Learn How to Sing in the Fastest and Easiest Way
At eHow to Sing you will find everything that you need to learn how to sing like a pro. Find all of the lessons, tips, vocal workouts and techniques that you have always wanted, all in one single place. Our lessons are very easy to follow making learning to sing fun and enjoyable.
How to Sing: Health and Care of the Voice
The voice is the main musical instrument of our body. For some people it is a tool used for work. Taking care of our voice is important whether we are professional singers or amateurs and are just learning how to sing. If we do not take care of our voice well, it can cause us problems such as respiratory infections, inflamation of the throat, etc.
We will now talk about some healthy habits and other things that we should avoid in order to maintain good vocal health.
Some good habits to always keep in mind are:
Drink plenty of water, at least 2 liters or 8-10 glasses per day, which is not only good for the body but will also keep the vocal cords hydrated.
Eat foods that are easy to digest such as fruits, vegetables, fish and chicken. Apples are great to help clean out the mouth. Citrus fruits are helpful in giving you a boost of vitamin C to keep the common cold away.
Try to sleep at least 8 hours a day, especially before a vocal performance; sleeping enough each day will give your body extra energy and will help fight off sicknesses that could ultimately affect your throat and vocal cords.
Sit up straight and maintain good posture for when you breathe. This will help your lungs fill to their fullest potential and help control your air intake.
Always warm up your voice before singing; this could stop you from injuring your vocal cords and will help to keep your voice more in shape.
Some things to avoid are:
Don’t eat spicy foods which could irritate the throat, especially right before singing.
Don’t wear very tight clothing, especially on the stomach, chest and neck which could constrict the air control and breathing necessary for a perfect performance.
Avoid being exposed to very cold winds; cold air tends to dry up the vocal cords.
Don’t drink cold or iced beverages which could cause your voice to crack easier, impeding on your voice’s full reach.
Try not to scream or talk very loud, this could cause you to lose your voice quickly.
Avoid going to places that are very loud which could cause you to talk over the noise, this could wear out your voice.
Do not smoke; everyone already knows that this, in fact, will ruin your voice little by little over time. It also is very harmful to the lungs and will not allow them to fill with oxygen to their full capacity.
Don’t sing too loud, forcing yourself to arrive at notes that are at a higher vocal register, this could tire out your vocal cords and possibly damage them.
If we want to sing well, we don’t only need to have good vocal techniques and methods but we also need to have healthy habits and take good care of our voice. Our vocal cords are like all the other muscles in our body that need good training, rest, and care so that they perform well.