Improve Your Singing with Healthy Speech
Your singing voice is affected by your speaking voice When you take proper care of your speaking voice, you can improve your vocal health. Take heed of the following tips for healthier speaking habits: 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. Speak with no tension, for example in the tongue or jaw – pay attention to articulation to prevent 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. Make sure you’re nourishing your body on a regular basis for stamina. 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 Properly Hydrated
Your body is 50% to 65% water. Your lungs need water in order to keep its tissues moving as they should. Muscle tissue contains up to 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. 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
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. Try sleeping a little more for several nights and see the difference it makes in your singing.
Proper Nourishment is Critical
You need to maintain 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 You may find that singing requires more energy, which means adding more protein to your diet to enhance your body’s ability to sustain you through long rehearsals.
Prevent Infections and Sore Throat
A few simple little remedies to keep on hand for those times when you feel that tickle coming on can make all the difference in the world. One staple that many singers swear by is a bottle of saline nasal spray which is nothing more than water and salt. By spraying the salt water up your nose, you can wash out germs that are lingering waiting to attack your immune system.
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 have frequent infections around your tonsils, you may find 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 these vocal health tips were helpful to you. 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.