Canadian Musician November / December 2019 | Page 32
PHOTO: JEN SQUIRES
VOCALS
Aphrose is a singer/songwriter in the R&B/soul genre and vocal coach based in Toronto. www.aphrose.com.
By Aphrose
Tips on Vocal Maintenance
with Some Easy Exercises for the Novice Singer
Part 1
S
inging. It is one of the most freeing and primal forms of human
expression. It is divine. It is the first instrument we learn to
utilize from birth. So why is it that we shy away from singing
and “leave it to the pros,” instead of immersing ourselves in
the joy it provides?
As a vocal coach who teaches predominantly adult students, I come
across a lot of people who have been told from childhood that they had
a bad voice or shouldn’t sing and that experience, as one can imagine,
is very scarring. My clients come to me having always loved the idea of
singing but they really have a hard time opening up over the first few
lessons and allowing themselves to truly hear their own voices in front
of another human being.
I’m going to share some tips that I give my novice voice clients over
the first few lessons with the hopes that it will encourage you to want
to explore your voice further and hopefully find the courage to sign up
for some lessons with a professional vocal coach!
Rest & Hydration Are Key
New singers often tend to want to overdo it with vocalizing. That means
they find warmups online and start doing them non-stop for a few hours
and then the next day they wonder why their throat hurts and is feeling
“tight” and perhaps a bit sore. You have to remember the vocal muscles
are very delicate and like any muscle that you want to build upon, you
have to ease your way into it in order to build up endurance and prevent
damage.
Think of it this way: if you’ve never set foot in a gym before but you
want amazing arm muscles, would it be wise to pump 50-lb. weights
upon those initial few gym visits? Probably not. You would hurt yourself,
pull muscle tissue, and probably not want to step foot in the gym again!
The voice is similar in that overuse right off the bat can do more harm
than good. The vocal muscles need time to adapt to this new form of
exercise and slow, short workouts of 10-15 minutes per session to start
is really all the vocalizing you need to do to get it going.
In between your warmups (which we’ll get to in part two), give your-
self a day or two to rest the voice. This also means avoiding shouting or
loud talking in a bar or other noisy environments as the increased air
pressure against your chords can fatigue the voice and make it hoarse
and harder to work with, especially if you’re trying to vocalize/sing the
following day.
32 CANADIAN MUSICIAN
Drink lots of water. Room temperature is the best as ice cold water con-
stricts the muscles in the throat. Water helps to keep the mouth and throat
lubricated and prevents drying, which can be harsh and detrimental to the
cords. Staying hydrated throughout the whole day is extremely important
to proper vocal function – not just 30 minutes before you have to sing!
Also, be sure to get enough sleep. Sleep directly affects your vocal
health. A “tired voice” tends to have decreased flexibility and a lack of
clarity and volume.
What You Eat & Drink Impacts Your Voice
This is a tough one to stay persistent with, but what you eat – especially
on a day that you are going to be singing – can directly impact how
your throat feels. Here are a few food/drink items to avoid when you
are about to sing:
• Dairy & sugary foods/drinks: Milk products and sugary
foods and drinks create excess thickened phlegm in the throat
that can leave you wanting to constantly clear your throat or
cough, which is not ideal.
• Spicy/deep fried foods: These can cause acid reflux or
heartburn, which can make stomach acids splash up into the
esophagus and make you constantly need to clear your throat
because the throat creates excess mucous to protect itself.
• Caffeine/Alcohol: If you need some liquid courage to get you
up on stage at an open mic or karaoke, do so with caution and
moderation and always replenish with lots of water! Caffeine
and alcohol act as diuretics and can be extremely drying and
irritating to the vocal cords. It’s best to avoid both if you are
going to be singing.
Here are some foods/drinks that you should go for instead:
• Fresh fruits and veggies: These help you stay full along
with a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals that will boost
vocal endurance.
• Lean protein: Chicken and fish (that is not fried) are great for
filling you up and boosting energy.
• Honey/Lemon/Ginger Tea: Avoid caffeinated teas and opt
for this concoction of ingredients or an herbal tea that has
licorice root in it.