Incorporating healthy speech in your singing
How you speak can directly affect how you sing. By taking good care of your voice while speaking, you ensure better vocal health. Try making your speaking habits more healthy by: When you're at parties, clubs, or sporting events and want to be heard, speak at full volume without 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. When talking on the telephone, apply your knowledge of breathing. Don't talk so long that your voice hurts from lack of breath support.
Getting the skinny on weight
Though it may not be your personal issue, a body that is too lean may have trouble finding the stamina to sing and sustain the 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 get yourself into a routine where you eat something early in the day so you don't find yourself snacking late at night because your body feels hungry.
Keep Yourself Properly Hydrated
Your body is 50% to 65% water. The lungs need water to keep tissues moving easily. Muscle tissue contains up to 75% water. So keeping your body well hydrated helps your singing voice work better.
Many people don't drink enough water because the taste is boring to them. 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.
Get 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 want to recoup and regenerate during the night. Try getting more sleep for a few nights and see if it makes a difference in your singing.
Be Sure You're Well Nourished
You should always eat a balanced diet. Following guidelines of basic nutrition means getting a balanced amount of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, meats and dairy products. A balanced diet also includes the proper amounts of fats, carbohydrates, and protein Many singers find that performing requires more energy which means protein should be added to increase energy levels.
Preventing a Sore Throat or Infection
It can make a big difference if you keep just a few simple remedies hand for the times you feel a tickle coming on. One item to keep on hand is a bottle of saline nasal spray which is a solution of water and salt. You can wash out any germs that may be lingering, waiting to make an attack on your immune system by spraying the solution up your nose.
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 these vocal health tips were helpful to you. To learn to sing like a star and discover more about maintaining the best posssible vocal health, I recommend checking out the Bristow Voice Method from Per Bristow.
