Saturday, June 12, 2010
Singer's Nutrition and Health
Nutrition
Because your voice is an instrument of flesh and flood, diet is more important for singers than it is for other types of musicians. In other words, you need to pay special attention to what you put in your body - especially on days before a performance. A bad diet could be causing the production of too much phlegm (mucous), or it could be drying you out, causing damage to the tissues inside your larynx. Below is a "singer-tested" list of foods that have been found to be beneficial or harmful to the voice. While this list as a whole has not been clinically tested, the myriad of testimonies from singers concerning these foods are significant. Take into account that we all have different body chemistry. Some people I know are completely unaffected by anything they eat, while others can't even think about certain foods without their voices locking it up and calling it quits.
Singer Friendly Foods: Herbal teas, non-citrus fruits, vegetables, eggs, pasta, lean meats, water!
Singer Deadly Foods: Milk products, MSG, refined sugars, junk food, excessive alcohol, smoking, caffeine, artificial sweeteners
Singer's Smoothie Recipe: Try this to revive a tired or hoarse voice: 5 large carrots, 2 celery sticks, 2 apples, 1 tbsp parsley, 4 radishes, 4 cloves of garlic, 3-inch ginger root. Run through a juicer and enjoy (?) with a piece of wheat bread.
*Note that some allergy medicines can save or sink a singer!
Helpful Teas & Throat Sprays: There are a variety of throat sprays and herbal teas available that are specifically designed for singers, treating everything from allergies to vocal fatigue. The ones recommended by Brett Manning, including Sunny Fresh and Entertainer's Secret, are available at www.singingsuccess.com/vocal-health
Health Check Points
For those days when you can't sing anything well, know the truth that there are few performers in the world who can boast complete vocal and technical consistency. However, being aware of the issues listed in this section can dramatically increase your batting average. Run through this list of "Check Points" to see if there is some simple aspect that you might be overlooking.
Technique...
Another set of ears: Ears that are not on your head hear your voice much differently than you do.
Discipline: Building and maintaining your voice requires that you spend a lot of time singing and listening. Tape yourself periodically and listen critically.
Vocal abuse: If you are pushing your chest voice, singing too airy or too much, your chances of improving your technique are pretty slim. Yelling at sporting events, talking too loudly in smoky clubs, cheerleading, etc. are not options for the serious vocalist.
Vocal over-working: How much your voice can take is discovered by experimentation and guided by the thickness of your vocal cords. Yes, it is possible to still have great technique and still tire your voice out. Try a cycle of thirty minutes with ten minutes rest or even ten minutes of singing with twenty minutes rest. The thinner the voice, the more rest you need to bounce back.
Vocal under-working: You cannot realistically expect to sing a fifty-minute set without working up to it. You can't even expect your voice to hold together through one demanding song without living up to your new technique for a while.
Physical problems: If you suspect health issues are the problem, don't procrastinate! Singing on ill cords can cause serious, even permanent damage.
Overall Health and Happiness...
Lacking sleep: This is the quickest way to overwork your voice, causing the cords to thicken up resulting in edema (swelling or puffy cords).
Proper exercise: Your voice will obviously work best when your body is in shape. Also you'll be amazed at how exercise will lower your stress level.
Balanced personal life and healthy spiritual life: Did you know you can develop vocal dysfunctions from stress? It is very true! Serious problems in our personal life can have adverse affects on your singing.
Vitamins, herbs and supplements: Many nutritionists will recommend B vitamins for their reputation as being the "stress-relieving vitamins." We've had a great deal of success with certain herbal formulas for balancing out the body's five systems - immune, circulatory, digestive, endocrine, and respiratory. Visit the Vocal Health page to learn more.
Reflux: Reflux is a back-flow of acid from the stomach into the esophagus. Burning up even a tiny amount of acid can burn the delicate vocal folds. Symptoms include heart burn, chest pain, and waking up with a sore throat. If you suspect this is an issue for you, your doctor can prescribe medications. Non-medical options include avoiding spicy foods, avoid eating anything after 8p.m., and raising the head of your bed about 4 inches.
Allergies: The worrisome issue in most cases can be controlled with diet, supplements, and medications If allergies are an issue for you, start by eliminating milk products from your diet (it's not as hard as it sounds) as they encourage excessive mucous production. Also, ask your doctor to prescribe a non-drying allergy treatment such as Allegra or Claritin.
The Human Element...
Some days you have it, some days you don't. When all other check points fail to solve your dilemma, this is harsh reality. However, with a great technique and passionate delivery, even your bad days will sound great to your audience.
Inexperience: Consistency comes with time and practice. Sing in front of people as often as possible. You will learn how you voice will react in different settings, and how you can be more in control.
Nerves: Did you know that some of the greatest performers in the business suffer from stage fright? While beta-blockers can be prescribed in serious cases, the best defense is simply to SING ANYWAY! The truth is you may never perform nerve-free, and that's just fine. An overly calm perform usually appears to be aloof and lacking passion.
The Turtle and the Rabbit: "I have passed up many of my friends who are exceptionally gifted, even though my own singing gift is merely average. I worked harder, smarter and more consistently than most of my peers. I looked up to them and aspired to be as good as them. And this turtle caught up with those rabbits while they were sleeping and found myself able to do vocal coordinations that they can only dream of." -Brett Manning
Because your voice is an instrument of flesh and flood, diet is more important for singers than it is for other types of musicians. In other words, you need to pay special attention to what you put in your body - especially on days before a performance. A bad diet could be causing the production of too much phlegm (mucous), or it could be drying you out, causing damage to the tissues inside your larynx. Below is a "singer-tested" list of foods that have been found to be beneficial or harmful to the voice. While this list as a whole has not been clinically tested, the myriad of testimonies from singers concerning these foods are significant. Take into account that we all have different body chemistry. Some people I know are completely unaffected by anything they eat, while others can't even think about certain foods without their voices locking it up and calling it quits.
Singer Friendly Foods: Herbal teas, non-citrus fruits, vegetables, eggs, pasta, lean meats, water!
Singer Deadly Foods: Milk products, MSG, refined sugars, junk food, excessive alcohol, smoking, caffeine, artificial sweeteners
Singer's Smoothie Recipe: Try this to revive a tired or hoarse voice: 5 large carrots, 2 celery sticks, 2 apples, 1 tbsp parsley, 4 radishes, 4 cloves of garlic, 3-inch ginger root. Run through a juicer and enjoy (?) with a piece of wheat bread.
*Note that some allergy medicines can save or sink a singer!
Helpful Teas & Throat Sprays: There are a variety of throat sprays and herbal teas available that are specifically designed for singers, treating everything from allergies to vocal fatigue. The ones recommended by Brett Manning, including Sunny Fresh and Entertainer's Secret, are available at www.singingsuccess.com/vocal-health
Health Check Points
For those days when you can't sing anything well, know the truth that there are few performers in the world who can boast complete vocal and technical consistency. However, being aware of the issues listed in this section can dramatically increase your batting average. Run through this list of "Check Points" to see if there is some simple aspect that you might be overlooking.
Technique...
Another set of ears: Ears that are not on your head hear your voice much differently than you do.
Discipline: Building and maintaining your voice requires that you spend a lot of time singing and listening. Tape yourself periodically and listen critically.
Vocal abuse: If you are pushing your chest voice, singing too airy or too much, your chances of improving your technique are pretty slim. Yelling at sporting events, talking too loudly in smoky clubs, cheerleading, etc. are not options for the serious vocalist.
Vocal over-working: How much your voice can take is discovered by experimentation and guided by the thickness of your vocal cords. Yes, it is possible to still have great technique and still tire your voice out. Try a cycle of thirty minutes with ten minutes rest or even ten minutes of singing with twenty minutes rest. The thinner the voice, the more rest you need to bounce back.
Vocal under-working: You cannot realistically expect to sing a fifty-minute set without working up to it. You can't even expect your voice to hold together through one demanding song without living up to your new technique for a while.
Physical problems: If you suspect health issues are the problem, don't procrastinate! Singing on ill cords can cause serious, even permanent damage.
Overall Health and Happiness...
Lacking sleep: This is the quickest way to overwork your voice, causing the cords to thicken up resulting in edema (swelling or puffy cords).
Proper exercise: Your voice will obviously work best when your body is in shape. Also you'll be amazed at how exercise will lower your stress level.
Balanced personal life and healthy spiritual life: Did you know you can develop vocal dysfunctions from stress? It is very true! Serious problems in our personal life can have adverse affects on your singing.
Vitamins, herbs and supplements: Many nutritionists will recommend B vitamins for their reputation as being the "stress-relieving vitamins." We've had a great deal of success with certain herbal formulas for balancing out the body's five systems - immune, circulatory, digestive, endocrine, and respiratory. Visit the Vocal Health page to learn more.
Reflux: Reflux is a back-flow of acid from the stomach into the esophagus. Burning up even a tiny amount of acid can burn the delicate vocal folds. Symptoms include heart burn, chest pain, and waking up with a sore throat. If you suspect this is an issue for you, your doctor can prescribe medications. Non-medical options include avoiding spicy foods, avoid eating anything after 8p.m., and raising the head of your bed about 4 inches.
Allergies: The worrisome issue in most cases can be controlled with diet, supplements, and medications If allergies are an issue for you, start by eliminating milk products from your diet (it's not as hard as it sounds) as they encourage excessive mucous production. Also, ask your doctor to prescribe a non-drying allergy treatment such as Allegra or Claritin.
The Human Element...
Some days you have it, some days you don't. When all other check points fail to solve your dilemma, this is harsh reality. However, with a great technique and passionate delivery, even your bad days will sound great to your audience.
Inexperience: Consistency comes with time and practice. Sing in front of people as often as possible. You will learn how you voice will react in different settings, and how you can be more in control.
Nerves: Did you know that some of the greatest performers in the business suffer from stage fright? While beta-blockers can be prescribed in serious cases, the best defense is simply to SING ANYWAY! The truth is you may never perform nerve-free, and that's just fine. An overly calm perform usually appears to be aloof and lacking passion.
The Turtle and the Rabbit: "I have passed up many of my friends who are exceptionally gifted, even though my own singing gift is merely average. I worked harder, smarter and more consistently than most of my peers. I looked up to them and aspired to be as good as them. And this turtle caught up with those rabbits while they were sleeping and found myself able to do vocal coordinations that they can only dream of." -Brett Manning
Terminology & Vowels
Terminology
While this list is far from exhaustive, it contains brief and practical explanations of the terms used in this program.
Adam's apple: common term for thyroid cartilage, the part of the larynx which protrudes from the front of the neck.
Break or disconnect: Any sudden change, interruption, or shift in tone usually from chest to falsetto, falsetto to chest, and sometimes from chest to head voice (i.e. yodeling) and some R&B styles. However, many breaks are accidental or used to hide the singer's lack of ability to connect vocal registers.
Bridge or passage area: Commonly referred to as "the break," this is the range where you start to blend registers. The common first bridges are:
Basses: A-Bb-B below middle C
Baritones: C#-D-D# above middle C
Tenor/Alto: E-F-F# above middle C
Mezzo Soprano: G-G#-A
Soprano: A-Bb-B
Delineation: the approach to singing notes in a separated manner without singing staccato, especially in trills
Epiglottis: the leaf-like cartilage that separates the functioning of your esophagus from the functioning of your trachea
Larynx: commonly known as the voice box; the organ at the top of the wind pipe or trachea. The vocal cords and their corresponding muscles are found inside the larynx. The muscles used for swallowing are found outside the larynx.
Licks, trills, and runs: scales or parts of scales sung dynamically
While this list is far from exhaustive, it contains brief and practical explanations of the terms used in this program.
Adam's apple: common term for thyroid cartilage, the part of the larynx which protrudes from the front of the neck.
Break or disconnect: Any sudden change, interruption, or shift in tone usually from chest to falsetto, falsetto to chest, and sometimes from chest to head voice (i.e. yodeling) and some R&B styles. However, many breaks are accidental or used to hide the singer's lack of ability to connect vocal registers.
Bridge or passage area: Commonly referred to as "the break," this is the range where you start to blend registers. The common first bridges are:
Basses: A-Bb-B below middle C
Baritones: C#-D-D# above middle C
Tenor/Alto: E-F-F# above middle C
Mezzo Soprano: G-G#-A
Soprano: A-Bb-B
Delineation: the approach to singing notes in a separated manner without singing staccato, especially in trills
Epiglottis: the leaf-like cartilage that separates the functioning of your esophagus from the functioning of your trachea
Larynx: commonly known as the voice box; the organ at the top of the wind pipe or trachea. The vocal cords and their corresponding muscles are found inside the larynx. The muscles used for swallowing are found outside the larynx.
Licks, trills, and runs: scales or parts of scales sung dynamically
Legato: long, smooth, connected notes
Nasal/head cavity: resonating area in the upper half of your head
Resonance: the amplification of sound in the cavities of the mouth and head. Since everyone is unique in their anatomical design, the resonance is unique as well
Slides: singing from note to note stylistically, without any delineation; most common in blues and country music
Soft palette: the soft, fleshy back part of the roof of your mouth. This can be felt by placing the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth, the hard palette, and then rolling your tongue backwards.
Staccato: short, disconnected notes
Timbre: a particular approach to rhythmic singing
Vibrato: a natural oscillation or pitch variant that is the result of the dynamic balancing of air flow and vocal cord approximation. Vibrato is not hereditary. It is simply the sign of a healthy voice.
Vocal cords: two muscular folds inside the larynx that vibrate as air passes through them and create sound
Vocal register: a grouping of adjacent notes made with the same coordination
Vowels
Oo as in boot
U as in book
Uh as in buck
Oh as in boat
Ah as in father
Ee as in beet
Ih as in bit
Eh as in bet
Ay as in bait
Aah as in bat
Vowels
Oo as in boot
U as in book
Uh as in buck
Oh as in boat
Ah as in father
Ee as in beet
Ih as in bit
Eh as in bet
Ay as in bait
Aah as in bat
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