Why you need to Warm Up as a Musician | How to Warm Up as a Musician | Warming up as a Musician
Every teacher has probably told you to warm up a million times. And if we are being honest here, most of us kinda skip out on it by blowing a note or two, running through something quickly, or doing absolutely nothing at all. But let’s change that!
A quick story: I nearly tore my AC joint playing the flute.
Isn't that nuts? Basically, I had been practicing and performing so much that I overworked a tiny muscle that connects my scapula to my rib cage. That imbalance caused my chest muscles to pull my shoulder forward too much, which put extra strain on my shoulder. And why did that happen? Because I ignored my body’s signals. I was not properly warming up. I was not taking enough breaks. I was pushing through discomfort because, like a lot of musicians, I thought I could just keep going.
My recovery nearly took 6 months which included frequent visits to the physical therapist.
Granted, what I did not know at the time was that I have EDS, so joint-related issues are something I have to be extra mindful of. I have to take more precautions with my body than some other musicians might. But regardless of whether you have the healthiest joints in the world or not; warm-ups, stretches, and breaks are non-negotiable when you are a musician. Because your body is part of your instrument. And if you do not take care of it, eventually it will make you listen.
Music Making is Physically Demanding
When most musicians think about warming up, they usually think about the sound first: Long tones, scales, finger exercises, and so on. And while those things are super important, your warm up should consider the physical strain you are about to put your body in. Yes, you heard me!
Music making is repetitive, physical, and sometimes very demanding. Most of the time we are using every part of our body. And we don't even realize how intensive it is because it's not the same display of physical demand as an Olympian would. We use our shoulders, wrists, fingers, jaw, lungs, back, core, face, neck, hands, and arms for extended periods of time. Over time, all of that repetition can create strain, especially if we are playing with tension, poor posture, or not taking enough breaks. On top of that, some instruments make you play with an imbalanced position (I'm looking at you flute and violins)
Movement can support stamina, coordination, flexibility, posture, stress relief, mental focus, breathing, injury prevention, and even long-term sustainability.
In the article Exercise as Medicine for Your Music, Gannon explains that musicians need strength in the legs, core, and upper body to meet the physical demands of daily practice and performance. It also notes that exercise can help create muscle balance, which is especially important for instrumentalists who often play in physically asymmetrical positions.
That is why you should incorporate movement into your warm-up. It does not have to be complicated. You do not need to do an entire workout before you practice. But taking a few minutes to wake up your body can make a huge difference. It could be something as simple as shoulder rolls, arm circles, gentle neck stretches, wrist circles, finger stretches, breathing exercises, or a quick posture reset. The goal is to get your blood flowing and remind your body that it is about to work. Plus this will improve your performance in the long run!
Movement Can Help Your Mind, Too
Another reason I love connecting movement to music is that it supports the brain. As musicians, we ask a lot from our bodies and brains. We ask our brains to remember music, stay focused, manage nerves, solve problems, and remain creative under pressure. Which is a lot to ask for when you think about it.
Regular movement can help keep the mind clear, which matters when you are learning new music or preparing for a performance. Almost any form of movement can help right before practice. There is also research to support this connection. A review by Phillip D. Tomporowski on acute exercise and cognition found that moderate movement can support the kind of mental clarity musicians need for learning, practicing, and performing. This does not mean you need to exhaust yourself before practicing-- the same review also notes that extended exercise leading to dehydration can negatively affect information processing and memory.
The point is to use movement as a tool. Like I said before, incorporating a quick warm up before you start your practice session, will do wonders for anyone prepping for a a practice session.
A sample Warm-up for all musicians
A good warm-up begins with awareness. Before you play, take a second to check in with your body. Are your shoulders raised? Is your jaw tight? Are your hands tense? Are you holding your breath? Are you sitting or standing in a way that actually supports your playing? Depending on what is going on in your body that day, you may want to spend extra time moving those areas. But here is a simple full-body warm-up that can help get everything moving before you practice:
Start with a few slow breaths.
Let your shoulders drop as you exhale.
Gently roll your neck from side to side
Then roll your shoulders forward and backward.
Circle your arms a few times, then open your chest by reaching your arms out to the side.
Roll your wrists in both directions
Then open and close your hands a few times to wake up your fingers.
Twist gently through your torso
Then reach one arm overhead and stretch to the side. Switch sides.
Circle your hips
bend your knees a few times
gently roll through your ankles.
Shake out your arms, hands, legs, and feet
Finally, reset your posture, take one more breath, and notice if your body feels more awake!
A small amount of movement can make a big difference, especially when done consistently. Warming up your body helps you enter practice with more awareness, less tension, and a better chance of staying comfortable while you play.
Warm Up for What You Are Actually Practicing
So, you did your full-body movement warm-up. Your shoulders are a little looser, your wrists are awake, your posture is reset, and your body has been reminded that it is about to do musician things. Now it is time to think about the musical side of your warm-up. This is where things get more specific, because a vocalist is not going to warm up the same way a percussionist does. That means there is no single perfect warm-up that works for everyone or even a single perfect warm-up that works for you every single day either.
One of the biggest mistakes musicians make is treating warming up like a random task that has nothing to do with the rest of practice. We do a scale, play a few notes, maybe run through an exercise we have done forever, and then move on. But your warm-up can actually prepare you for the work ahead. If your piece has a lot of fast passages, warm up with slow finger patterns, scales, or technical exercises in that key. If your piece has long lyrical lines, focus on breath, tone, bow control, phrase connection, or whatever helps you create a supported sound. If your piece has tricky rhythms, spend a few minutes clapping, counting, tapping, or playing rhythm patterns before diving in. If your piece requires endurance, build gradually so you do not burn yourself out in the first five minutes. You get the point! Your warm-up should help you throughout your practice session.
Keep in Mind: Warm-ups are also a mindfulness Activity
This is the time to get in the zone! Your brain is shifting into a practice mode and this is the perfect time to practice mindfulness and gratitude. This will take you to new heights, promise!
As we are listening and feeling somethings you might want to ask yourself is:
How does your sound feel today?
Is it tense?
Is it supported?
Is it shaky?
Is it clear?
Is your body helping or fighting you?
All you are doing is gathering information to locate tension and figure out a way to release it. A lot of us want to immediately think about how "terrible" instead of trying to figure out what the sound is telling us. Maybe you aren't moving your air or maybe your hands are tense or you are anxious. Regardless of the reason, processing the physicality and the mindset is central to your warm-up. Everything I've talked about is all about what mindfulness.
A Small Warm-Up Is Still a Warm-Up
I know not everyone has thirty minutes to warm up. Sometimes we are rushing into rehearsal or we are just tired and only have a little bit of energy to give. That's just life. But even the shortest warm-up is better than no warm-up.
So the best warm-up is the one you will actually do. And your job as a musician is to make it realistic. If your routine is too long, too boring, too complicated, or too disconnected from your goals, you probably won't stick with it. So take baby steps as you embark on this new habit. Once warming up becomes part of your routine, you can expand it based on what you need. At the end of the day, warming up is about how you protect your body, prepare your mind, and give yourself a better chance at playing well.
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