There are often times when practicing and even singing, in general, should be avoided. This can not only be brought down by sickness but also by other sources as well. Knowing the difference between subtle changes is mandatory when taking care of your voice.
Whether you are sick or have overstrained your voice, giving your vocal cords proper rest is of ultimate value. Knowing your limits and listening to your body especially when it’s telling you to stop is highly important. There are healthy ways to train your voice and you should know what they are.
Let’s read on and see what are some key situations when we ought not to be singing.
Don’t Sing When You’re Sick
This goes without saying and for everyone who says that it’s okay to do so, sure, your vocal cords might not suffer any damage but you should strive to recover as fast and quickly as possible rather than straining your body and much less your vocal cords.
But, you shouldn’t be singing at all if you know that you are down with something that involves your vocal cords. Taking care of your voice is easy but neglecting is easier, easy, and preventive care will see you through any minor recovery.
But, as easy as it is for me to write this, let’s dive deeper into this and see what I am talking about.
Gut Feeling
There are those weird times when we just know that our recent outing in the rain is going to get us sick. You just know. Same with cold. If you feel your voice coming down I suggest you trust your gut and not exert any unwanted pressure on your vocal cords to perform.
Listen and trust your gut, only get back on the stage or practice when you know that you are back again and ready to rock!
An imperfect recovery will always come back to haunt you.
I Do The Same
It took me time to realize this myself. I don’t know how to admit that I am about to go down. Yet, when I do, I should probably rest. Peacefully too but, I don’t. Then the whole getting better part gets delayed even more.
If you’re down with any type of sickness and especially cold or fever, wait out the storm. It’s really not worth putting the effort into singing or practicing.
See, the idea of practice isn’t just to do the task but, also to do it so that it makes progress. Doing this while you’re sick is like trying to light a wet wood, it’s just not working.
Admit that your body needs rest and let it go and have a good time resting. Sleep, eat your favorite soup, and stay away from sour things that you know are going to make your throat feel even sorer.
I don’t know how people eat ice cream when they have a cold but be cautious and take care because at the end of the day the healthier you are the better you are for yourself and everyone else around you.
Are You Practicing Too Much?
I know the need to sit and just grind things out and try your best to get better as fast as possible. But, that’s sadly not how it works.
A good practice that sticks is the one that you do repeatedly and the one that isn’t rushed through. You need it to stick. You need it to stick because you want to have it forever. Rushing through things won’t help.
Neither will be practicing too much. There is a limit. Find that limit and maximize from that point, don’t cross these limits, especially if you’re a beginner. Remove the logic that working through pain is the ultimate gain kind of mentality. Doesn’t work.
Read ‘Atomic Habits’ and ‘Deep Work’. These books will dispel that theory very easily. Every day, consistent effort is where it’s at. Nowhere else.
So, if you’re one of those people who are making their vocal cords suffer, when you know it’s not working out and still pushing through because you have something coming up, my suggestion is to cancel the event.
You can’t harm your own instrument. Develop the stamina, develop the skills, do the work and practice hard but also smart. Why am I so serious about this?
Because you want to avoid doing anything to yourself that is going to harm you in the future. So if you’re over-practicing and you know that you are, you know what you have to do.
Small Suggestions
If you feel the urge to practice more than your voice is capable of, turn towards other musical skills. Music theory, ear training, music production. All of these things you have to improve upon anyways. So, go ahead and do it.
A Word on Rest
You can’t do 1000 push-ups if you haven’t done 900 of them successfully before. The thing is, your vocal cords are at the end of a muscle, a muscle you will train and make stronger and control even better than you have before.
You need to know when to stop and when to fully recover. Don’t rush into things and think that you’ll be alright. It’ll make more sense when you are what I have written ahead.
If you keep reopening a flesh wound it’ll never heal. Same with your voice. It’s precious and doesn’t require a lot, to begin with. A little preventive care will definitely go a long way both for yourself and your musical journey.
So, if you’re ever in the recovery or resting phase for your vocal cords, please do not start practicing or doing something that you know you ought not to be doing.
Are You Performing Your Warm-Ups?
This is serious business here. You need to warm your vocal cords before you start to practice and even sing. You really do. So, develop a habit that right before you start to practice you will find 10-15 minutes to just warm up.
There are tens and thousands of warm-up exercises out there and if you want to know how to effectively practice singing here’s a course for you. It won’t only teach you how to do warm-up exercises but also how to become a better singer.
Where Can You Learn Singing From?
I have written extensively on why everyone should have an online course in their library. You can read it here.
I’d recommend going to this page and choosing one for yourself.
I personally own ‘The Four Pillars of Singing‘, this is an affiliate link. This comes in the form of a book and a digital course. I own the digital course for efficiency.
Whatever you end up doing I hope you read a lot and enjoy doing so!
All the best!