Originally Posted by
pixiegurl
A singer is like an athlete who gradually trains their body until it reaches the peak of its operating ability. Like any other muscle in body, the vocal chords need to be warmed up with exercises before asking them to perform. Although you may have been singing since you were small, it is important that you learn to sing in a healthy manner that builds up the muscles slowly and prevents damage to the voice.
The vocal chords (also known as vocal folds) are small thin muscles that vibrate when air passes through them. The vibration ranges from fast to slow and the more 'elastic' they become, the easier it is for the notes to be produced.
How long you practise for depends on the level of experience and amount of training that the singer has. For a complete beginner no more than 20 minutes a day including warm up, rests, vocalisation and cool down. The amount of practise time should be gradually increased over a period of months according to your singing teachers instructions.
It is not advisable to sing for long periods of time without a lot of training! You would not expect to run a marathon without training slowly and regularly over a long period of time. The vocal mechanism is like any other group of muscles and requires the same type of gradual development. It should also be noted that even professional singers use their practice periods to do other types of training! As well as vocalising, a singer should use their rehearsals to learn lyrics, learn music, study techniques, observe recorded performances and utilise their time between singing rather than sing continuously for long periods of time which may strain their precious voices!
If your voice starts to feel hoarse or sore during your practise session STOP singing immediately and completely rest the voice. When your voice has fully recuperated, review your vocal technique, start with gentle humming and cut down the length of practise time until you can consult your teacher. If the problem persists, do not sing
