The voice is an incredible instrument that gives us the ability to create sounds and which some people use to sing. Not everyone can sing, some people are born with a voice that allows them to sing melodies much more easily, while others need more work to reach high notes or to avoid sounding off key. No matter what category you fall under, if you do not dedicate some time in learning how to conserve you voice, you will not sound your best. There are some elements that can damage body parts significantly when singing, such as unhealthy living habits. Below are some tip s from OneHowTo on how to care for your voice before singing.
Avoid tobacco
Everyone knows that smoking is harmful for our health. It is also damaging to your voice as it can irritate the throat and reduce lung capacity. The lungs play a basic role in singing, because it allows us to keep the air in and use it during the song. It is an exercise that requires practice and is acquired over time. Smoking can reduce some of this capacity to conserve air and influence our singing potential. Also, the larynx can become irritated by coughing, and consequently, the voice chords might be left damaged, lending a hoarse, raspy quality to the voice.
The first step you should take to take care of your voice is to avoid using tobacco. If you're not a smoker, tobacco smoke can still affect your health if you are often exposed to passive smoke.
Do not force the voice
It may be that you are about to go out on stage with your band or as a solo singer, and you see the audience awaiting your performance. Before going out to sing, if you are in a situation where you need to yell or talk louder than usual, it is recommended that you avoid loud noises beforehand. This should keep your vocal cords in good condition.
On the days previous to your performance, when meeting friends you should ask them to go somewhere quiet. Otherwise, you might be forced to shout or speak loudly, which risks damaging your ability to sing and giving your voice a hoarse quality.
Sleep well
Sleep is good for all matters relating to health. If you've been rehearsing more than usual, perhaps because you have a concert or other event in which you are going to sing, you need to rest your vocal cords for a few hours beforehand in order for them to recover. Chances are, if you're rehearsing for a few hours and go to sleep, the next day you'll notice that your voice is deeper voice and it will be more difficult for you to reach those notes comfortably.
Do not eat food or drink that might make you feel gassy
At first this may not make much sense but imagine you have to go out and sing on stage and you decide to drink a cold fizzy drink, along with a spicy burger and fries beforehand. Now imagine singing using the force of your belly. Now do you see the issue? When we sing, we use effort that may cause us to burp, which is even more probable if we have gas in the stomach. This also it occurs with beer, so take note if you enjoy a pint or two. When you've consumed a gaseous products, it is very likely that, when you sing, especially when you lengthen the vowels and open you mouth wide to expel air, you may feel you need to burp, which could be perceived as ruining the song.
Good hydration
Loss of water causes the voice to dry, making it more difficult to sing. Most singers have a bottle of water on hand to prevent this and to also be able to clear their throat of phlegm, which may hinder the singing, produce vibrations and hamper the expulsion and entry of airflow.
Warm up the voice before singing
Warming up the vocal cords is a basic procedure that every singer must perform before going on stage. It will prepare the voice so that it is ready and will help the singer to reach those higher notes which requires maximum force. These warm-ups will improve your voice and make you feel more comfortable when singing a song. We should note that if you do not warm up the throat muscles before singing, they can be left damaged.
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