Improve Your Singing with Healthy Speech
How you speak can directly affect how you sing. By taking good care of your voice while speaking, you ensure better vocal health. You can improve your speaking habits by: When you're at parties, clubs, or sporting events and want to be heard, speak at full volume without screaming. Anytime you speak, use a reasonable volume, not a loud one. Watch your articulation while speaking in order to prevent tension - speak with no tension in the jaw or tongue. When talking on the telephone, apply your knowledge of breathing. Don't talk so long that your voice hurts from lack of breath support.
Maintain a Healthy 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. Many singers wait until late in the day to eat, but your body needs something to get it started. Try to get yourself into a routine where you eat something early in the day so you don't find yourself snacking late at night because your body feels hungry.
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. Therefore, keeping your body properly hydrated helps your singing voice.
Many people don't drink enough water because the taste is boring to them. However, other liquids can help you balance your hydration levels as long as you remember that sugar content in drinks won't you're your waistline and caffeine in beverages can dry 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. Your voice feels sluggish when you are sleep deprived. You want to recoup and regenerate 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. Adhering to the guidelines of basic nutrition means your getting the right amounts of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meats. You should also ensure that your getting the right amounts of fats, protein, and carbohydrates. Many singers find that performing requires more energy which means protein should be added to increase energy levels.
Preventing a Sore Throat or Infection
It can make a big difference if you keep just a few simple remedies hand for the times you feel a tickle coming on. One staple that many singers swear by is a bottle of saline nasal spray which is nothing more than water and salt. 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. Adding a few teaspoons of salt to a half cup of warm water and then gargling helps wash away any germs that can lodge in the back of your mouth. Simply mix about a half cup of warm water with a few teaspoons of salt and gargle, washing away germs that are lodged in the back of your mouth. People that get frequent infections around their tonsils find that saltwater is a good friend. 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.