The Fundamentals of Vocal Health
Dr. Stacey Mastrian (c) 2012-2023
In your lifetime, you only get one voice, so you must treat it well.
This is important for anyone who must sing or speak as part of their studies or livelihood—which really is everyone, since we all must communicate—but is of particular importance for teachers and singers who must be able to use their voices reliably for extended periods of time each day. Being in excellent vocal health is essential, since consistent high-level performance is mandatory. Singers must be vocal athletes, which requires rigorous standards for technique and artistry and a commitment to regular, self-disciplined vocal training. As a voice user, your body is your instrument, thus in order for your instrument to be in optimal condition, you must take care of it.
The following elements contribute to good vocal health:
Practice
• Consistent work on a daily basis is necessary to keep your voice in shape.
• Use your voice for reasonable intervals – typically 30-40 minutes at a time, although it depends upon level of development, and usually at most 50 minutes of voice use followed by 10 minutes of rest.
Mental Wellness
• Vivid, positive thinking affects outcome: visualize what you want, then go for it!
• Balance and organization are crucial: set short and long-term goals and have a plan to reach those objectives.
• Stress has a direct, negative impact on the ability of the vocal instrument to function. Incorporate meditation and mindfulness to calm and focus yourself, as well as to reduce stress.
Rest
• Sleep—typically 8 hours per night—to restore your mind and body, including your voice.
• Periods of recreation and relaxation allow you time to rejuvenate.
• Resting your vocal instrument is also imperative, and there is a great deal of associated work that you should do (rhythm, pronunciation, translation, character development, phrasing, etc.) that will contribute to your development and will allow your voice some respite between singing sessions.
Diet and Nutrition
• Drink plenty of water—ca. 8 glasses per day—to keep your mucus membranes properly hydrated. This is vital. It must take place in the day(s) and hour(s) before you sing because hydration is not instantaneous.
• Follow recommendations for eating healthful foods at normal intervals.
Physical Fitness
• You must be in shape and flexible for your instrument to function properly and to meet the demands required of you onstage.
• Consult your physician, but the typical recommendation is 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week.
• If you work on your abdominal muscles, be sure to stretch them gently and slowly afterward.
• If you lift weights, exhale on the exertion. Do not grunt or bear down, as this puts pressure on the vocal folds.
• If you have an ongoing physical health issue, address it. Do not permit it to get worse and impede your progress.
Hearing Protection
• Your ability to hear accurately and fully dramatically affects your ability to sing well.
• You must protect your ears at all times by avoiding loud situations and/or by wearing earplugs.
Areas of Concern
Your vocal folds are tiny—about as long as the diameter of a penny—and they vibrate together hundreds of times per second (for example, 440 times per second for the A on the second space of the treble clef). They do not have nerves in them to indicate when they are hurt, thus it is not possible to utilize pain as an indicator of vocal fold issues, although you may feel pain when nearby tissues are infected or muscles are overworked. For this reason it is important to take certain factors into consideration:
Daily Habits
• Pay attention to your body’s alignment while at the computer and in the practice room.
• Release muscle tension that you find anywhere in your body.
• Observe your speaking voice.
Vocal Fatigue
This may come about from:
• Singing for periods that are too long without rest or singing without solid technique.
• Yelling or loud talking at sports events, concerts, crowded restaurants, etc.
• Throat clearing and coughing.
• Dryness. Staying properly hydrated and breathing in steam for 3-6 minutes a few times a day can be helpful.
Irritants
• Smoke is a huge problem for singers. Do not smoke; do not spend time around smoke; and know that marijuana smoke burns even hotter than cigarette smoke.
• Other airborne pollutants (fumes, dust, etc.) should also be avoided.
• Alcohol has a drying effect on the mucous membranes and for most people is detrimental to the voice.
• Additional factors to consider include an awareness of potential triggers; some people experience issues with antihistamines or other medications, caffeine, spicy foods, dairy products, etc., as well as with eating late at night.
When to Seek Medical Attention
You should seek medical attention if you begin to experience:
• Sudden, recurrent, or prolonged hoarseness
• An inability to sing in a certain register (high or upper middle are frequent indicators), or softly, or with properly resonant “ring”
• Intonation problems
• “Breaks” between upper middle register and head register
• Feeling a need to constantly clear the throat or cough
There are a variety of potential causes for vocal problems, including allergies, fatigue, reflux, sinusitis, or other serious issues. Please see the Vocal Disorders section below for more information.
It is advisable for all long-term voice users to establish a relationship with an ENT (Ear/Nose/Throat doctor, also known as an otolaryngologist) who deals with singers, in order to have a baseline evaluation.
Vocal Disorders
The Voice Reference Guide, on the Voice Foundation website, provides a resource for those who are interested in “obtaining definitive information about voice function, maladies and treatments.”
The topics covered are:
· Anatomy & Physiology of Voice Production
· Voice Disorders
· Overview of Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
· Voice Care Team
· Symptom Tree
· Glossary
· Resources
Re-posted with the permission of the Voice Foundation.
For More Information
The National Center for Voice and Speech http://www.ncvs.org/index.html
The Voice Foundation http://voicefoundation.org/
Oren Brown: Discover Your Voice
Meribeth Dayme: Dynamics of the Singing Voice
Scott McCoy: Your Voice: An Inside View
Richard Miller: The Structure of Singing, On The Art of Singing, Training Soprano Voices, and many more publications
Robert T. Sataloff: Vocal Health and Pedagogy, numerous publications
Ingo Titze: numerous publications
Joyce Di Donato “Breath ‘Support’” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reyxt5B1hso
Diagram of inside of head: https://images.app.goo.gl/jZxrqYG9Ah5s38sX7
Live MRIs:
Lips and teeth are on the left; tongue is the very large moving object; soft palate is more on the upper right --
https://youtu.be/6dAEE7FYQfc speaking in German: notice tongue and soft palate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=519LLxaqi8E&feature=youtu.be singing, with some tongue and throat tension
https://youtu.be/OCvJiqKZbz4 singing
https://youtu.be/_964dqQxQwY singing with forward head (not ideal alignment)
https://youtu.be/Wh4aEc4yPh0 beatboxing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP1wvguTg3A thorax while breathing (heart above diaphragm and other organs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctyzYXd6HNw especially 8:40 and 9:16 (in upper right -- looking from the front -- and lower left square -- viewing from the side -- you can see the diaphragm!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIUvX7hebBA overtone singing
This page is for informational purposes only. Please consult a medical professional for any specific diagnosis or treatment.
Dr. Stacey Mastrian (c) 2012-2023
In your lifetime, you only get one voice, so you must treat it well.
This is important for anyone who must sing or speak as part of their studies or livelihood—which really is everyone, since we all must communicate—but is of particular importance for teachers and singers who must be able to use their voices reliably for extended periods of time each day. Being in excellent vocal health is essential, since consistent high-level performance is mandatory. Singers must be vocal athletes, which requires rigorous standards for technique and artistry and a commitment to regular, self-disciplined vocal training. As a voice user, your body is your instrument, thus in order for your instrument to be in optimal condition, you must take care of it.
The following elements contribute to good vocal health:
Practice
• Consistent work on a daily basis is necessary to keep your voice in shape.
• Use your voice for reasonable intervals – typically 30-40 minutes at a time, although it depends upon level of development, and usually at most 50 minutes of voice use followed by 10 minutes of rest.
Mental Wellness
• Vivid, positive thinking affects outcome: visualize what you want, then go for it!
• Balance and organization are crucial: set short and long-term goals and have a plan to reach those objectives.
• Stress has a direct, negative impact on the ability of the vocal instrument to function. Incorporate meditation and mindfulness to calm and focus yourself, as well as to reduce stress.
Rest
• Sleep—typically 8 hours per night—to restore your mind and body, including your voice.
• Periods of recreation and relaxation allow you time to rejuvenate.
• Resting your vocal instrument is also imperative, and there is a great deal of associated work that you should do (rhythm, pronunciation, translation, character development, phrasing, etc.) that will contribute to your development and will allow your voice some respite between singing sessions.
Diet and Nutrition
• Drink plenty of water—ca. 8 glasses per day—to keep your mucus membranes properly hydrated. This is vital. It must take place in the day(s) and hour(s) before you sing because hydration is not instantaneous.
• Follow recommendations for eating healthful foods at normal intervals.
Physical Fitness
• You must be in shape and flexible for your instrument to function properly and to meet the demands required of you onstage.
• Consult your physician, but the typical recommendation is 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week.
• If you work on your abdominal muscles, be sure to stretch them gently and slowly afterward.
• If you lift weights, exhale on the exertion. Do not grunt or bear down, as this puts pressure on the vocal folds.
• If you have an ongoing physical health issue, address it. Do not permit it to get worse and impede your progress.
Hearing Protection
• Your ability to hear accurately and fully dramatically affects your ability to sing well.
• You must protect your ears at all times by avoiding loud situations and/or by wearing earplugs.
Areas of Concern
Your vocal folds are tiny—about as long as the diameter of a penny—and they vibrate together hundreds of times per second (for example, 440 times per second for the A on the second space of the treble clef). They do not have nerves in them to indicate when they are hurt, thus it is not possible to utilize pain as an indicator of vocal fold issues, although you may feel pain when nearby tissues are infected or muscles are overworked. For this reason it is important to take certain factors into consideration:
Daily Habits
• Pay attention to your body’s alignment while at the computer and in the practice room.
• Release muscle tension that you find anywhere in your body.
• Observe your speaking voice.
Vocal Fatigue
This may come about from:
• Singing for periods that are too long without rest or singing without solid technique.
• Yelling or loud talking at sports events, concerts, crowded restaurants, etc.
• Throat clearing and coughing.
• Dryness. Staying properly hydrated and breathing in steam for 3-6 minutes a few times a day can be helpful.
Irritants
• Smoke is a huge problem for singers. Do not smoke; do not spend time around smoke; and know that marijuana smoke burns even hotter than cigarette smoke.
• Other airborne pollutants (fumes, dust, etc.) should also be avoided.
• Alcohol has a drying effect on the mucous membranes and for most people is detrimental to the voice.
• Additional factors to consider include an awareness of potential triggers; some people experience issues with antihistamines or other medications, caffeine, spicy foods, dairy products, etc., as well as with eating late at night.
When to Seek Medical Attention
You should seek medical attention if you begin to experience:
• Sudden, recurrent, or prolonged hoarseness
• An inability to sing in a certain register (high or upper middle are frequent indicators), or softly, or with properly resonant “ring”
• Intonation problems
• “Breaks” between upper middle register and head register
• Feeling a need to constantly clear the throat or cough
There are a variety of potential causes for vocal problems, including allergies, fatigue, reflux, sinusitis, or other serious issues. Please see the Vocal Disorders section below for more information.
It is advisable for all long-term voice users to establish a relationship with an ENT (Ear/Nose/Throat doctor, also known as an otolaryngologist) who deals with singers, in order to have a baseline evaluation.
Vocal Disorders
The Voice Reference Guide, on the Voice Foundation website, provides a resource for those who are interested in “obtaining definitive information about voice function, maladies and treatments.”
The topics covered are:
· Anatomy & Physiology of Voice Production
· Voice Disorders
· Overview of Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
· Voice Care Team
· Symptom Tree
· Glossary
· Resources
Re-posted with the permission of the Voice Foundation.
For More Information
The National Center for Voice and Speech http://www.ncvs.org/index.html
The Voice Foundation http://voicefoundation.org/
Oren Brown: Discover Your Voice
Meribeth Dayme: Dynamics of the Singing Voice
Scott McCoy: Your Voice: An Inside View
Richard Miller: The Structure of Singing, On The Art of Singing, Training Soprano Voices, and many more publications
Robert T. Sataloff: Vocal Health and Pedagogy, numerous publications
Ingo Titze: numerous publications
Joyce Di Donato “Breath ‘Support’” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reyxt5B1hso
Diagram of inside of head: https://images.app.goo.gl/jZxrqYG9Ah5s38sX7
Live MRIs:
Lips and teeth are on the left; tongue is the very large moving object; soft palate is more on the upper right --
https://youtu.be/6dAEE7FYQfc speaking in German: notice tongue and soft palate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=519LLxaqi8E&feature=youtu.be singing, with some tongue and throat tension
https://youtu.be/OCvJiqKZbz4 singing
https://youtu.be/_964dqQxQwY singing with forward head (not ideal alignment)
https://youtu.be/Wh4aEc4yPh0 beatboxing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP1wvguTg3A thorax while breathing (heart above diaphragm and other organs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctyzYXd6HNw especially 8:40 and 9:16 (in upper right -- looking from the front -- and lower left square -- viewing from the side -- you can see the diaphragm!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIUvX7hebBA overtone singing
This page is for informational purposes only. Please consult a medical professional for any specific diagnosis or treatment.