Effective Tips to Keep Your Singing Voice Healthy

For singers, be it in some rock band or a choir, professional or hobbyist, on-stage or in-shower, it is quintessential to take good care of your voice. It is because the condition of your vocal health can either make or outright break your performance.

The good news is taking care of your vocal health is not the hardest thing to do. Just a bit of common sense and some insider knowledge on some vocal-health tips can be of significant help. 

Why does one need healthy vocal cords for singing?

For a singer, their most prominent instrument is their vocal cords. Thus, it would help if you never did anything that possibly abuses your voice. Healthy vocal cords enable you to use your full range and yield a pure, complete, and tune-filled sound. Regardless of anything, if you are a singer or aspire to be one, your vocal cords should be your number one priority.  

How can you damage the vocal cords? 

Smoke, allergies, tension, abuse (screaming), overuse are a few of the key things that can damage your voice, points out Nathaniel, who offers online assignment help and is a singer by passion.

 Inflamed or irritated vocal cords do not close well. It will curtail your ability to hit the high notes in the range and yield a rough and more breathy sound, regardless of the note that you may be singing. You may find the breathy sound impeccable, and that is perfect, but it should not be the default tone of your voice.

Instead, it should be your choice to sing in that tone. Thus, you need to ensure that your voice is healthy and flexible. Only then will you be able to sing in any style that you want.  

Tips to ensure your singing voice is healthy

Here, we have a list of some essential tips that you can use to maintain your vocal health.  

Warm-up first, and then cool down

Before you begin singing, you must warm up your voice. Several warm-up exercises are ideal for people of all levels of experience vocal ranges and age groups. Be easy with the exercises. First, it is recommended to warm up the facial muscles, loosen the jaw muscles and the lips by blowing the air through your lips, sticking out the tongue as far as possible, sighing musically, and massaging your face. 

Further, you can also make some noise as you warm up. It would help if you allowed your voice to wander up and down to its best range. Follow it with some humming. You can also do some tongue trills and gentle lip rolls.

After you feel that your mouth, face, and voice are loosening up, you should start singing the actual musical notes. However, the entire process will take anywhere between ten to twenty minutes but do not skimp unnecessarily.  

Once you are through with the lesson, performance, or audition, spend some time to cool down your voice. Though a lot of people omit this essential step from the vocal health list, it is pivotal. It is a simplistic way to support your vocal health.

Some of the ways to do this are - sighing on a descending note, yawn by raising the soft palate, and release any built-up tension in your voice. Again, you can do some gentle lip rolls. It will help your voice to descend slowly. The cooldown time can be anywhere between five to ten minutes. Cooldown of the voice is crucial after you are done singing because it ensures that the voice is back at its normal speaking range, emphasizes Jasmine, who is a calculus online tutor and has a passion for music. 

Keep the voice hydrated

Wondering what you should drink to help you sing better? Well, the answer is pretty simple and straightforward - Water. For maintaining your singing voice's health, there is nothing better than water, points out Zoe, who offers java homework help services, and is a part-time singer with a local band. However, in addition to the water, you can also consume herbal tea, but ensure that it is not very hot. You should keep drinking water at regular intervals all through the day. Have a water bottle handy with you every time you have a long rehearsal or practice session.

Mind you; you need more than just a swig or two of water while you warm up your vocal cords. As a singer, your vocal cords are used the most. Thus, you need to take adequate measures to ensure that they are well-lubricated, and for that to happen, you need to drink plenty of water. There is no other way that you can moisten your vocal cords.

Nothing you spray, drink, or dissolve in the mouth passes to the vocal folds directly. The esophagus and larynx are separate. It is also vital because the dry vocal cords tend to feel irritated, which can harm your voice. Thus, the more water you drink, the better it will be.

Use a humidifier

As much as it is vital to drink right, it is equally essential to breathe right. Though no drink can directly hydrate your vocal cords, you can surely boost your voice's quality by breathing in the humid air. If you breathe in dry air, it can be taxing for your voice, points out June, who offers the best online python course and is a trained classical singer. You can thus consider humidifying the home. It is even more critical if you are doing a concert or working on a production. The use of a humidifier can strengthen your respiratory health and simultaneously prevent dry vocal cords. 

Please give it some rest

If you are into active lifestyles and workouts, you know how important your body's rest days are. Just like a tired body, even a tired voice is susceptible to injuries. So, if you have been using your voice a lot, maybe rehearsing or performing or preparing for the big audition, it is vital to give it some rest too.

In this rest period, you should not engage in any singing or talking, or whispering. Your voice gets tired and needs some time to regenerate. Thus, the longer you rest your voice, the better it will be. With proper rest, your vocal cords get enough time to heal and recuperate. 

Vocal rest gives your delicate vocal folds time to recuperate and heal.