| How to Teach Yourself the Basics of Karate Posted: 24 Feb 2017 04:00 PM PST The philosophy behind karate is vast and complex. It stems from thousands of years of armed and unarmed combat. Techniques that were perfected hundreds of years ago are still being perfected over and over again by each new generation. Buddhism, Taoism, and the code of Bushido have all played parts in the development of the martial arts philosophy. Karate in its modern form was established around 400 years ago in Japan, with its roots mainly derived from Chinese Kung Fu. See Step 1 below to start teaching yourself the basics of this art form. EditGetting in the Zone - Meditate. (5+ minutes) Clear your mind of all thoughts; concentrate on breathing in through the nose, out through the mouth; steady deep breaths and a clear mind will prepare you to learn Karate. There is no time limit, but meditating for at least 5 minutes should clear your thoughts enough to allow you to concentrate. And yes, meditating can definitely enhance your fighting skills![1]
- Forget school. Forget work. Forget family, problems, everything -- visualize them evaporating before your eyes. Once everything is gone, you should see an empty room, and in the center of the empty room, a ball of flame begins growing from the emptiness. This flame of firing strength and energy should represent anything you hope to achieve by training yourself in Karate. By the time you are done with your meditation, the room should be entirely engulfed by nothing but the flame.
- Warm up. (10 minutes) Start off by running in place or around the block for about 5 minutes; plus about 5 minutes (or 20 reps each) of push-ups, sit-ups (or crunches), leg lifts, and reverse push-ups.
- Warming up is vital to your muscles' ability to do work. If you don't get them loose and ready before you start your training and stretching, then they will go on strike against you and even basic moves will be tough to execute properly.
- Stretch. (15 minutes) Stretching all major muscle groups first is essential for a loose and limber body; get a book on stretching if you do not already know what stretching exercises to do. In Karate, stretching the legs is crucial to keep yourself injury-free.
- Stretching comes after warming up. When your muscles have heated up, that's when they'll be most receptive to stretching -- when stretching will be the safest and most effective.
- Understand the philosophy behind karate. To the untrained observer, karate may look like its about showy displays of violence. In fact, it's the polar opposite. Karate is about peace and, what's more, peace of mind. In life conflict is unavoidable. When this happens, it should be handled swiftly and with power. The result is a natural confidence that has an air of humility.
- This is an art form that involves the mind and spirit as much as the body. All three must develop simultaneously for the practitioner to truly master this sport. While the body must remember how to move, the mind, in turn, must remember how to be still.
- All of the martial arts begin and end with courtesy. There is very little that is selfish about karate. It is believed that in your devotion there is reward.
EditMastering Stances, Balance, and Power - Get the basic stances down. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you wanna get to the fun stuff. Unfortunately, your kicks, strikes, and blocks will not be effective if you don't have your stance right. You wouldn't expect to be a great baseball if you held your bat the wrong way, would you? Nope. The basics are what truly make a great karateka (karate practitioner).
- There are different types of Karate. You'll find different stances are traditional depending on which type you're practicing. Most types of karate have some variation of the following three stances:[2]
- The natural, or walking stance (shizentai-dachi) is when your front foot is pointing forward, back foot is out at a 45-degree angle pointing behind you. Your feet are apart at a natural, or walking, width.
- The front stance (zenkutsu-dachi) is[2] like the natural stance, but your feet are further apart and your weight is mostly on your front leg.
- Cat stance, or back stance (nekoashi-dachi). Your foot positioning is like the walking stance, but your weight is mostly on your back leg. Your front heel, if you so choose, may be raised.
- Start with the ready stance. The stances above are fighting stances. However, at the beginning of any spar, you'll need to begin with the ready stance. You have three basic options:
- The ready stance in the Fukyugata series has the heels together and toes pointing outward at a 60-degree angle.
- The ready stance in the Pinan series has the feet at shoulder width, toes pointing outward at a 45-degree angle.
- The ready stance in the Naihanchi series has the feet directly together and parallel.
- Be aware of your balance. Karate isn't exactly something drunk people would be good at, and for good reason -- it takes an immense ability to balance. That's part of the reason the stances are so important! They center your body, allowing you to be fluid while simultaneously strong. But that strength you feel in your stance can't disappear when you start kicking!
- Always think about your center gravity. If you spread your feet, you lower it, proving yourself stability and more bang for your attack. But if you lower it too much, you lose mobility and speed. When it comes to balance, there is a happy medium you need to find.
- While having balance is important, when you start having to defend yourself, you'll need to be able to shift that balance quite quickly as well. If you're in one stance too long, your opponent can easily attack you! Because of this, transitions between stances are important too.
- Concentrate on your power and speed. There are plenty of people (read: gym rats) who lift hundreds and hundreds of pounds but yet would not excel at karate. It is not about muscle -- it's about power and speed.
- The two are highly connected. A longer route to your target will help you develop more speed and thus power. If you use your entire body, you will have more power behind your attack, and necessarily employ more speed. However, think of karate not as being able to move a large object, but being able to move a small object quickly and with detailed precision.
EditMastering the Moves - Work on your punching and blocking. (15 minutes) There are a few essential punches you will need to learn to attack effectively. The straight punch, upper-cut, knife-hand, spear-hand, elbow strike, and backfist, namely. Practice them in order and alternate hands.
- Blocking is just as important! Practice blocking as though these were the punches you were being attacked with. Experiment with combinations and counter attacks. Defend, attack, defend, attack...etc.
- For the record, your first two knuckles are the strongest knuckles on your hand. They can be lined up with your forearm bones (radius and ulna) to increase strength. The most common mistakes are when people have a crooked fist, punch too high or punch with their shoulder.
- Practice kicking. (15 minutes) Ten repetitions of any kick will suffice in strengthening your legs. Focus beyond the target for maximum power, but practice the flow of motion to gain graceful fluidity in your movements; like a swan; power will follow.
- There are five basic karate kicks:[3]
- The front snap kick. Basically, think of your foot swinging out in front of you like you're snapping a towel. In natural stance, you draw up your back foot, bend at the knee, and snap (hence the name) your leg out in front of you and draw it immediately back to where it was.
- The side snap kick. The same as the front snap kick...only to the side.
- The side trust kick. Lift your kicking foot to your opposite knee, kick, and roll your hip forward. In the snap kicks, your torso stays upright. In trust kicks, your torso falls more in line with your kicking leg, coming down to power your kicking leg upward.
- The guy in the gif above is doing a trust kick. See how his torso comes down?
- The back trust kick. Like the side trust kick, but you're looking behind you and kicking in the same direction as you're looking.
- The round kick. In cat stance, pull your kicking leg up toward the same elbow. Swing your hips forward and pivot, creating the "round" in the round kick. Then snap it back as quickly as possible.
- Start sparring. (15+ minutes) Find someone to practice with, and use all of your techniques to fight them for 15 to 30 minutes. Sparring will help you increase your stamina and ability to throw combinations and defend yourself against multiple attacks or multiple attackers, once you've mastered certain blocking and attacking techniques.
- Practice all kata (literally, "practice form") over and over. Focus on one kata in particular for that session. Once you have it, you can move on. It's important to focus on lower level kata as well as higher level to refine and improve.
- Be sure to revisit it once you do have it! After you master several, piece them together and work on increasingly difficult combinations as the days progress.
- When stretching, stretch everything; even your neck, back, stomach, arms and hands... concentrate especially on your largest muscles - the legs.
- When attacking - look for your opponent's weaknesses and strengths. Give your opponent a false sense of security by faking an attack they will use their momentum to block, then attack them using your own power and cunning to lay your opponent out for the count.
- When punching, stay relaxed until just before you hit your target. Bruce Lee says, "Relaxation is essential for faster and more powerful punching. Let your lead punch shoot out loosely and easily; do not tighten up or clench your fist until the moment of impact. All punches should end with a snap several inches behind the target. Thus, you punch through the opponent instead of at him."
- Do not try the difficult level at first. Always start with easy introduction. First be thorough with the basics then start practicing the difficult ones.
- When fighting/sparring, maintain eye contact with your opponent at all times.
- Practice everything you know so much that when a real fight comes you don't have to think, just do. Use a training dummy after every warm up to fight with...
- Be confident when sparring. During training with someone, focus on punching and kicking.
- Never under-estimate, or over-estimate an opponent. The more you're sure you can defeat/be defeated by them, the less/more likely that outcome will occur.
- When kicking: straight kicks may use the ball of the foot or the heel, keep your toes back or they might be damaged; side kicks always use the blade of your foot or the heel; ax kicks always strike with the heel (but this is an uncommon kick for most); round-house kicks may strike with the shin, top or ball of the foot. Round kicks with the shin may be particularly effective.
- Know that it takes hard work, and that you will not become a 'karate master' overnight.
- Always stay calm and peaceful in a fight, respect your opponent, and never underestimate them, for they can defeat you much easier if you do so.
- You may want to try meditating at the beginning of the workout. This way your mind will be clear and ready to workout without getting your body warmed up and then have it cool down while you sit motionless meditating.
- Make sure you have good and strong control over your lower body.
- Remember karate is about peace not violence. It may seem like violence but it's mostly about defense!
- Be sure to replace any of your worn or damaged martial arts sparring gear. Your safety should come first in all of your karate studies.
- Attack your opponent on his weak part many times so he will get tired and its easy to beat him.
- When sparring: when attacked - 1. Strike them before they strike you; this may negate or impair their attack, cause them damage and expend a minimum of your energy. 2. If this is not possible, move, change the distance and/or move off the line of attack ready for a counter-attack. 3. Block. Blocking need not occur with the hands and it is very unwise to block medium to low kicks with the hands. this leaves the head unguarded and vulnerable. Blocking kicks with the hands (especially open hands is not smart unless you are an expert). The best defense is not being where you can be hit.
- Take pride in your appearance! Be sure to keep a fresh supply of karate uniforms on hand.
- If you are interested in martial arts, go and train!
- Start a gymnastics club so you will know how to do cool flips to add into your karate moves!
- When blocking a kick or punch from a sparring opponent, always remember to clench your fist tightly or you may break your own hand on their kick.
- Remember your sparring partner is real, not a punching bag. Safety gear is advised and always be careful.
- Always stretch, and stretch everything. Pulling a muscle or snapping a tendon is excruciatingly painful!
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| How to Identify and Treat Black Widow Spider Bites Posted: 24 Feb 2017 08:00 AM PST Most spider bites are harmless. It is sometimes difficult to tell a spider bite from another insect sting or bite, or even just a mild skin infection. Always seek medical attention if you are not sure of what caused a serious bite or sting, especially if you begin to develop symptoms. The two most common poisonous spiders found in the United States are the black widow and the brown recluse. If you have confirmation that the bite was from a black widow spider, then be sure to seek immediate medical care. EditIdentifying a Bite from a Black Widow Spider - Recognize a bite from a black widow spider. Black widow spiders have fangs. When bitten, two small puncture wounds are usually visible.[1]
- As the venom from the bite spreads, the area develops a target-like appearance. The fang marks are in the center, surrounded by an area of reddened skin, then another circle of red just a little further beyond the center.
- The fang marks are visible immediately. Redness and swelling of the area where the bite occurred develops rapidly, usually within an hour.
- Pain typically starts within the hour and can quickly spread from the site to systemic areas such as the abdomen, chest area, or back.
- This is not always the case, but this is the classic description for the pattern that develops from a black widow spider bite.
- Capture the spider if possible. The treating physician will want to know what caused the bite/sting/injury. Safety is always the priority. If you can safely capture the spider, place it a container that does not present a risk of injury to anyone else. A small glass jar or plastic container with a lid, placed inside another container with a secured lid and handle, such as a small cooler, can help to make it easy to transport the spider.[2]
- Clearly no one needs to be put at risk of being bitten. If it can be done safely, capture the spider and safely take it with you to the medical facility.
- Presenting the spider that did the biting can help in initiating the most effective treatment as quickly as possible. Carrying around a black widow spider might not be the best plan, so at least take very clear pictures of whatever bit you, if you can do so safely.
- Recognize the symptoms. Most people that are bitten by a spider, including a venomous one like a black widow, do not have any serious medical problems as a result.[3]
- Symptoms that can result from a black widow bite include severe and intense pain, stiffness, muscle cramps, abdominal cramps, back pain, excessive sweating, and hypertension.
- Both topical and systemic reactions to the venom from a black widow spider can develop and spread quickly. Seek treatment as soon as possible once you confirm, or are fairly sure, you were bitten by a black widow spider.
- Topical reactions include itching or rash at the site, sweating of the extremity where you were bitten, pain radiating from the site, and discolored areas of the skin that form blisters.
- Systemic reactions include severe and intense muscle pain, pain radiating to the back and chest area, sweating, difficulty breathing, headache, nausea and vomiting, fever and chills, elevated blood pressure, and anxiety, restlessness, and delirium.
EditTreating the Black Widow Spider Bite - Initiate treatment. The first step in treatment is to stay calm and safely identify the spider.[4]
- Wash the area with mild soap and water and use ice applications or a cold cloth to help prevent swelling.
- Do not apply ice directly to the skin. Use a towel or soft and clean cloth between the skin and the ice-filled baggie or cold pack.
- Elevate the area that was bitten if possible and practical.
- Take an over-the-counter product to help with pain and/or inflammation such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin. Be sure to follow the directions on the label.
- Seek medical care. According to reports from poison control centers in the United States, more than 2500 incidents of black widow spider bites are reported each year in the United States. Go to an urgent care clinic or hospital emergency room.[5]
 - You may want to call your regular doctor and inform him or her of the situation. Your doctor may want you to come straight to the office or have a preference as to the medical facility you go to. Wherever you end up going, inform them that you are on your way and that you were bitten by a black widow spider — this will give the staff ample time to prepare.
- Do not attempt to drive yourself to the hospital. The venom from the bite can alter your responses abruptly. You may feel lucid when you start driving, but your condition can change quickly.
- Most people do not experience severe reactions from a black widow spider bite. In fact, some people have no problems at all and do not need medical care.
- Due to the possibility of severe pain, discomfort, and systemic changes, talk with your doctor as soon as possible or go to an emergency room or urgent care clinic to be sure you can receive prompt treatment should you develop any adverse effects or complications.
- Inform the doctor at the treatment facility of all medications or treatment steps taken upon arrival.
- Fortunately, only three cases of death have been recorded over many years.
- Some reports of serious complications and death have been linked to black widow bites in people that were already severely medically compromised.
- Use the antivenom, Antivenin Latrodectus Mactans. The antivenom has been available since the 1920's. At least one case report of a severe hypersensitivity reaction has limited the use of the antivenom in the United States.
 - Complications from the bite are possible. A medical facility can monitor your vital signs and changes in your condition to determine if treatment is warranted.
- An article published in 2011 reviewed four cases of black widow spider bites. Three of the people bitten were treated with the antivenom and one was not due to concerns over hypersensitivity.
- The three people treated with the antivenom experienced relief from the severe pain caused by the bites in a short period of time, usually with 30 minutes of receiving the injection. All three people were observed for a few hours in the emergency treatment facility then discharged to home without further complications.
- The person that did not receive the antivenom was treated with strong pain and anti-inflammatory medications in the emergency department, then required admission to the hospital.
- The person received treatment in the hospital for two days, then began to feel better by the third day. He was discharged to home on the third day without further complications.
EditRecognizing a Black Widow Spider - Identify the black widow spider without disturbing it. The unique marking of a female black widow spider is the bright red hourglass shape on the underneath part of its abdomen.[6]
- The female spider has a black and shiny body with a large and round abdomen. The body is about 1 and ½ inches in length, and the entire spider, legs and all, is more than 1 inch across.
- They have fangs that are a little shorter than those of other spiders, yet still long enough to penetrate human skin.
- Black widow spiders are reported to be commonly found in the southern and western regions of the United States. Other sources and statistics report frequent sightings as far west as California, all along the eastern seaboard, south to Florida, and north as far as Okanagan in BC and central Alberta in Canada.
- Spot possible places where they like to live. Black widows like to live outside where there are plenty of flies to feed on; however, they can be found inside structures and shelters.[7]
- They prefer undisturbed places such as woodpiles, under simulated rock well covers, the eaves of a house, around fences, and other areas where debris piles up.
- Watch for black widows in dark, moist, and undisturbed places like meter boxes, under porches, porch furniture, and inside and around barns and sheds.
- Try not to disturb the web. Black widow spiders like to make their webs between objects that are solid and stationary. Some spiders prefer to make their webs in locations that are more flexible, like between shrubbery and tree branches.[8]
- The black widow's webs are purposefully made in an irregular shape, not like the typical and sometimes practically perfect webs made by other spiders. The fibers of the web are stronger than those found in most spider webs.
- They don't prey on human skin. Most bites occur when their webs are disturbed.
- They are not aggressive but will bite when they feel trapped or are touched.
- Differentiate the males from the females. The females have the classic markings and the more potent venom. If you are bitten by a female black widow, then you need prompt medical attention.[9]
- The body of a female is usually larger in size than a male black widow spider, however the legs of a male are often longer. This can make the overall size of the male appear larger.
- Males can be black but are usually brown in color, and the markings can be anywhere on the abdomen. The red is typical yet some males have markings that are white or brownish.
- The female has the traditional hourglass red shape on the abdomen, but this can appear more orange than red in some females.
- Females have fangs large enough to penetrate human skin and deliver enough venom to create a systemic reaction.
- Bites from male black widow spiders are not considered to be capable of delivering venom.
- The black widow spider was named for the tendency of the female to eat the male after mating. This is not the always the case, but it is a real possibility.
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| How to Improve the Quality of Your Voice Posted: 24 Feb 2017 12:00 AM PST Contrary to the popular saying, practise doesn't necessarily make perfect; it does, however, make better! There are a lot of practical things you can do to improve the quality of your voice, from learning to breathe properly to avoiding certain foods, to trying specific warmup exercises before singing or speaking. These aren't overnight solutions, but with time and work, you can absolutely improve the quality of your voice. EditBreathing and Standing Correctly - Learn to breathe. Breathing correctly is imperative to having a strong voice. The key is to breathe deeply:
- As you inhale and exhale, try to inflate your stomach and kidney (back) areas with your breath. To ensure that you're breathing into these areas, place your hands around your waist, with your thumbs on your back, your fingers at your front, and your palms resting on your sides down towards your hips. You should feel your hands expand and contract with each breath. Over time, as you strengthen your breath, these expansions and contractions will get bigger and longer.
- If you have trouble breathing deeply, try lying on the floor on your back, with your hands on your stomach. When you inhale, your hands should rise; when you exhale, your hands should lower.[1]
- Note that your shoulders should not be moving up and down with your breath.
- Use your abs. When you're breathing correctly, when you inhale, the lower muscles (diaphragm) over your abdomen should move outward, making room for more air. As you sing (or talk or just exhale), use those muscles to push the air back out.
- Use the muscles over your lower back (around your kidneys) in exactly the same way to control your inhalations and exhalations.
- Learn the correct posture. Pay attention to the position of your feet, knees, hips, abdomen, chest, shoulders, arms, and head:[2]
- Your feet should be slightly apart, with one foot slightly in front of the other so that your weight is slightly forward.
- Your knees should be relaxed and slightly bent. When aiming for good posture it can be tempting to lock your knees; be careful not to do this.
- Your hands should be relaxed and hanging at your sides.
- Your abdomen should be relaxed but ready to be engaged. To get a sense of how an engaged abdomen feels, place your hands on your waist (with your thumbs on your back) and cough very lightly.
- Your shoulders should slide back and down so that your back is straight and your head is high. Do not hunch or pull your shoulders up towards your ears.
- Your chest should be slightly up and out— this will likely happen naturally when you pull your shoulders back and down.
- Your chin should be parallel with the floor — neither lifted or pointed downward.
- Relax. Once you've moved into the correct posture, check in to make sure that you are not holding tension anywhere. It should not feel as though you're forcing your chest out or your back to be straight. Be sure to relax your face and your neck.
- Singing or speaking while your body and face are tensed will only make it more difficult to produce a high-quality sound.
EditHaving the Correct Mouth Position - Have an open but relaxed mouth. Your mouth should be wide open when you sing, but avoid the temptation to open it so wide that your face and neck muscles tense up. Check in to make sure that your lips, jaw, and neck feel loose and relaxed.
- Lift your soft palate. A common piece of advice from professional singers is to create space in your mouth. Opening your mouth wide is part of how you can do this; another part of creating space involves dropping your jaw and tongue, and lifting your soft palate (the ridged flesh at the roof of your mouth).
- To do this, breathe in as you would before yawning, but try not to yawn. Pay attention to the space this creates in your mouth, including the open feeling at the back of your throat. You want to replicate this wide-mouthed, soft-jawed/lifted palate position when singing.[3]
- Ensure your tongue is positioned correctly. When creating space in your mouth, make sure that your tongue is out of the way. Let it rest softly at the bottom of your mouth, with its tip touching the back of your lower teeth.
- Try not to stick your tongue out or wave it around while you're singing, as this will impair the quality of your voice, and could reduce the richness of your tone.
- Remember to swallow. Too much saliva in your mouth might make it difficult to sing, so remember to swallow before starting!
EditUsing Vocal Exercises to Strengthen Your Voice - Warm up. Before singing or doing more demanding vocal exercises, you'll benefit from doing some of the following simple exercises to warm up your voice:[4]
 - Yawn. Yawning will help stretch and open your mouth and throat, and can help release tension in your neck and diaphragm. To trigger a yawn, try opening your mouth wide and breathing in.[5]
- Cough very gently. Think of it as lightly pushing air out from the back of your throat in short bursts. This will help you engage your lower chest and abdominal muscles, which are the muscles you should use while singing (as opposed to your throat/upper chest).[6]
- Do gentle lip rolls. Hold your lips lightly together and blow air out of them while humming. Focus on having a relaxed throat and an engaged core while you do this. Practise lip rolls going from a low to high note and vice versa. Once you're used to the lip rolls, practise doing scales with them.[7]
- To help your body learn to relax while you sing, tense up your body and then right after releasing the tension, do a lip roll from low to high; repeat, this time going high to low.[8]
- Humming is another gentle way to warm up your voice. Try humming along with music on your way to school or work or, if you'd prefer not to do that sort of thing in public, hum while you cook or while you're in the shower.[9]
- Sing scales. Starting as low as you can comfortably sing, gently move up the scale using a "me" sound until you reach the highest note at which you are comfortable. Then, move down the scale from high to low using an "e" sound.[10]
- Don't push your range — be gentle with it, letting it increase over time.
- You can also do this with an "oo" sound.
- Practise "woo" scales. Your mouth should look as though you're sucking in a long string of spaghetti as you inhale. When you exhale, make a "woo" sound. It should sound buzzy, similar to the sound made by a kazoo. Keep the sound steady as you exhale; do this 2 to 3 times.[11]
- Next, go up and down your scales using the "woo" sound.
- Practise smooth projection with words and phrases. Say groups of single words or entire phrases without stopping between the words — treat them as a single word. Lengthen the vowels and exaggerate the vocalization of each word as you say and/or sing it.[12]
- As you speak/sing, imaging that you're filling a room with your voice.
- Focus on smooth transitions: when switching between higher and lower, and louder and softer parts of a song, imagine moving up and down a ramp — not a staircase.
- Example words: moon moan mourn mane mean.[13]
- Example phrases: many men munch many melons[14]
- Be prepared to feel silly. A lot of vocal exercises can sound and look pretty funny. Relax and have fun with it. Two fun and silly exercises that help open up your throat:
- Sing "meow" slowly, emphasizing its three sounds — mee, ahh, and ooo.
- Make weird faces by stretching out your tongue in all directions. You can do this while singing or even just making weird noises.
- Cool down. As with physical exercise, cooling down after doing vocal exercises is important. One way to cool down is to do the same simple vocal warm-ups you started with (for example, yawning, light coughing, rolling your lips, and humming).[15]
- Another way to cool down is simply to gently glide up and down, and down and up, on the sound "m", so that you feel a tickling vibration in your lip/nose area.[16]
- Remember to breathe and stay relaxed. Whether you're warming up, singing, or giving a speech, breathing deeply and keeping your body, throat, and face relaxed are key to ensuring a high-quality voice.
EditMaking Lifestyle Changes for a Healthy Voice - Drink enough water. Drink at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day — more if you exercise or live somewhere hot (i.e. if you sweat a lot).[17]
- Eat for a healthy voice. Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables promote a healthy voice by keeping the mucus membranes that line your throat healthy.[18]
- Avoid substances that can irritate your vocal folds. These include smoke (even second-hand smoke), spicy foods, milk products, foods with a high-salt content (ex., bacon or salted nuts), citrus fruits, alcohol (including mouthwashes that contain alcohol), and cold and allergy medications.[19][20]
- Get enough sleep. If you body is fatigued, it will show in your voice.[21] Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night; teenagers should aim for 8.5 to 9.5 hours each night.[22]
- If you get at least 7.5 hours of sleep each night and do not wake up feeling refreshed, see your doctor to ensure that there are no underlying reasons for this.[23]
- Relax. Stress affects everything negatively. Take time every day to do something that helps you relax. Relaxing activities include yoga, meditation, walking, watching a show you love, reading a good book, or playing an instrument.
- Avoid shouting. This is particularly important if you have a performance coming up. Shouting can strain your voice and diminish its quality for even a few days after.
- Get help. If the quality of your voice has recently diminished — for example, become raspy, deeper, or strained — it may be a sign that you are experiencing a health issue. To be on the safe side, see a doctor to rule out potential health issues.[24]
- Be patient. It could take some time to improve the quality of your voice. You won't see enormous overnight results, but you likely will feel some difference almost immediately after combining proper breathing and posture with some simple warmups.
- It's okay to take it slow. Start with learning how to breathe more deeply and stand correctly. Once you're comfortable with that, work on your mouth position and some simple warm-ups.
EditLearning from Others - Find a good, professional teacher. A good teacher can give you detailed feedback and advice on how to improve your voice. Aim for someone with classical training, as a classically trained teacher is likely to have experience with a variety of styles.[25]
- If you can't afford a voice coach, there are many online lessons available for free. Just type "singing lessons" or "voice coach" into YouTube, and you'll have a wealth of videos to choose from.
- Listen closely to professional singers and speakers. Listen to the way they handle their breath, volume, articulation, control, vocal habits, and resonance. If you're particularly fond of their style, see if you can replicate it.
- Replicating someone's style is a great way of learning to sing, because it forces you to try things you might not normally try when singing.
- Watch professional singers and speakers. Pay attention to how they breathe and support the notes with their breath. Note their posture and body language. Watch the way they use their lips to shape the sounds and words that they are singing.
- Don't ignore professionals you dislike. Think about why you dislike a certain singer or speaker. What do they do differently from the ones you like? Are they doing something wrong or is it just not your style?
- Compare the way an artist sounds in a live performance to the way he or she sounds in a recording. It is amazing what a good sound engineer can accomplish during a recording session. If you really like an artist's recordings, try to figure out how much is real and how much is engineered before you decide that "you can never sound as good as that!"
- Go to open mics and other local music events. Ask those whose voice you like what they are doing to get that sound. Most will be flattered and pleased to share this information with you.
- To maintain a good voice avoid spicy foods.
- To hold out long notes, breathe from your diaphragm (near the stomach) and not your chest. Filling your diaphragm with air provides a steadier sound that lasts longer.
- You should sing 'meow' slowly before singing as it has three sounds- mee, aah and ooo. It helps open up your throat. Making weird faces by stretching out your tongue in all directions also helps in opening up the throat.
- A singer should maintain a balanced diet and should avoid foods that can cause throat infections or cold items such as ice cream, cold drinks, etc.
- To manage voice tone you must do the same way when you sing a song, rather than you must do the basic principle or breathing. This voice control will help you to be minimizing the great tempo of the vocal and may let you get in the specific ways and specific time.
- These principles generally apply to speaking, as well.
- Nothing helps more than help from a professional or someone who is good at it. Just ask!
- Keep in mind that temperature will affect your pitch.
- Always keep in mind no one is perfect in singing at all! Control your breathing and keep a steady voice!
- Add honey to warm water and drink early in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Try making random noises to help the voice relax.
- Try not to shout what your trying to sing.
- if you are nervous, it will show in your voice, so try and stay calm. It will have a large effect on how steady your voice is.
- Singing shouldn't hurt. If you start to have problems, you may be tensing up your muscles, using the wrong amount of breath, keeping the wrong posture, forcing notes out without an open throat, or something else that's straining. It's important to address the problem. Just relax!
- Despite popular belief, DO NOT add lemon to your water. It dries out your voice, causing it to sound strained.
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