Three-minute warm-ups by instrument

The warm-up is not a workout. Its job is to loosen fingers, wake up the ear, and check that the instrument is in tune. Three minutes, then move to targeted work.

Piano warm-up (3 min)

1. One octave of C major scale, hands separately, 60 BPM (30 seconds each hand).
2. One octave of C major scale, hands together, 60 BPM (30 seconds).
3. C major triad in root position, first inversion, second inversion, both hands (30 seconds).
4. Sight-read one line of anything you have not played (60 seconds).

Guitar warm-up (3 min)

1. Chromatic exercise: one-two-three-four on each string, both hands, at 60 BPM (60 seconds).
2. Open-chord changes: Em to Am to D, one bar each, 60 BPM (60 seconds).
3. Free strumming on Em, feel the pulse (60 seconds).

Violin warm-up (3 min)

1. Open-string bowing on each string, full bow, 60 BPM (60 seconds).
2. First-position D major scale on the D string, slow, tuner on (60 seconds).
3. Slow string crossings (60 seconds).

Voice warm-up (3 min)

1. Lip trills up a fifth and back down, C to G to C (60 seconds). Loosens the diaphragm.
2. Solfege scale on do re mi fa sol la ti do, ascending only, in C major (60 seconds). Wakes the ear.
3. Sirens: slide from your lowest comfortable note to your highest and back (60 seconds). Extends the range.

A shared warm-up habit: sing before you play

Regardless of instrument, sing the first note of your first exercise before you play it. This one habit tightens the ear-to-instrument loop faster than any dedicated ear-training drill.

When to skip the warm-up

Two cases. First, if you only have ten minutes total, cut the warm-up to one minute and use nine on targeted work. Second, if you played earlier in the day and are back for a second session; the hands are already warm.