Vocals are the forefront of a song, or, at least in my opinion…but I am a vocalist. Being such a prominent aspect of music, it’s essential that a singer does his or her job to keep her voice sounding pure and strong. Follow these 7 steps to give the crispest, harmonious, happy and healthy voice possible.
Just like any other muscle, there are ways to grow them, and there are specific exercises to help them get stronger without exhausting them. It’s the same thing as going to the gym, using proper technique in your exercise gives you the most benefit without tiring them. Try things like plugging your nose and talking to force yourself to learn how to use your voice without excessive use of air and and unnecessary muscle strain. All them to flow naturally to prolong a healthy voice and strong vocal chords.
When I moved to LA, I came up with the genius plan of sleeping 4 hours a night. Although I was doing everything I thought I could to keep my voice intact, it kept disappearing on me. After realizing I was sleep deprived and forcing myself to get 7 hours of sleep each night, my voice magically appeared again. That’s when I learned, your body really does utilizes that time to restore the stress you’ve put it through during the day, and prolonged sleeplessness allows the damage to build. Take your rest seriously.
Lubrication of the vocal chords is essential. Your voice without water is like cooking without oil. Water keeps the chords moving with ease, as they are intended to do. An odd thing I learned as a child – if your pee is light yellow, you’re hydrated. If not, drink more water!
Things like warm herbal tea with honey, and ginger are all great for lubricating the voice, so drink up! Avoid the obviously bad for you – like cigarettes. Other not so obvious things to avoid are dairy, which causes mucus and inflammation, and foods that cause the body and the vocal chords to dry out, like excessive citrus, alcohol, and caffeine.
As vocalists, we’re lucky. We never have to schlep a bulky guitar or piano with us from gig to gig. Our instrument is built into our body. But that means you have to keep your body healthier than other musicians might have to. Your voice health goes back to your overall health, so do things like yoga, running, eating healthy foods, and other general things to take care of your body, mind, and soul. Everything you do for a healthy lifestyle comes back to making your voice healthier.
Everyone knows how important it is to take vocal lessons and utilize a coach to teach you techniques to get better. That’s why NRG set up a vocal lesson to show you what it’s like! Check out our videos to learn techniques from Los Angeles Vocal Coach Griffith Frank. I also suggest you wake up and sing along as you practice scales on your piano. That way you’re giving your chords a morning boost, and your voice is ready to take on the day!
A routine gives you structure and makes you hold yourself accountable for always doing your best. It also gives you the ease of knowing you have the same thing to do everyday, instead of constantly scrambling for something new. Try something simple, like introducing singing scales into your morning, right after you brush your teeth.
A healthy voice is important to anyone. Whether you’re in the office talking to coworkers, negotiating a contract, or simply calling your mom. A singer takes the importance a their voice to a new level, so doing these few extra things to keep your voice in tact is essential. What do you, as a singer, do you do to make your voice happy & healthy?
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