Know if singing for four hours at the time can damage a young performer’s vocal cords

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Accomplished musicians and young performers should all work hard toward perfect vocal cords, to hit the high notes, to sing perfectly and to impress the audience. You need to know the capability of your vocal cords as a singer, so that you don't sing for too long and damage your vocal cords. If the vocal cords are damaged, then you won't be able to sing well. This article gives you information on how to regulate your performance and take good care of your voice to avoid damaging your vocal cords.

A young performer should not sing for four hours continuously but instead, they should have some short breaks throughout a long performance.

It is true that singing for four hours straight can actually damage a young performer's vocal cords, especially if he or she has not prepared well for the long performance. When you want to perform for four hours or more continuously, you have to do some or all of the following preparatory actions:

1. 1
   As a young performer, you should drink a lot of water

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   Take in at least two litres of water daily, all the time, especially one week before the great performance. It is better to drink warm water. It acts as a lubricant for your vocal folds and the vocal membrane, hence making the vocal folds vibrate easily when you sing. When you drink a lot of water, your vocal folds will not be dry and you can sing for a very long time with ease.

   

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2. 2
   You can also inhale steam before your music performance

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   Steam off of hot water has a way of soothing the vocal folds and making it very flexible for singing especially when it has some few drops of eucalyptus. It is able to lubricate the walls of the vocal membrane when they are dry. You should be inhaling steam after every meal to soothe your vocal membrane after eating food. This can easily be maintained as a lifestyle.

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3. 3
   Avoid very cold or very hot drinks

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   When a singer drinks very cold liquids, it can cause their vocal cords to tighten up. This will make it difficult for the vocal folds to vibrate and singing will become a great problem. Very hot liquids can also cause an esophageal cancer, which will damage your throat and you may make you unable to sing well. It is safe to take only warm water, as mentioned earlier since it is the best for lubrication of your vocal cords.

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4. 4
   Do not take any dairy product such as milk, or any eggs before the performance

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   These products have got the tendency to cause phlegm to form in your throat, and that may make it very difficult for you to perform effectively. You should also avoid eating foods rich in cholesterol, as these may also add to the problem of phlegm.

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5. 5
   Avoid spicy food

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   Spices contain some form of acid that irritates the throat and causes the vocal cords to become dry. Such acid makes the watery mucus that lubricates the vocal membrane to be sticky hence it cannot lubricate the membrane effectively. It also makes the vocal folds stiff and unable to vibrate as desired when one is singing.

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6. 6
   Do a rehearsal of the songs you will be performing

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   You can also hire a vocal trainer, who can help you strengthen your voice and teach you how to protect your vocal cords from damage. When you've rehearsed your songs well and your vocals have been trained, you will be able to perform better and for a longer period than when you have not practiced enough. This is because the vocal cords have already been trained to hit the high notes as effectively as the song requires. You should also make sure to practice with the pianist and/or other instrumentalists you'll be performing with so that they know the right keys for you. This will prevent any straining of your voice while singing the songs, and help your voice to be relaxed all the time.

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• A young performer should avoid straining while singing to avoid vocal cord damage.
• You can always hire a vocalist to help you strengthen your voice and to advise you on how to take care of your vocal cords.
• Avoid drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and eating spicy foods.

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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