Some singers believe that if they do not sing nightly they do not need to worry about vocal damage. This is not true; it only takes one injury to cause irreparable vocal damage, vocal hyperfunction, or Muscle Tension Dysphonia, commonly known as hoarseness. Although hoarseness is not a permanent condition, it is a sign of vocal abuse or fatigue.
Instructions
1. Warm up before singing, the same as you would warm up before physical exercise. Develop your own warm up routine and repeat it before each singing performance. Your warm up should include deep breathing exercises, humming, and doing vocal sirens. A vocal siren is when you sing "eee", within your own singing range, making the sound of a siren.
2. Drink plenty of room temperature water before singing. It is also a good idea to drink room temperature water while you are singing and when you are done. Avoid drinking cold water which causes your vocal muscles to tense, or hot water which relaxes the muscles.
3. Sing within your own singing range. Do not try to sing too high or too low, to reduce the chance of vocal damage. If you are singing a song that requires you hit a high or low note that is out of your range, sing several songs within your range first to adequate warm up before going for the hard to reach note.
4. Be conscious of how you use your voice when you are not singing. Avoid talking for extended periods of time, yelling or talking over loud noises, and whispering. These activities cause stress to your vocal cords and lead to fatigue.
5. Take natural herbs to keep your vocal cords healthy and repair any damage that occurs to them. Echinicea, Golden Seal, and Licorice Root are recommended for vocal health.
