn’t determine your warm-up nearly as much as:

• The music you’re about to sing

• The demands of that music

• The areas of your voice that need the most support or balance

Target the Challenge, Not the Label

One of my general philosophies is this:

Your warm-ups should target your challenges.

If you know:

• Your high notes feel tight

• Your voice gets fatigued quickly

• Your transitions feel unstable

• Your belts feel shouty

• Your head voice feels disconnected

Then your warm-ups should be designed to strengthen and balance those areas.

Your range doesn’t disappear from the equation, but it plays a different role.

Range simply helps determine:

• Where you start

• How low you begin

• How high you go

• How far back down you travel

It doesn’t dictate what you work on.

General Range Guidelines (Regardless of Voice Part)

When it comes to warming up the range itself, I follow a few consistent principles.

1. Start Where You Speak

Begin in the lower part of your voice, close to your speaking range. This helps your voice organize without forcing and sets a grounded foundation.

2. Warm Past the Highest Note You’ll Sing

Your warm-up should take you slightly beyond the highest note in your song.

If you’re singing a particularly high song:

• Warm up a step higher

• Or a step and a half higher

That way, the song isn’t the highest thing your voice has done that day. Your voice should feel prepared, not surprised.

Choosing Warm-Ups Based on What You’re Singing

Here’s how this looks in practice.

• Lots of heady or lighter singing?
  Include high-note work that encourages ease and release.

• Lots of riffs and runs?
  Focus on flexibility and agility exercises.

• Lots of belting or intensity?
  Start with a balanced, general warm-up, then target the belty work so it doesn’t feel abrupt or forced.

• Classical tenor repertoire?
  Spend more time mid-to-high in the range with resonance, weight, sustains, and vibrato-focused exercises.

Notice that none of this starts with “because you’re a tenor.”

It starts with what the music is asking of your voice.

If You Want Help Applying This in Real Time

If this way of thinking about warm-ups feels like a shift for you, you don’t have to figure it out on your own.

Inside the Singing / Straw™ Studio App, we train and develop your voice using the Singing / Straw Method, with workouts designed around what your voice needs rather than rigid labels or one-size-fits-all routines.

We hold monthly livestreams, and I’m regularly inside the S/S Studio App community answering questions from singers who are often working through the exact same challenges. 

Whether you’re trying to understand your range, smooth transitions, build stamina, or figure out how to warm up for your repertoire, we’ll help you reframe the way you think about your voice and how you train it.

Instead of guessing which warm-ups you “should” be doing, you learn how to choose exercises intentionally, respond to what your voice is telling you, and build consistency over time.

The Takeaway

Voice parts are useful for organizing harmony.

They’re much less useful for choosing warm-ups.

The best warm-up isn’t determined by whether you call yourself a tenor, baritone, alto, or soprano.

It’s determined by:

• What you’re singing

• How you sing it

• And what your voice needs to feel strong, free, and reliable that day

When you warm up with intention instead of labels, your voice responds better every time.