It’s not fun when your voice becomes strained halfway through the rehearsal. Croaking like a toad is always a sign that your vocal chords have been overworked and need a rest.
Not only is taking care of your voice important for the upcoming concert on the schedule, but you also need to think about the future of your chorus career. If this is a serious profession that you want to pursue later on in life or you are currently a professional musician, you need to invest in the health and longevity of your vocal chords. You owe it to your fellow singers to stay healthy and ready to perform. All in all, don’t let a strained vocal chord hold you back.
1. Drink plenty of water – Hydration is key because it not only helps you stay healthy and energized, but it keeps your vocal chords intact. Water helps sooth the throat, and if it becomes dry, the vocal chords don’t resonate as well and eventually become strained. Professional vocal coaches points out that all drinks are good for your throat, but not all are good for your health. Caffeine, carbonation and alcoholic beverages will dehydrate the body and keep you from performing your best. Try taking a bottle of water with you wherever you go and make it a habit to constantly drink water.
2. It’s a marathon, not a sprint – Don’t push yourself past the brink of exhaustion, and don’t try to break the sound barrier every practice. That’s not what rehearsal is for. Save yourself by warming up thoroughly, using your inside voice and stay away from belting out the notes over and over again. This will cause serious damage. Hurting your voice repeatedly is not a sustainable path for your career and can keep you from pursuing your dreams. Practice smart from the very beginning.
3. Recognize the symptoms early on – Have you ever felt a sinus infection coming on but ignored it in hopes that it would just go away? Let’s be honest; we all do it. But while sinus infections sometimes do go away, your vocal chords will continue to get worse if you push on. You may think you have to continue singing on ailing vocal chords, but it’s actually worth it to stop now and let your body heal.
4. Don’t strain it by talking unnecessarily – While seemingly silly, talking, yelling or laughing can make a troubled voice much, much worse. Simply resting your throat can do a lot of good and truly help you heal completely. Make smart choices and stay healthy – you only have to rest for a short time and then you can get back at it again.
5. Start training yourself – You are an athlete in the musical industry and need to make sure you are ready for whatever life throws at you. Prevent strained vocal chords before they even become an issue by doing daily voice exercises to strengthen your chords and learn the proper way to sing. Professional coaches can be a huge help with this as you grow into a singer. Don’t let an unhealthy voice set you back from what you and your chorus want to accomplish. There are so many opportunities to take advantage of and you won’t want to miss out.