#myqueenofthenight

[i-remember-there-was-mist]

Hello again friend! I hope you are enjoying life! I just wanted to ask a professional opinion, have you any idea on how to structure an effective vocal practice routine? Like duration, contents etc. Thank you!

This is an absolutely fabulous question.  As artists, we’re expected to practice to become better...  This is known.  But what a lot of people don’t realize is that there’s focused practice, and then there’s aimless practice.  With focused practice, you can get done in 20 minutes what you couldn’t get done in 3 hours of aimless practice.  Specific, focused work is always more useful than endless hours of unfocused work.  

In terms of a certain time amount, that’s going to depend on where you are in your technique, and your personal focus.  In college, I usually did about 1-2 hours in the practice room every other day, at the least.  This practice was split up between focused technique work, and then applying it to songs.  Now, going into the practice room and just singing songs you like can be fun, but you’re not going to get any better from that.  You need to dedicate specific time to technique work, and then figure out how to embed that into your singing.  Make goals for yourself, challenge yourself, be willing to fail...  Practice doesn’t necessarily always have to be hard, but if you’re finding that you’re not ever challenging yourself, then you need to up your game.  Demand focus from yourself, and recognize when your mind is starting to wander and you’re getting lazy.  It happens, it’s normal, but know that the time you work in that lazy state of mind, is mostly time wasted.  

And in terms of structure, that’s again going to depend on you, where you’re at with your technique, and what you’re trying to do.  If you have an audition coming up, your time will probably be divided out differently than if you’re working solely on technique.  If you’re just starting out, you probably won’t have the knowledge or discipline to really work hard on technique for a long period of time, because you won’t be sure what to work on quite yet.  So it’s just a really individual process, and it’s important for you to find out what you need.  It’s your time, and it’s your voice, so try to discover what practice routine suits you best!

[i-remember-there-was-mist]

Hello! It's so nice to talk to you! I hope you are doing fantastic! I just wanted to ask you, how might I go about expanding my vocal range? Is it something that comes with time and practice or are there specific exercises I should use?Thanks!

I’ve got a section in my masterpost on expanding your range that may help!

[i-remember-there-was-mist]

Hello again.I really hope you are doing great!I just wanted to ask you, I am about to be in a show that requires a lot of belting and the role means being on stage most of the time!Any ideas on how to raise vocal stamina, vocal health etc. Thanks!

I would just make sure you’re drinkings lots of water, getting rest when you’re not singing, getting lots of sleep, and trying not to push yourself past your limit in rehearsals. When you’re rehearsing for many hours, doing the same songs over and over again, it may not be plausible to go all out every single time.  So try to figure out those boundaries, and know when you need to take a step back and let your voice rest a bit!  Fatigue and strain mounts on itself, so if you can manage it as it builds rather than wait until it’s already hindering you, you will be better off!

[strawberrylovely]

Hey!Hope everything is well with you!I just wanted to ask you, is it alright that I finish my meal about half an hour before I start my practice session for singing? Really need help! Please message me! Thanks a lot.

I'm doing fine! thank you! hope you're doing well!

Honestly, i think it's a personal choice, and it's fine to eat whenever as long as YOU feel good about it! for me, it's just how i feel that day and how my schedule works out. If i have a big audition, i usually don't eat until afterwards, unless it's in the evening or something, and even sometimes it helps me to have eaten because it helps my throat not be dry. but again, i think it's a personal choice. and a lot of people will say no pop or dairy because they can sometimes cause your throat to feel gross and heavy, but again it's all just personal preference and how you feel. Long answer short, yes it's totally fine if you want to wait 30 minutes after eating, but you don't have to. you won't get cramps like you would if you were swimming ;)

[i-remember-there-was-mist]

Hi!It's nice to meet a fellow singer!I just wanted to ask a professional!Today I accidentally put too much hot water in my water bottle and it shrunk very slightly!I was wondering as a singer would you carry on drinking from it?Please message!Thanks!

Uhmmmm..I'm not sure...  I looked up some stuff on putting hot water in Nalgene water bottles and things of the like, and there is a concern that chemicals could be leeching into your water, but most people agreed that it's not something to worry about.   Just be sure to wash it well after putting boiling water in it.

[highkingpetermagnificent]

myqueenofthenight thank you so much for the advice! I'll do my best to follow it. (Sleep and college can be... difficult.) Question though, since I'm forgetful, I don't recall mentioning that I have a scratchy throat? Or maybe you're just magical. :P

[whyamiamusicmajor]

Hey! Nice to talk to a fellow singer! I just wanted to ask you (awkward question coming up) is it alright to sing while on period? Thank you so much. Really awkward but I wanted to know!

It's not bad to sing on your period, no. Just be aware that your sound is probably going to be different because your body chemistry is a little different during your period. Some women get breathy/cloudy, some lose range, and some experience both. It's nothing permanent, just a temporary thing because of your cycle.

-James

[thisdeepdream]

Hey. Hope you are well. I just wanted to ask you, when I warm up, it's really easy SO I tend to read a book. Then I have about 3 or 4 exercises I work on, they're not difficult either, stuff such as trolls, and working over the bridge. I tend to read

i personally attempt to practice as distraction-free as possible. i can't speak for you or where you are in your technique, but if i'm doing something else like reading a book, i can't really concentrate on the rest of my body.

warming up and practicing are two separate things, you know? like they can be the same thing, but they don't have to be.

regardless, i prefer it to be just my voice + me, as silly as that sounds.. i'm sure whatever works for you is "alright," that is, you're not going to do yourself any vocal damage (probably), but i just think it's sort of inefficient.

hope that helps! xo