"And singing is a physical thing-your vocal cords are these muscles.”

-Micky Dolenz

Technically speaking, the vocal cords are two bands of smooth muscle tissue found in the voice box. When the air from the lungs pass through the vocal cords, they vibrate and produce the sound of your voice. Given the significance of the vocal bands in our voice production process, everyone needs to take good care of them. If you want to add effects to change the elements in your voice then analog or digital adjustments might be something you want to look into. There are a ton of vocal effects available on every DAW. If you don't know what that is, a simple search online will help.

However, it becomes imperative for professionals like singers, musicians, etc. to maintain healthy vocal cords to support their daily routine.  Let’s list some vocal maintenance drill which can help maintain healthy vocal folds.

1. Warming up and cooling down before and after a performance is as important as stretching before/after running. These prevent any sort of injury to the voice box.  Exercises like scaling, lip trills, humming are highly beneficial.
2. Adequate intake of water at room temperature helps nourish the delicate vocal cords. Always remember that singing with dry vocal cords can result in injury. On the contrary, hydrated and lubricated cords can weave magic!
3. The mid section of the body is prone to pressure changes that increase occurrence of acid reflux in singers.  Hence, in order to minimise such episodes, they need to resort to mindful eating.  It is highly recommended to avoid food items that cause acid reflux such as coffee, spices, citrus fruits.  Late night meals, moderation in consumption of alcohol should be resorted to add longevity to their voice box.
4. Further, it is important to provide rest to your vocal cords before major performances.  Also take care of your voice as if it is a fragile instrument.  Make sure to catch up on a good night’s sleep before your big performance day!
5. Refrain from frequent throat clearing and harsh coughing that can have a damaging effect on your vocal cords. Therefore, take precautions to avoid catching a cold or having dry vocal folds since they aggravate the above medical conditions.
6. Finally, prevention is better than cure.  If you take good care of your vocal cords you can eliminate occurrence of vocal strain, vocal overuse, throat infection or voice box distress.

Last but not the least, make an attempt to follow the above tips regularly to enhance your voice box health, quality and longevity significantly. 

Here is a closing note for all the singing amateurs and professionals out there! Remember it is utmost critical to take care of your voice and its quality, especially when it supports your profession/livelihood.

During the current era of social distancing, online music classes are a blessing for beginners. To be a good singer you need passion, talent besides being at the right place at the right time. So, wear your learning hats and listen to good music on various platforms to extend your musical know how.

However, if you wish to learn from experts, we have just the right course for you. “Learn singing online with Monali Thakur” in her Unlu class and learn from her first-hand the art of singing. Thakur is recipient of the prestigious National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer and several others.  She is associated with several television shows for judging budding musicians; thereby, spotting fresh talent. The “Learn singing online with Monali Thakur” class takes you through her journey and Thakur shares valuable lessons in this course. Happy learning!