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Your vocal cords are like any other muscle in your body. You can control it, master it, and most importantly, make it stronger. However, much like any other muscle, you can also overexert it and hence damage it.
While practice is an integral part of learning how to sing, there is a thing known as over-practicing. People often ask how much do professional singers practice and try to replicate their practice routines. However, we are strongly against doing so.
This is because how much practice you need differs based on your level of singing and how seasoned your vocal cords are. Think about it, what if you went into a gym and picked the heaviest weights out there, and started exercising with those?
You’d look cool, yes, but you’ll also be walking away with sore or damaged muscles. When it comes to your vocal cords, the damage lasts for much longer, unfortunately, and can put the brakes on your singing career significantly.
So, how much should you practice? How much is too much? Here, we shall answer those questions and present you with a guideline on how much you should practice without stressing your vocal cords out too much.
When starting out, your vocal cords and lungs aren’t used to exhaling for such long periods of time or to introducing that soft wobble and those shifts in your voice that are needed when singing. You’ll find yourself gasping for air or getting a sore and dry throat every night.
You might be tempted to take on all singing exercises at once and exercise day and night, but you’ll end up fatiguing your cords that way, without even realizing it.
Instead, sing in ten minute bursts, two to three times a day. Use simple songs and try to pick ones that don’t have too many complex voiceovers.
A time will come when 10-minute bursts will become child’s play for you. At this point, you will have a better idea of your voice, your capabilities as well as your limitations. You’ll also be able to impress untrained ears with your singing capabilities.
At this point, you can move on to practicing for thirty consecutive minutes, two times a day. However, don’t just jump from 10 to 30 minutes. Transition smoothly. 15 minutes for 2-3 days, 25 minutes for a week, and then go up to 30-minute runs.
If you get a sore throat at any point or feel like you’re parched quite often, go back to 10-minute bursts.
As you move on from beginner to intermediate, expert and ultimately toward professional-level singing, that is when your practice sessions become more lenient.
Moving from beginner to intermediate, move from 2 30-minute sessions to 60 minutes, and two hours when you’re looking to become a professional. However, once you’re there, moving to 2 3-hour sessions won’t do anything other than ruin your vocal cords.
Unless you’re going to host concerts, such long practice sessions won’t do you any good. Remember, at this point, you only need to maintain your voice, not improve upon it. Don’t extend your practice sessions any further; unless you think you need to.
At this point, you can be a good judge about what you need to do in order to maintain your voice, so use your best judgement.
Having said all of that, it is important to remember not to overlook the importance of a teacher. The thing about practicing singing on your own is that you never know when you’re overexerting yourself until it’s too late. An untrained ear might not notice either.
However, experienced professionals can tell immediately and recommend appropriate courses of action. We suggest enlisting the help of professionals from 30 Day Singer to make the most out of your practice sessions and get a good career in the lucrative entertainment industry!
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