How to maintain your vocal health
Improve Your Singing with Healthy Speech
How you speak can directly affect how you sing. By taking good care of your voice while speaking, you ensure better vocal health. Take heed of the following tips for healthier speaking habits: Using full volume when you need to be heard (at sports events, parties, or clubs), but not screaming. If you tend to speak loudly all the time, turn down the volume. Watch your articulation while speaking in order to prevent tension - speak with no tension in the jaw or tongue. Applying your knowledge of breathing while talking on the phone and avoid talking on the phone until your voice hurts due to lack of breath support.
You are What You Eat
It’s not a problem for everyone, but being too lean may lead to problems with stamina while singing and sustaining higher pitches. To improve your stamina, make sure you’re giving your body the nourishment it needs. Many singers wait until late in the day to eat, but your body needs something to get it started. Try to find a routine that enables you to get food in your body early in the day, so you aren’t snacking well into the night when your body finally feels hungry.
Keep Yourself Hydrated
Your body is 50% to 65% water. Your lungs need water in order to keep its tissues moving as they should. The tissue in your muscles is comprised of up to 75% water. So keeping your body well hydrated helps your singing voice work better.
Many people find water to be boring to drink. You can drink other liquids to keep yourself hydrated, but remember that drinks that are high in sugar won’t help your waistline and caffeine can really dry you out. Caffeine is a diuretic and causes your body to get rid of excess water which means you can’t rely on that cup of coffee to keep your voice in good shape.
Getting plenty of shut-eye
Not getting enough sleep doesn’t give the tissue in your throat enough time to heal. If you continually deprive yourself of sleep, you voice begins to feel sluggish. You need to allow yourself to regenerate and recoup during the night. Try getting more sleep for a few nights and see if it makes a difference in your singing.
Proper Nourishment is Critical
You need to maintain a balanced diet. Adhering to the guidelines of basic nutrition means your getting the right amounts of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meats. A balanced diet also includes the proper amounts of fats, carbohydrates, and protein Because singing often requires extra energy, you may want to add some extra protein to your diet to enhance your ability to last through long rehearsals.
Preventing a Sore Throat or Infection
A few simple little remedies to keep on hand for those times when you feel that tickle coming on can make all the difference in the world. One item to keep on hand is a bottle of saline nasal spray which is a solution of water and salt. When you spray the solution up your nose you effectively wash away germs that may be waiting around, ready to attack your immune system.
It also helps to gargle with warm salt water. You can dislodge any germs from the back of your mouth when you gargle with a half a cup of warm water and a few teaspoons of salt. If you are prone to infections around your tonsils, you will likely discover that saltwater is one of your best friends. When you swish the saltwater around in your mouth, you can stop any painful canker sores in their tracks.
I hope this info was helpful to you. To learn how to sing like a star and discover more about maintaining the best posssible vocal health, I recommend checking out The Singing Zone vocal training program from Per Bristow.
Tags: vocal health, vocal health for singers, vocal health tips