Taking care of your voice is important in traditional acting, but it’s even more important when you’re a voice actor. As a voice actor, you have to be able to sell a character using only the sound of your voice. If your voice isn’t well taken care of, you won’t be able to use it as effectively.
1. Stay Hydrated
Not staying hydrated is one of the worst things you can do for your voice. Make sure to drink plenty of water each day, and limit your intake of beverages that are harsh on your vocal cords like alcohol and caffeine.
2. Do Warm-Ups Every Day
Doing vocal warm-ups even when you aren’t recording is a good practice to have. It helps to strengthen your muscles and builds your stamina.
3. Use a Humidifier
Using a humidifier is great for more than just your vocal chords, but its also a great way to keep your vocal chords moisturized as well.
4. Avoid Smoking
Smoking and vaping is bad enough on its own, but it can also cause serious damage to your vocal chords. Try to avoid smoking and vaping as much as you can.
5. Exercise Your Vocal Muscles (And Your Tongue!)
Make sure that you’re always doing exercises to exercise your whole face… including your tongue!
6. Try Not to Clear Your Throat
Clearing your throat often puts a lot more strain on your vocal chords than most people realize. Try not to clear your throat too often to preserve your vocal health.
7. Massage Your Neck and Throat
Frequent massages on your neck and throat will help keep your neck and throat muscles relaxed and will help relieve any strain caused from using them. A great time for a neck and throat massage is right before and after your recording sessions.
8. Use Proper Breath Control
If you aren’t practicing proper breath control, you are causing the muscles in your neck and throat to work harder than they need to. Make sure you’re always breathing properly, especially if you have longer lines of dialogue or singing parts.
9. Relax Your Jaw
We tend to carry tension in our jaw, so it’s good to remember to relax your jaw often so you can get into the habit of it. Relaxed muscles are key for your voice to come through in the best quality it can.
10. Check Your Posture
Like your jaw, we also tend to carry tension in our shoulders. Remember to relax your shoulders and practice proper posture when using your voice. Your posture can greatly change your voice resonance and quality.
11. Take Time to Rest
As with most things, it’s always important to rest. While you need to rest your voice in-between sessions, it’s also important to make sure your body is getting enough rest as well. If you’re tired, it’ll show in your voice.
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