How long should I warm up before singing because some days I can just hit certain notes for some reason after maybe just a few minutes of warming up and some days i feel like i just spend the whole day warming up and nothing good comes of it. I think it has to do with my allergies sometimes too but I was wondering if anyone had any idea of what might be going on and what i can do to fix it. Also, would just be singing along to some songs be considered warming up? Thanks in advance!

It always depends of current state.

What do you mean?

It means, in which state your vocal chords are

You mean like how many years i've been singing?

No no, sometimes you just need longer warm up and sometimes shorter, but warmup must be operated carefully, so sometimes you can even close your voice during the warmup and then it's no wonder that, you sometimes had ruined the whole day..., but remember that you can only warmup as much as your vocal chords are capable at the moment, for example if one is in a good shape, maybe had singed many days before and hitting high notes easily, and then starting again after a couple of days, then some people are still in an "ecstasy" and trying to continue where they stopped days before, but they must start carefully from the zero again to build up the voice...

Oh. Okay. I understand. Thanks for your help!

i say just start off quietly, if im really having trouble on an important day, i will sing the song an octave lower, although that might be harder for a lady! slowly if you dont get frustrated you will hear your voice slowly improving with every note. also, talk alot, talk to people, work your vocal chords without thiking about it. it might just be a very early morning!

My rule of thumb is at least 1/3rd of the time you plan on singing actual repertoire. For example, if you plan on singing your music for 30 minutes, 10 minutes should be dedicated to warming up your voice and getting a feel for the state of things. I agree with the person who said it depends on what condition you are in at the time; you don't want to overwork when your voice isn't up to it, and certainly you don't want to neglect warming up.

Hope this helps!
BohemianBolt

The NEW Virtual Conservatory of Singing: http://singing.eamped.com/ <- get feedback on your singing!

Also, you can use songs as warm ups. Habanera is always a fun swoopy song!

Thanks for all the help you guys!