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As a singer, your voice is your instrument. Naturally, you need to keep it in good condition if you want to give good performances. You wouldn’t play music on a rusty flute, and you shouldn’t sing with unhealthy pipes.

Unfortunately, there are many factors that can harm a singer’s vocal health. Here are some steps you can take to stay your pipes feeling and sounding their best:

Avoid Smoke

Besides its apparent health hazards, smoking can cause changes in a person’s voice. In some very particular cases, such as shrieking heavy metal high notes, smoking is credited with increasing vocal range.

In the vast majority of cases, smoking actually lowers the voice and makes it very difficult to strike high notes with good tone and volume control. The smoke also dehydrates your vocal chords, reducing their flexibility.

Smoking has also been associated to throat, mouth, and lung cancer. Secondhand smoke might be hard to stay away from if you play in clubs, but you can still protect your pipes by never inhaling your own smoke.

Stay Hydrated

Ever wonder why singers keep a bottle of water close at hand? Your vocal chords need moisture in order to function at their best. Adequate hydration keeps them agile and allows you to strike a variety of notes rapidly and smoothly.

Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day, and sip water between songs and during breaks when you perform. If you need a little flavor variety, any non-carbonated, decaffeinated beverage will do. Half heated is best.

Do Your Warm-Ups

Regular warm-ups are important to your vocal health. Just like you wouldn’t work out without extending your muscles, you shouldn’t try to handle a song without stretching your pipes.

Start by singing all the notes on the C chromatic range, from base to top and back again. Then do the same thing using the yawning technique. Open your mouth and produce one long note that flows through the notes without pausing (like a yawn that increases in pitch).

Know When to Stop

Occasionally your vocal chords just need a break. If you start to feel any sort of pain or tension when you sing or ingest, give your pipes some recovery time.

Several touring vocalists try to speak as little as feasible between concerts. They avoid loud environments where they would be forced to shout, such as crowded bars or parties. This preserves their voices for those stressful performances.

Your vocal endurance will increase with time and practice. At the beginning, you might need a break after just a few songs. Stay hydrated and don’t force notes; sing what is relaxing, and stop when you will need to.

Support Your Immune System

Colds and sinus infections are the evil of singers everywhere. It’s hard to sound musical when your head is stuffy and your throat is sore, and who seems like being charismatic when they’re running a fever?

Stave off seasonal ills by practicing good hygiene, drinking plenty of water, and eating an adequate amount of healthy foods. Sleep at least 8 hours each night to keep your body strong, and acquire a daily multivitamin.

Allergies weaken the immune system, so if you’re an allergy sufferer, getting that problem under control can keep you healthier all year long. If you ever think that you have a throat infection or injury, seek health care attention.

It takes a little effort to maintain your pipes, but that’s true of any instrument. Keep your body healthy and keep your vocal chords warmed up, and you shouldn’t have any difficulties maintaining optimal vocal health.

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