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Working out. Can it cause vocal damage?
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Saturday, August 29, 2009
Working out: Can it cause vocal damage?
As some of you know with my background in dance and Pilates, I have always wanted to get my personal trainer certification, which I just completed. I am now a certified trainer with NASM, National Academy of Sports Medicine. I have been working for many years now studying how working out effects singers. In particular how it affects breathing, support muscles and strain on the larynx. I’m going to start incorporating workout and training tips into my blog for singers because I think it is imperative that you understand how to train and how not to train, what exercises will help you in singing and which ones will actually make singing more difficult.
Weight training if done incorrectly can over-strengthen small muscles surrounding the vocal apparatus, causing a lack of flexibility around and in the larynx. As you may imagine, this is not good for your voice. Incorrect physical training can also tighten the throat, neck and shoulders, which need to remain free of tension while singing.
If a trainer is not used to training singers and doesn’t watch specifically for things like holding your breath, the trainer may not notice that you are tightening the glottis, which can cause vocal damage! My best advise is to find a personal trainer who is training singers, understands their special requirements, and knows how to protect them.
In the meantime, here are some tips I have for you whether you are working out by yourself, or with a trainer. And if you are working with a trainer make sure they are aware of what you do and have a good working knowledge of which muscles a singer needs to use when singing. And as always…
CONSULT A PHYSICIAN BEFORE BEGINNING ANY EXERCISE PROGRAM.
Avoid any exercises that cause too much tension or strain in your neck, shoulders, upper back and chest.
Do stretching exercises before and after you exercise. Do plenty of stretching exercises that stretch the chest and neck. Stretch gently and hold all stretches for 20 to 30 seconds and release slowly. Repeat this 2 to 3 times per stretch.
Do exercises that strengthen the core. And no…. I don’t mean a whole bunch of crunches. That actually shortens and tightens the muscles you need for correct breathing. All this does is make it more difficult for you to perform the in and out action required for diaphragmatic and abdominal breathing. There are MANY more support muscles you need to strengthen besides and in addition to the rectus abdominus muscle.
Make sure you are not holding your breath. There are actually breathing patterns that your trainer can teach you that support the breathing you should be doing while you are singing.
If you are lifting weights, make sure you are not gripping the bar too tightly. Keep your hands relaxed.
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. HYDRATE YOURSELF BEFORE DURING AND AFTER YOUR WORKOUT!
And finally, avoid lifting weights right before you sing. You need to give your muscles time to relax. Allow at least 12 hours for your muscles to relax after lifting before you sing as a guideline. It is fine to do aerobics on performance days, but remember to breathe correctly… in through the nose and out through the mouth. And remember it’s just as important to get proper rest between your aerobic workout and your performance. You don’t want you body to be tired and over trained before you hit the stage, studio or rehearsal. Become a fan of the “nap,” your body and voice will thank you!
Weight training if done incorrectly can over-strengthen small muscles surrounding the vocal apparatus, causing a lack of flexibility around and in the larynx. As you may imagine, this is not good for your voice. Incorrect physical training can also tighten the throat, neck and shoulders, which need to remain free of tension while singing.
If a trainer is not used to training singers and doesn’t watch specifically for things like holding your breath, the trainer may not notice that you are tightening the glottis, which can cause vocal damage! My best advise is to find a personal trainer who is training singers, understands their special requirements, and knows how to protect them.
In the meantime, here are some tips I have for you whether you are working out by yourself, or with a trainer. And if you are working with a trainer make sure they are aware of what you do and have a good working knowledge of which muscles a singer needs to use when singing. And as always…
CONSULT A PHYSICIAN BEFORE BEGINNING ANY EXERCISE PROGRAM.
Avoid any exercises that cause too much tension or strain in your neck, shoulders, upper back and chest.
Do stretching exercises before and after you exercise. Do plenty of stretching exercises that stretch the chest and neck. Stretch gently and hold all stretches for 20 to 30 seconds and release slowly. Repeat this 2 to 3 times per stretch.
Do exercises that strengthen the core. And no…. I don’t mean a whole bunch of crunches. That actually shortens and tightens the muscles you need for correct breathing. All this does is make it more difficult for you to perform the in and out action required for diaphragmatic and abdominal breathing. There are MANY more support muscles you need to strengthen besides and in addition to the rectus abdominus muscle.
Make sure you are not holding your breath. There are actually breathing patterns that your trainer can teach you that support the breathing you should be doing while you are singing.
If you are lifting weights, make sure you are not gripping the bar too tightly. Keep your hands relaxed.
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. HYDRATE YOURSELF BEFORE DURING AND AFTER YOUR WORKOUT!
And finally, avoid lifting weights right before you sing. You need to give your muscles time to relax. Allow at least 12 hours for your muscles to relax after lifting before you sing as a guideline. It is fine to do aerobics on performance days, but remember to breathe correctly… in through the nose and out through the mouth. And remember it’s just as important to get proper rest between your aerobic workout and your performance. You don’t want you body to be tired and over trained before you hit the stage, studio or rehearsal. Become a fan of the “nap,” your body and voice will thank you!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Vibrato... how do I get it....
Vibrato happens when the voice alternates quickly and precisely between two pitches that are close together. This variation in pitch shouldn’t go beyond a semitone either way from the intended note. The effect of vibrato is often perceived to add warmth and character to the voice.
Most agree that vibrato is a way for our body to induce muscle relaxation. Because the body needs muscular relaxation, during intense vocal use such as sustained notes at high pitches, vibrato is the body’s natural way of trying to relax. It’s the same as other muscles in our body. Muscles in our arms or legs begin to shake when lifting or holding heavy objects for prolonged periods of time. In other words, the muscles of the larynx begin to pulse or shake in response to tension placed on them for prolonged periods of time, and that produces what we hear and experience as vibrato.
Vibrato should occur naturally and happens in order to protect and maintain the healthy function of the vocal folds. A lack of understanding about what vibrato is and how it is works has many singers to trying to reproduce incorrect and sometimes unhealthy imitations of it.
Many singers who may be untrained or poorly trained, expect to hear something that actually may not have anything to do with natural vibrato. They get these ideas because of the contemporary singers they hear that try to reproduce the phenomenon unnaturally. They mistake bad technique for true vibrato. Not only are these over-prominent vibratos not appealing, they are also generally not healthy. Forcing the pitch variance can place too much stress on the untrained or undeveloped voice
I don’t focus a lot of time working on vibrato with students because I’ve found through the years of teaching and singing that developing good technique allows the vibrato to develop naturally. However, in this fast paced world of “gotta have it right now,” many students are trading solid vocal technique for vocal tricks and stunts.
This disposable or revolving talent door doesn’t allow enough time for proper training. If it can’t be changed in an hour then we can fix it with “studio magic,” and when this voice wears out, well, there will be another one ready to take over… and so on and so on...
When your voice is free, relaxed and correctly supported vibrato will happen spontaneously. If you take your time and train properly, vibrato is not something you need to force. Remember, it’s something our bodies do naturally. You don’t need to push in and out with your hands on your the upper abdomen to make vibrato happen. And if you do this before the voice is ready you are risking injury to the voice. It will happen naturally when good singing techniques have been properly developed. This may not be the popular teaching philosophy of the day, but I believe it is the responsible one.
Most agree that vibrato is a way for our body to induce muscle relaxation. Because the body needs muscular relaxation, during intense vocal use such as sustained notes at high pitches, vibrato is the body’s natural way of trying to relax. It’s the same as other muscles in our body. Muscles in our arms or legs begin to shake when lifting or holding heavy objects for prolonged periods of time. In other words, the muscles of the larynx begin to pulse or shake in response to tension placed on them for prolonged periods of time, and that produces what we hear and experience as vibrato.
Vibrato should occur naturally and happens in order to protect and maintain the healthy function of the vocal folds. A lack of understanding about what vibrato is and how it is works has many singers to trying to reproduce incorrect and sometimes unhealthy imitations of it.
Many singers who may be untrained or poorly trained, expect to hear something that actually may not have anything to do with natural vibrato. They get these ideas because of the contemporary singers they hear that try to reproduce the phenomenon unnaturally. They mistake bad technique for true vibrato. Not only are these over-prominent vibratos not appealing, they are also generally not healthy. Forcing the pitch variance can place too much stress on the untrained or undeveloped voice
I don’t focus a lot of time working on vibrato with students because I’ve found through the years of teaching and singing that developing good technique allows the vibrato to develop naturally. However, in this fast paced world of “gotta have it right now,” many students are trading solid vocal technique for vocal tricks and stunts.
This disposable or revolving talent door doesn’t allow enough time for proper training. If it can’t be changed in an hour then we can fix it with “studio magic,” and when this voice wears out, well, there will be another one ready to take over… and so on and so on...
When your voice is free, relaxed and correctly supported vibrato will happen spontaneously. If you take your time and train properly, vibrato is not something you need to force. Remember, it’s something our bodies do naturally. You don’t need to push in and out with your hands on your the upper abdomen to make vibrato happen. And if you do this before the voice is ready you are risking injury to the voice. It will happen naturally when good singing techniques have been properly developed. This may not be the popular teaching philosophy of the day, but I believe it is the responsible one.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Dream big: Plan well: Be flexible!
Its been said that many people fail not because of lack of talent, but in large part because of lack of vision, poor planning and deciding that there is only one way to do something. See if you can apply these things to your singing… for instance, if you want to increase your range or sing a particular song that is challenging for you, or get more bookings, or record a CD… See if following a more structured plan wouldn’t help you achieve your goals.
Dream big!
Many people have dreams, but when they think of them follow it up with thoughts like… but I could really never do that, or that’s only for lucky people and things like that never happens to me, or every time I try, something always gets in my way … get the picture. When you dream, you have to give yourself permission to really believe that not only is it possible to get there but you need to spend time thinking and FEELING what it would be like to be living your dream right now!
If you focus on what you think you can’t do… guess what, you probably won’t do it… Have you ever thought, “the big note is coming up, I hope I can hit it, I didn’t get it in rehearsal, I wonder if I’ll get it now …” and then you don’t…. You have effectively talked yourself into missing the note… Wouldn’t it make more sense to focus your energy on what you want? Put your attention on what you want and get a plan going on how you’re going to get it… I want to be able to hit that note, and higher notes, every time, I want to hit it strong and clear, I want to have complete control over how that note comes out… wouldn’t that serve you better? How do you do that?
Plan well!
Get very clear on what it is you want and write it down…. Let me say that again… get crystal clear on what you want and write it down!!! Now what are steps you can take in the next three months to get you on the road to your goal? What do you want to get done and by when? What can you do weekly and what could you be doing daily to bring you closer to your goal? WRITE IT DOWN!!! Make some flash cards. One side with long-term goals the other side with weekly goals… Put them where you’ll see them often, maybe keep one with you and read it many times a day.
This may sound silly, but it is sometimes difficult in life to stay focused and positive about our journey. It will make you feel great to start seeing all that you are accomplishing each week and you will see yourself moving closer and closer to your dreams….
Be Flexible!
In my opinion this is the tricky thing… We do all of this work and then get too attached to the way we think the plan should unfold… Well, how often do plans actually go just the way we thought they would? You have to take daily action, but you must be flexible enough to try different or new approaches along the way. Remember, if something isn’t working, you may need to take a look at it and approach it from a different angle. Don’t hang on to tightly to one way of doing things just because it’s familiar. You may need to branch out and try hitting that note a different way.
Be open to new things. Re-do you plan often. Don’t look at it once a year. Stay focused on what you want and keep searching for the best most efficient way to do things… Always be a student, keep learning and growing. We all have new things we can learn, no matter how accomplished or successful we become. Always keep fresh goals in front of you….
Dream big!
Many people have dreams, but when they think of them follow it up with thoughts like… but I could really never do that, or that’s only for lucky people and things like that never happens to me, or every time I try, something always gets in my way … get the picture. When you dream, you have to give yourself permission to really believe that not only is it possible to get there but you need to spend time thinking and FEELING what it would be like to be living your dream right now!
If you focus on what you think you can’t do… guess what, you probably won’t do it… Have you ever thought, “the big note is coming up, I hope I can hit it, I didn’t get it in rehearsal, I wonder if I’ll get it now …” and then you don’t…. You have effectively talked yourself into missing the note… Wouldn’t it make more sense to focus your energy on what you want? Put your attention on what you want and get a plan going on how you’re going to get it… I want to be able to hit that note, and higher notes, every time, I want to hit it strong and clear, I want to have complete control over how that note comes out… wouldn’t that serve you better? How do you do that?
Plan well!
Get very clear on what it is you want and write it down…. Let me say that again… get crystal clear on what you want and write it down!!! Now what are steps you can take in the next three months to get you on the road to your goal? What do you want to get done and by when? What can you do weekly and what could you be doing daily to bring you closer to your goal? WRITE IT DOWN!!! Make some flash cards. One side with long-term goals the other side with weekly goals… Put them where you’ll see them often, maybe keep one with you and read it many times a day.
This may sound silly, but it is sometimes difficult in life to stay focused and positive about our journey. It will make you feel great to start seeing all that you are accomplishing each week and you will see yourself moving closer and closer to your dreams….
Be Flexible!
In my opinion this is the tricky thing… We do all of this work and then get too attached to the way we think the plan should unfold… Well, how often do plans actually go just the way we thought they would? You have to take daily action, but you must be flexible enough to try different or new approaches along the way. Remember, if something isn’t working, you may need to take a look at it and approach it from a different angle. Don’t hang on to tightly to one way of doing things just because it’s familiar. You may need to branch out and try hitting that note a different way.
Be open to new things. Re-do you plan often. Don’t look at it once a year. Stay focused on what you want and keep searching for the best most efficient way to do things… Always be a student, keep learning and growing. We all have new things we can learn, no matter how accomplished or successful we become. Always keep fresh goals in front of you….
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