Tips for a Healthy Singing Voice

Singing can heal and transform lives. Imagine a world where everyone sang for ten minutes a day. You may not be at the same point on the singer continuum as another singer, the same way that Olympic athletes differ from weekend warriors, but anyone who can talk can sing.

Knowledge is power so here are some great tips for a strong healthy voice.

Tip #1: Consistency
Consistency is important. Think of it as a formula of frequency plus duration over time.

Frequency + duration
time

To illustrate let’s take one hour and look at it two different ways. You could sing for one hour one day a week. But a better option would be to sing for ten minutes six days a week. The amount of time is the same. The way you will build your voice is much more productive.


Tip #2: Airflow
When it comes to the airflow that produces the sound, it’s less how much air you have and more how you use it. Try this simple exercise.

 

Breathe in through your nose, open your mouth and stretch inside like you are preparing to say a very gentle K sound. Then hold the air for a count of 10 and release quickly. Do that several times to get the sense of how the air is stopped behind the vocal folds. It should feel completely comfortable. Now do it again and this time do the release the air with the vocal folds as slowly as you can after you hold for the count of 10. Observe the response in the body.


Tip #3: Singing Posture
Try this for a great singing posture. Stand with feet hip distance apart and knees unlocked. Place your hands up as though someone said stick ‘em up. Pull them back every so slightly. Let your eyes go wide to take in everything in your peripheral vision. Let your hands rest at your sides. Now sing from that posture. Feels strong and powerful doesn’t it?
 
Tip #4: Strength and Volume
Strength and volume are not the same thing. Your voice needs to be strong, not forced, whether you are singing soft or loud.


Tip #5: Length of Warm-up
How long is a good warm-up? It varies from singer to singer. Here’s a good test for you to see if your voice is warm. If you can sing a scale on the sound AH flexibly and strongly from the A below middle C to the A above, your voice is warmed up. Generally speaking, the bigger the voice the longer it will need. 


Tip #6: Healthy Habits
What is good for the body is good for the voice. Caffeine, alcohol, some foods that are highly allergenic will cause the throat area to become dry or irritated. For acute situations, try gargling with warm water and salt. Drinking honey, lemon and hot water is soothing as is ginger tea. Slippery elm or Thieves lozenges are great for emergencies.
 
 
Tip #7: It's all in the Feeling
When you sing, focus on the feeling you have, not the sound you make. You are a creator and your voice is the expression of that.

If you can walk,
You can dance.
If you can talk,
You can sing.
Zimbabwe Proverb