5 Quick Vocal Exercises to Do Before Recording Video
A sprinter doesn't sprint cold, and your voice shouldn't either. It's a physical instrument — vocal cords, diaphragm, tongue, jaw, all working in coordination — and recording without warming any of it up is how a simple 60-second TikTok turns into take twenty.
These five exercises take about three minutes combined. Do them right before you hit record, not the night before.
1. The Lip Trill (Cord Warmer)
The same warm-up singers and broadcasters have used for decades, because it works.
- How: Relax your lips and blow air through them so they vibrate — the motorboat sound.
- Add this: Slide your pitch up and down like a siren while keeping the vibration going. 30 seconds.
- > [!TIP]
2. Tongue Twisters (Mumble Killer)
Speaking clearly at 150+ WPM requires a tongue and jaw that are actually warmed up, not just willing.
- "Red leather, yellow leather" — five times fast, focusing on crisp L and TH sounds.
- "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" — three times, focusing on sharp P sounds.
- 45 seconds total. Prioritize precision over speed here — speed comes later.
3. The Hum (Resonance)
If playback makes your voice sound thin or nasal, this fixes it faster than anything else on this list.
- How: Close your mouth, relax your jaw, hum at a comfortable low pitch.
- Check it: Hand on your chest — you should feel a clear, warm vibration.
- 30 seconds. This drops your pitch slightly and adds the resonance that microphones tend to flatten out.
4. The Jaw Release
Nervousness tightens the jaw without you noticing, and a tight jaw is a direct line to mumbled, quiet delivery.
- How: Open your mouth as wide as comfortable — like a silent scream — hold five seconds, release.
- Then: Fingers on your jaw hinges, just below the ears, small circular massage.
- Three reps.
5. Diaphragmatic Breathing (Stamina)
Running out of air mid-sentence is almost always shallow chest breathing, not lung capacity.
- How: One hand on chest, one on stomach. Breathe in through the nose — the stomach hand should rise, the chest hand should barely move.
- Exhale: Slowly through the mouth on a hiss, counting to ten.
- Five reps. This trains the breath support that lets you finish a long sentence without gasping at the end of it.
After the Warm-Up
Loose jaw, agile tongue, deep breath — you're ready. The piece that's easy to skip is pacing: a warmed-up voice can still rush if nothing's tracking your speed.
ScriptPacer.com runs a live pace check against your script as you read — conversational range (130–150 WPM) or short-form energy (150–170 WPM), your call. Split the script with dividers, watch the glows, and you'll know in the moment if the warm-up actually held.