Incorporating healthy speech in your singing

Your speaking voice directly affects your singing By taking good care of your voice when speaking, you are improving your vocal health. Try making your speaking habits more healthy by: Using full volume when you need to be heard (at sports events, parties, or clubs), but not screaming. 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. 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 might not be an issue for you, being too lean can cause problems regarding stamina when singing and trying to sustain higher pitches. To improve your stamina, make sure you’re giving your body the nourishment it needs. There are singers that don’t eat until late in the day, but the body needs nourishment to get started. To prevent snacking late at night, get in the habit of eating earlier in the day.

Keep Yourself Hydrated

Your body is made of 50-60% water. The lungs need water to keep tissues moving easily. 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 balance out your hydration with other liquids as long as you realize that sugar content in most drinks doesn’t help your waistline and that caffeine actually dries 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. Your voice feels sluggish when you are sleep deprived. You need to allow yourself to regenerate and recoup during the night. Try sleeping a little more for several nights and see the difference it makes in your singing.

Proper Nourishment is Critical

Always maintain a balanced diet. By following the basic nutritional guidelines, you will eat balanced amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, and meat. Within this balanced diet you find proper amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Many singers find that performing requires more energy which means protein should be added to increase energy levels.

Prevent Infections and Sore Throat

Keeping a few basic remedies on hand can make a huge difference for the times you feel a bit of a tickly coming on. My favorite is a bottle of nasal saline spray, which is just salt and water. When you spray the solution up your nose you effectively wash away germs that may be waiting around, ready to attack your immune system.

Or try gargling 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 have frequent infections around your tonsils, you may find 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.

Technorati Tags: , ,