- You've heard it said that your body is a temple.
Well, in the case of the singer,
that old saying translates into your instrument is a temple.
If you don't look after your voice,
it simply won't perform at it's optimum.
So, let's review the top five things
a singer should never find themselves doing.
- [Woman] Sound check. Check one. Check two.
(crowd cheers)
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- Hey, welcome to Voice Essentials,
where we develop your voice and improve your sound.
My name is Dr. Dan,
and I'm a contemporary singing voice specialist.
And over the past 20 years,
I've helped thousands of singers, just like you,
to be the very best vocalists they can be.
When you're looking to develop your voice,
you want to make sure you're doing everything in your power
to ensure your hard work is paying off.
But there are a range of things that can really hinder
your development if you don't pay attention to them.
So, let's review my top five do not's
for contemporary vocalists.
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If you're looking to improve your voice,
then the first thing you need to do is to treat your body
the same way a professional athlete treats theirs.
You are a vocal athlete.
This means that everything you do
will have an impact on your voice.
Now, we all want to live a little.
Just like me, you have a life.
But as a singer, that life needs to be governed differently
to the general public.
For example, everything you eat and drink
will have a bearing on the performance of your voice.
Everything you do, whether it be smoking,
recreational drugs, or generally partying hard,
will leave an impression on the health of your voice.
If you want your voice to perform at its best
on a consistent basis for the rest of your life,
then take a good look at your lifestyle,
including personal indulgences, diet,
and general physical fitness.
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Every professional athlete has a coach,
someone to observe, instruct, and correct.
Singers are no different.
We need someone who can watch, listen,
and provide feedback for the refinement of our voice.
This being said, it's really important that you choose
the right singing teacher for you.
For example, if you're a rock vocalist
fronting a five-piece band,
then instruction from a classical singing teacher
just won't cut it.
In fact, the classical singing teacher
may inadvertently place the contemporary vocalist's voice
at risk of damage.
Why? Well, singers require task-specific instruction.
If you want to sing rock vocals,
you need contemporary voice training, not classical.
Of course, quality contemporary singing teachers
can be hard to find,
especially when you live outside
the metropolitan areas.
If you're looking for contemporary instruction,
but you can't get to a singing teacher,
you might like to work your way through my instructional
exercise CD, Dr. Dan's Voice Essentials.
It's jam-packed with 18 exercises that will train your voice
in a contemporary, task-specific way.
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Number three on Dr. Dan's top five do not list
is singing when you're sick.
Singing when you're unwell is like playing field sports
with a sprained ankle.
Sure, you might get away with it for a game or two,
but the next morning, you're likely to wake up
and not be able to walk due to the intense swelling.
Singing while you're sick is simply not work the risk
to your vocal health.
Now, please heed this warning.
You can do significant damage to your voice
during one set of songs,
especially if the health of the voice is already compromised
due to general illness.
Of course, there's always times when the show must go on.
If you're being paid for a gig,
then chances are you'll decide to sing,
regardless of your vocal health.
At these times, make sure you nurse the voice
through the set, being sure to not push the limits.
If you're not being paid for the gig,
then I urge you to err on the side of caution.
Singing for one gig is simply not worth the risk
of requiring six months of vocal rehabilitation,
which can include intensive voice therapy
and invasive surgery.
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If you do find yourself with a vocal problem,
the last thing you should do is go into denial.
If you ignore the issue,
you simply run the high risk of making the problem worse.
Raspiness, inconsistent tone,
an inability to maintain pitch, and reduced vocal stamina
are all signs that your voice has been compromised.
Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that your voice
has sustained damage of a pathological nature.
Sure, you might have a nodule, a vocal fold cyst,
or a contact granuloma,
but it could equally be a functional issue
requiring simple instruction on how to operate your voice
more efficiently.
Don't leave it to chance.
Seek professional care immediately if you suspect your voice
is suffering in any way.
A good place to start is to have a consultation session
with a singing voice specialist
who can assess the health of your voice
and recommend an appropriate course of action.
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The final do not on my top five list
is don't look after your ears.
We spend a lot of time as singers
worrying about the health of our larynx.
And we should pay equal attention to the health of our ears.
Let's face it, if you can't hear well,
your singing is going to become a darn sight harder.
Perhaps one of the best ways you can look after your ears
is to invest in a decent pair of in-ear monitors.
IEMs, as they are often referred to,
pipe the fallback directly into your earpiece
instead of a floor monitor.
Typically, this means that the vocalist
can manage sound levels themselves, which in turn
means that their ears are being protected
from high levels of ambient sound.
One important thing to always remember when using IEMs,
is to ensure you always, and I stress always,
use both buds.
It can be tempting to pull one side out,
but this can damage your inner ear,
leaving you with severe vertigo and tinnitus.
If you're not in a financial position to afford
an IEM system, then an inexpensive alternative
is to buy a cheap set of ear protectors.
You can pick these up at most music stores.
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Before I bring this video to a close,
allow me to give you a bonus don't do,
partly because you stuck around for the entire video,
but mostly because I'm a nice guy.
The bonus don't do is simply, don't clear your throat.
Many of us habitually clear our throats umpteen times a day.
Now, every time you clear your throat (clears throat),
you bring your vocal folds together
in a heavy, abrasive way.
So when you get into that poor habit of
slamming your vocal folds together every few minutes,
the vocal folds respond by swelling
in order to cushion and protect themselves
from the repetitive impact.
You already know that swollen vocal folds
is not a good thing and adds to general wear and tear
of the voice.
So, if you want to look after your voice,
stop all that throat clearing,
and replace it with simple swallows instead.
So, there you have it. Five don't dos, as well as one bonus.
Many of the things that we have discussed are common sense,
but these days, common sense ain't all that common.
If you want your voice to last a lifetime,
then you'll need to employ
a little bit of personal discipline
and treat your instrument like a temple.
When you do, your voice will reward you with better sound
and a more enjoyable singing experience.
Here at Voice Essentials, I want to develop your voice
and improve your sound.
Every month, I upload new videos that will provide you
with tips, tricks, and instructions
on how to get the very best out of your voice.
I also conduct specialist sessions
with professional leaders, including other singing teachers,
professional vocalists, singer/songwriters,
and music producers.
So, if you want to engage with the latest information
available to contemporary vocalists,
then hit the subscribe button, and let's do this thing.
And, before you go, hit the like button
and leave a comment as well.
I'd love to interact with you here at Voice Essentials.
But, for now, until I see you in the next
Voice Essentials video, I'm Dr. Dan.
Sing well.
(crowd cheering)