How to take care of your voice

Taking good care of your voice as a singer is essential as it is your musical instrument and you must protect it as much as you can.

Taking good care of a piano, for instance, isn’t that complicated as long as you get it tuned on a regular basis and ensure that the temperature and humidity/dryness of the room is maintained at a consistent level.

In the unlikely case that it would get damaged, you can always purchase a new one, but you can sadly not buy a new voice!

That is the reason why you should really protect your voice as much as you possibly can.

You must be careful as your voice can easily be exposed to various dangers which could create severe damages.

In this article, we are happy to share some tips that can help you prevent injuries and ensure that your voice performs at its best at all times.

Here is some advice that can definitely help you take care of your voice and improve your overall singing!

Avoid getting a cold where possible

The most common fear of singers is getting a cold or a flu as it results in not being able to sing at all. Losing your voice could be compared to playing a violin without strings so always ensure to dress well, especially during the winter season. Wear appropriate clothing and always add a scarf to your outfit. Washing your hands regularly is also important too to avoid getting any illness.

Using a humidifier in your residence is a good idea.

Keep the level of humidity to 30%.

If you do unfortunately get ill, do not sing and avoid using your voice when possible.

If you are a singer, smoking should be avoided and drinking alcohol should be restricted.

It is a fact that smoking irritates the vocal folds and alcohol make them dry.

Water, food and sleeping

Drinking plenty of water is however perfect for your vocal folds.

Eating spicy foods should also be avoided as it can cause stomach acid to move into the throat, but adding vegetables and fruits in your diet is excellent to keep your mucus membranes healthy!

Sleeping enough hours and being well-rested is important as fatigue has a negative effect on your voice. Exercising regularly is also brilliant as it helps you keep a good posture and improve your breathing. Good breathing being key to the enhancement of your voice!

We all have a beautiful natural voice that we should all cherish, but it is even more important if you are a singer.

Other musicians produce a sound with a musical instrument. In your case, your instrument is your voice so the only way to produce a wonderful tone is to look after your voice and take care of it!

Warm up properly and remember to breathe!

Warming up before singing is also essential. All instrumentalists warm up before performing and athletes prepare their muscles before playing to avoid injuries, so there is no reason why you should not do the same!

You might not know the exercises that should be done before singing, but do not worry as an expert singing instructor will be able to show you how to proceed.

Taking breaks regularly during your practise sessions is also important as you should not practise with a tired voice. It is similar for pianists, violinists or any other instrumentalists. They must rest their fingers and not study for a long period of time. Otherwise, they could injure themselves.

At The London Singing Institute, we take great care of our pupils and we always ensure that their voice gets trained properly in order to avoid any injury. We also make sure that their voice becomes as beautiful as they deserve to be!

If you study at The London Singing Institute, your vocal instructor will also teach you a few breathing exercises that are fundamental.

Breathing properly is key to the development of your voice and the improvement of your tone production.

He or she will help you find your natural voice placement and choose songs that work well for your vocal range. Songs can also be transposed to suit your voice better.

We do hope that this article is useful and that you now have a better idea of how to take care of your voice!