The short answer: To warm up your voice in five minutes before choir rehearsal or a worship service, all you need is slides on a lip trill and slides on a "v." Spend about two and a half minutes sliding on a lip trill, starting small and gradually widening through your range, then do the same on a "v." These two vocal warmup exercises get your muscles and air working as one, they're easy to do in the car or a hallway, and they help your voice start steady, blend with others and last through multiple services.
I'm Ashten, a classically trained soprano with a Master of Music, a full-time vocal coach, and the founder of Sing With Ashten. I've spent years as a music director and now coach choir and worship singers one-on-one over Zoom. The singers who warm up before they walk in are almost always the ones whose voices hold up through the last song on a Sunday morning.
Last updated: October 2026
Want to follow along? Grab my free 5-minute vocal warmup and slide along on your way to rehearsal.
Choir and worship singing ask a lot of your voice: early call times, long held phrases, harmony parts, and often two or three services in a row. A cold voice tends to start flat, crack on the first high note, and tire quickly, usually because air and muscle aren't coordinated yet. A short warmup brings them into balance, so you can blend from the very first song instead of using it to warm up.
Lip trills and "v" sounds are semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises, meaning your mouth is partly closed while you sing. That creates gentle back pressure that helps your vocal folds vibrate efficiently with less effort, which naturally balances airflow and muscle. Lip trills only keep going when your air is steady, so they train breath and voice to cooperate. "V" slides keep that same balance while adding more of your real singing voice. And sliding, rather than jumping between notes, lets your voice adjust gradually. It's gentle on a just-woken voice and builds the stamina you need for long sets.
If you're a worship leader or choir director, the same warmup works as a group in two to three minutes at the start of rehearsal:
A warmup prepares your voice; lessons build it. In my lessons, I focus on three things: access, healthy technique that gives you the range and stamina worship singing demands; autonomy, knowing your voice well enough to adjust it yourself in the middle of a service; and artistry, singing with expression and freedom so you can lead, not just get through the set.
For the full breakdown of each exercise, read The Complete Guide to a 5-Minute Vocal Warmup. To adjust your slides for a specific need, like high notes or a tired voice, see Daily Vocal Warmups That Fit Your Voice.
Learn more about voice lessons for worship and choir singers.
Within about 30 minutes of singing is ideal. Warming up at home and then driving an hour is still better than nothing, but add a quick round of slides once you arrive.
Small lip trill slides starting in your speaking range, then "v" slides. Your voice is stiffer after sleep, so give it a minute or two longer than usual and widen the slides gradually.
Press lightly on your cheeks with your fingertips and use a little less air. If it still won't flutter, do the whole warmup on "v" slides; they work the same way.
Sliding together gets everyone's voices coordinated and listening to each other before the first song starts.
No. A warmup should leave your voice feeling easier. If it feels tired, you're likely pushing air or making the slides too big too soon.
Get my free 5-minute vocal warmup to use on your way to church or rehearsal. When you're ready for personal feedback on your voice, book your free intro lesson.
About the author: Ashten Smith is a classically trained soprano with a Master of Music, a full-time vocal coach, and the founder of Sing With Ashten. She teaches singers online using science-backed methods, plenty of support and zero shame.