Singing Too Much Pro Tips To Stay Vocally Healthy

Singing Too Much Pro Tips To Stay Vocally Healthy Suzy S. Is there such a thing as singing too much? If youre working on a rigorous singing schedule, check out these tips to stay vocally healthy from voice teacher Elaina R Anyone who’s ever eaten too much at Thanksgiving dinner knows that there is definitely too much of a good thing. This applies to singing as well! Singing, in my opinion, is one of the most enjoyable activities in the world. But just like eating too much makes you feel sick, singing too much has very real physical repercussions that can prevent you from singing more   sometimes even permanently. As a full-time professional singer, I sing a lot. I recently had a day where I had to sing for six hours. Even so, I haven’t had any vocal health problems since I was an undergraduate. Here’s why I have to be careful and what I do to keep my cords healthy. The Dangers of Singing Too Much Since your vocal cords are a part of your body, singing too much has many of the same effects as overusing any other body part. Imagine that you’ve been clapping for hours. What would happen to your hands? They would likely be red and swollen. If you kept clapping despite the swelling, your hands would eventually become very painful and develop calluses and blisters. They might even start to bleed (ouch). This same thing can happen to your vocal cords. The first step is vocal cord swelling. If you continue to sing with swollen or strained vocal cords,  you can develop nodules (calluses), polyps (blisters), or hemorrhaging (bloody cords). Treatment for these issues includes vocal rest, vocal therapy, and, in severe cases, surgery. Any of these issues, if not treated, can permanently damage your singing and speaking voice. Vocal Health  as a Singer Strained vocal cords (and damaging your voice)  may sound scary, but it can be avoided. I’m able to sing all day, every day without injury because I am constantly thinking about my vocal health. Staying healthy as a singer is much like staying healthy as an athlete, and following these rules can be the difference between a happy voice and an incapacitated one. Stay Hydrated I chug a glass of water as soon as I get up in the morning, and I carry a water bottle around with me everywhere. Hydrated vocal cords are nice and plump (and thus less prone to injury). Get Enough Sleep You don’t need me to tell you that your body functions better when you get enough sleep. Fatigue affects your vocal cords just like it affects the rest of you. Exercise Good singers have to be very in touch with their bodies, and physical exercise helps you  develop kinesthetic awareness. Exercise also helps alleviate tension, especially tension associated with sitting at a desk for long periods of time. This modern tension often centers around the throat, and throat tension is terrible for singing. Shaking your body out of this rigid mode can work wonders for your singing. Address Allergies and Acid Reflux I have seasonal allergies, so I take medication and use nasal sprays to alleviate post-nasal drip. Post-nasal drip is when mucus drips onto your vocal cords, irritating them and sometimes  causing vocal issues. If you have allergies, you need to be aware of this and take appropriate precautions. I’m lucky enough not to suffer from acid reflux, but many singers do. Acid reflux bathes the vocal cords in stomach acid, which is as horrible for the voice as you would expect. Please see a doctor immediately if you think you have acid reflux. Warm Up Just like athletes stretch before vigorous exercise, singers must warm up before diving into difficult music. I warm up every morning while puttering around the house   it’s second nature now, and it means my voice is always ready to go. The Most Important Rule for Singers I saved the best for last here. If an athlete has poor  technique (an improper gait for a runner, a bad swing for a batter), they end up injuring themselves. Same goes for singing. If you don’t learn good vocal technique, you will probably end up in vocal therapy at some point. But if you work with your voice teacher to improve your technique, you will learn how to sing better  overall. Your stamina will build and you will be less likely to hurt yourself. Now doesn’t that sound good? Photo by  Eva Rinaldi Post Author:  Elaina R. Elaina R. teaches opera voice and singing in Ypsilanti, MI, as well as through online lessons. She received her Master of Music from  the University of Michigan, and she has a B.M. from the University of Southern California. Learn more about Elaina here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher