voice tips

I do what i do because i like to sing. It’s such a primal force. I am currently training to get as fit as possible for the next album. Why? because if your unfit you sing like shit. People ask me what tips i have for keeping the voice in shape. And here is the sum of what works for me. 1. Drink lots of water
2. Avoid alcohol (it constricts the vocals chords)
3. Before shows don’t go hard on juice as the acid also fucks up the vocal chords.
4. Try to avoid dairy as phlegm makes it hard to sing. (I fuckin love cheese…so its hard)
5. Smoking and Joints. Avoid both. Marijuana actually burns a hole in your vocal chords. (that was from an opera singer is spoke to as well as some others)
6. Try to be as fit as possible
7. Sing from your diaphraghm. above your stomach and below your lungs, try to imagine e all the energy and power in your voice coming from there rather than your throat.
8. Warm up, go through the range of mouth and throat motions you make when singing. Start singing some low lines and notes and work up. Don’t spend more than 5-15 mins doing this. You have a window of about and hour before your chords become tired.
9. Try to avoid too much caffeine (sucks for me) as it dehydrates your chords.
10. Use a scarf when its cold and put a warm top on after performing.
11. Get plenty of sleep.
12. on planes drink loads of water to combat dry air, same in hotels.
13. Sing in your own voice and your own range. It should feel comfortable. That way you develop our own style too.

When things go wrong: It happens everyone, sore throat, cold, flu etc
1. manuka honey. take a spoon fool and let it dissolve on back of your throat. Don’t add it to water.
2. Echinacea and lots of vit c and zinc supplements. golden seal too/
3. Blocked sinus, nose? Have to perform? this is disgusting but works. get a fishermans friend suck it, put iot up your blocked nostril (not too far you idiot) and the nose will unblock with lots of snot and synovial fluid. Gross but it makes you look interesting.
4. Sleep.
5. Hot showers.
6. there are really good throat teas out there now which usually have liquorice, sage etc in them. I used to get mixtures made up but the teas are great and cheaper and work just as well.