Improve Your Singing with Healthy Speech
Your speaking voice directly affects your singing When you take proper care of your speaking voice, you can improve your vocal health. Try making your speaking habits more healthy by: Talk at full volume when you want to be heard, but don’t scream. Talking at a reasonable volume, not speaking loudly all the time. Noticing the articulation as you speak to prevent tension – not speaking with tension, such as jaw tension or tongue tension. 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.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
It’s not a problem for everyone, but being too lean may lead to problems with stamina while singing and sustaining higher pitches. Be sure to give your body the nourishment it requires to increase your stamina. While some singers like to eat late in the day, this isn’t a good idea since your body needs fuel to get 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. Your lungs depend on water to keep the tissue moving easily. Muscle tissue is made up of 75% water. This means that your singing voice works better when your body is hydrated properly.
Many people don’t drink enough water because the taste is boring to them. However, other liquids can help you balance your hydration levels as long as you remember that sugar content in drinks won’t you’re your waistline and caffeine in beverages can 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
Too little sleep makes it difficult for your throat tissue 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. Allow yourself to sleep more for a few nights in a row and see the difference it can make in your singing.
Proper Nourishment is Critical
You should always eat 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. You should also ensure that your getting the right amounts of fats, protein, and carbohydrates. 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
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 staple that many singers swear by is a bottle of saline nasal spray which is nothing more than 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.
Or try gargling with warm salt water. Adding a few teaspoons of salt to a half cup of warm water and then gargling helps wash away any germs that can lodge in the back of your mouth. Simply mix about a half cup of warm water with a few teaspoons of salt and gargle, washing away germs that are lodged in the back of your mouth. If you are prone to infections around your tonsils, you will likely discover that saltwater is one of your best friends. If you want to stop canker sores in their tracks, just swish the saltwater around in your mouth.
I hope you found this vocal health information helpful. If you’d like more information about vocal health and learning to sing I recommend checking out Singing Success. Singing Success is a world famous home study singing course created by Nashville singing coach Brett Manning.
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