5 Secrets to Vocal Stamina and Endurance for Your Singing Voice

5 Secrets to Vocal Stamina and Endurance for Your Singing Voice

Vocal stamina and endurance are key factors when it comes to professional performance.

The ability for your voice to last night after night without burning out is a critical component to being able to perform at your peak no matter how many performances you have per week.

The truth about singing is that you can only wing it for so long.

With care and a little attention, your voice will bloom into a beautiful expression of YOU.

No matter where you are on your vocal journey, you can recover your voice from issues as well as build a stronger and healthier voice than you now have.

Vocal strength and stamina are key elements to a voice that can deliver night after night.

To increase vocal strength, practice breath control, and support, such as singing from your diaphragm, using proper posture, and using voice-building exercises to strengthen the core muscles and make your voice strong.

Regular warm-ups, cooldowns, and conditioning exercises alongside hydration are also essential for maintaining vocal health and enhancing your singing power and stamina.

Here are 5 secrets discussed in the Blog below:

• Align your posture
• Diaphragmatic breath support + retention
• The benefit of Cooldowns to keep your voice healthy
• Conditioning exercises to maintain vocal fold health
• Vocal technique rooted in vocal health and longevity

Let’s dig in:

1. Align your posture

Posture is a key to stamina, endurance and longevity.

Most people have a slightly slumped chest and a forward head which causes issues for singers as it prevents them from breathing deeper into the diaphragm and causes a disconnection from the support of the chest and torso of the body in singing.

Postural alignment affects the support of the singing voice by opening deeper breathing and anchoring the vocal muscles to the trunk of the body that supports the voice.

Try this:

• Stand evenly in the center of both feet
• Soften your knees so they are not locked
• Scarecrow: Head sitting on top of spine
• Tuck your pelvis slightly underneath you
• Pull up tall out of the waist
• Shoulders at rest (heavy): down and back
• Lengthen the cervical spine (neck)
• Lift the base of your skull up towards the ceiling
• The head is level + placed over your body (not in front of)
• The chin slightly tipped down to achieve a level head position and a long cervical spine

This alignment practiced during vocal technique helps to clear the “vocal path” for the voice improving the ease of vocal production.

2. Diaphragmatic breath support + retention

Has anyone ever explained to you how the diaphragmatically in a way you’ve understood? It not, you’re not alone! It is often so misunderstood by singers and vocal coaches.

If you’ve been doing my Singers Gift Vocal Warmups for a while, you’re probably a bit ahead of the curve — because we get you started breathing diaphragmatically.

Learn more about the Singers Gift Vocal Warmups here.

Let me tell you the secret to diaphragmatic breathing, reaching deeper breath and retaining the air to sing with more stamina, endurance and longevity!

It starts with moving the ribs. This is where it begins.

• Let’s do a quick exercise.
  Put your hands on your ribs.
• Exhale.
• Now hold your ribs firmly with pressure and breathe slowly into your hands.
• Do you feel the ribs slowly expand and swing outwards into your hands?
• The trick is to breathe slowly and not too fast and you’ll feel the ribs move.
• This is the beginning of breathing diaphragmatically.

See me demonstrate this here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CgzS6mAFQ1p/

3. The benefit of Cooldowns to keep your voice healthy

Long before anyone was talking about cooldowns for singers, I introduced them to the market. As a part of my early training as a voice teacher, I was taught exercises based in vocal science that helped to reduce inflammation at the vocal folds.

After using them for many years, I renamed them “cooldowns”.

They are used postshow to reduce inflammation and prepare your voice for the next day of singing. They reduce hoarseness and help any mucus on the cords slip off.

I teach these specific Cooldown exercises inside my Vocal Rescue Kit or a deeper dive inside my Vocal Freedom Circle.

You can find both on the Shop: https://caricole.com/shop

4. Vocal hygiene and care

Taking good care of your voice will help to protect your vocal health and longevity.

Try this:

• Gargle
• Steam
• Water, Electrolytes
• Watery foods: fruits (melon in particular)
• Green juice
• Warmups
• Cooldowns
• Avoid straining your voice
• Avoid talking loudly for long periods of time

Early detection and professional guidance for any vocal problems are essential to long-term vocal well-being and to ensure a fulfilling and sustainable singing career. The sooner you catch mounting issues the sooner you can return to health.

To restore your voice and vocal health, I created a series of vocal therapy exercises designed to recover your voice, reduce strain and restore your vocal health. Learn more about the Vocal Rescue Kit here.

5. A vocal technique practice rooted in vocal health and longevity

A singer who trains their voice has a great advantage over singers who don’t.

• You’ll outlast other singers on stage.
• You’ll retain longevity way past their prime.
• You’ll stand out because they sound better.

Singers who train sound great on their worst day.

That’s how it’s done.

Here are my suggestions:

• Best vocal warmups on the market: Singers Gift Vocal Warmups. Learn more.
• Cool Downs, Vocal Therapy and Speaking Voice exercises: Vocal Rescue Kit
• The Cole Vocal Method taught inside The Vocal Freedom Circle.
  • Learn more about the Cole Vocal Method here.