How to Build Consistency in Your Voice Training
Have you heard the quote “small hinges swing big doors?”
It’s a personal favorite of mine. It reminds me that my small daily actions compound to create massive growth and transformation over time. The big moments and the intensive cram sessions don’t bring me growth, it’s consistency.
I want you to go back and read that paragraph again because it is probably the most true thing I’ve ever written: the big moments and intensives don’t bring the growth, it’s consistency.
Don’t get me wrong, intensives are great and inspiring. But they only make an impact if we change our habit afterwards and consistently apply what we learned.
Let’s look at this from another angle: the overnight success.
We all love the stories of the person who went to their first audition ever and landed their dream role. There ARE stories that exist like that. But that person didn’t just “get lucky” in their audition. They spent time preparing, maybe did networking, made the decision to show up, and DELIVERED in their audition. It wasn’t truly an “overnight success” story; it is ALWAYS a right place at the right time story.
Every overnight success you see has put in work to get where they are. And they can deliver because of the years of consistent training and preparation that led up to that moment.
And if they didn’t put in that work ahead and truly got lucky, they don’t last long.
This is why consistency is so important in your voice training.
As a singer, this looks like:
Taking voice lessons regularly
Depending on where you are in your training you may take voice less frequently, but most singers (especially those developing new skills) should be taking voice lessons at least once a month if not more often than that. I recommend 2-3 times a month for most singers.
Staying in lessons consistently means you have an objective ear giving you notes and helping ensure you are growing as a singer. This also helps with injury prevention.
Daily Voice Check Ins
Yes, this is the name of my journal. No, I’m not saying you NEED my journal to do this. My journal is a tool to make your life easier and stay consistent. You can buy it HERE.
But the point of a daily check in is to take inventory of your voice every day. If you’re going to use your voice (that includes talking), you should be taking some sort of inventory and monitoring what’s going on. Especially if you had a heavy voice use day or got sick and then lost a bunch of your range. If this doesn’t resolve with some rest and hydration, you need to see a medical professional about it!
Regular practice sessions
Just like you move your body 3-5 times a week to maintain your physical health, you need to be exercising your voice 3-5 times a week to maintain your vocal health. Studies have shown that atrophy of the vocal muscles begins after 2 weeks of vocal rest, so make sure you’re practicing on a regular basis.
If you’re a professional singer and you’re prepping for a large contract (I’m talking 8 shows a week), you need to be practicing more. And you need to build up to the volume that you’ll need for your contract. This is the most effective way to prevent injury.
Sleep + stress management
Self care is VITAL to vocal health. If you’re not rested, your voice is not going to perform as well and you’re more likely to sing flat. And if you’re stressed, everything tenses up (especially your jaw).
Studies show that a consistent sleep schedule is the most beneficial for regulating energy and you cannot sleep a lot one night to “catch up” from shorter nights of sleep. You need 7-9 hours a night on average CONSISTENTLY.
Hydrate
There are other things I could put here, but let’s be honest, hydration is a chronic problem for most of us. It’s challenging to drink enough water, but we HAVE TO in order to maintain good vocal health. Water does not hit our vocal folds when we drink it, so we need to plan ahead and drink water at least 3 hours in advance of singing. Hydration also benefits you most the day AFTER you drink water, so consistency is key.
You can steam or use nebulizers for direct hydration to your vocal folds, but I honestly do not recommend that you rely on this. It’s a tool that’s there for you, but hydrate systemically as much as you can before resorting to other modalities. Your whole body will be better for it.
This does not mean steaming is bad or that I advise against it. The opposite is actually true. There are many benefits to steaming. However, it is never a substitution for drinking water and that needs to be #1.
If you enjoyed this and want to learn more about building consistency in your singing this year, register for my free masterclass on this exact topic!
If you’re looking for resources to support your singing goals, JHS Studio offers the following:
FREE Initial Consults for Incoming Students
