Need help with singing stamina!

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Guitarfreak585

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I've recently been "promoted" to the singer in our band. I was just playing guitar and doing back ups, but the singer quit, so I get to step up and do it. I'm pretty excited about it!

But, after a couple of hours of singing, my throat is raw, and dry, and I'm just flat worn out. This is not good. We're looking to be a gigging band around town and the area, and our shows will probably be 3 or 4 hours long (with breaks in between granted, but still). And I just dont know what to do to extend my singing "stamina" if you will.

Is there something I can drink? Or avoid drinking? Exercises? Anything at all?
 
Don't smoke , sing in your range only, get someone else in the band to sing every 4th or 5th song so you can rest. Drink water on stage. I can go for 2 hours straight within my range with no adverse affects. Just stop every 45 minutes to tune my guitar. Stamina comes with experience. SO the more you sing (correctly) the more you should be able to last. There's a limit to everything though.
 
Adding to idol's sound advise...

Get a voice coach or teacher. Start cycling to build up your lung capacity. Lay off the drugs, booze, coffee and sweetened soft drinks until at least the middle of the show. And don't wait till you are on stage to drink water- pre-hydrate- start drinking hours before you start the show. You should need to pee like a horse on a flat rock right before you take the stage.
 
Thanks guys. Unfortunately a coach or teacher isnt an option for me. Moneys too tight to really justify it. But ive never touched drugs or a cigarette in my life, dont drink coffee except at the gym, and im working on quitting sodas altogether. I guess i just need to practice more. And keep plenty of water available too.
 
When you sing do your neck muscles get tired and does your throat stiffen up? If so, your're relying on your throat too much. Try to practice breathing in deep so that your belly rises, not your chest and when you sing, think of your midsection as a bellow and use your abdominal muscles to push the air out. Also as you let the air out, keep those muscles engaged to stop your body from deflating. This will help engage the diaphragm and the correct muscles. A humidifier helps me when the air gets too dry and hot tea with as little sure as you can take should soothe your throat.
jilljaxxteaches - YouTube She has some pretty good tips that might help.
 
Cool I'll check that out. Nah my neck doesnt get stiff, I just feel like I'm just bad out of breath after awhile. Makes sense right? I sing pretty loudly though most of the time, lots of projection, or at least Id like to think so. Its just hard for me to maintain it over an extended period of time. It feels like my lung capacity is just low. Supposedly I have asthma, a doctor told me I did when I was like 16, but it's never been a real problem, but I wonder if thats contributing to it at all. But I just didnt know if there was anything extra I could do or anything.
 
Sounds like you just need to give yourself time to adjust. Do you move around a lot when you sing? Perhaps chillin on a stool would help conserve some air. You just gotta make sure you sit up tall. Taking deep breathes all the time helps me, even if it's just a short phrase coming up. Then it's easier to fill up when I need to cuz I've already got some reserved. lol Asthma could affect you but usually only if it flares up and imflames your bronchials. I have asthma but it only bothers me if I have a cold or if I go out in the winter air without a scarf over my mouth and nose. You may be singing louder than you need to. There's nothing wrong with letting the mic work for you. Congrats on your promotion. :)


Guitarfreak585 said:
Cool I'll check that out. Nah my neck doesnt get stiff, I just feel like I'm just bad out of breath after awhile. Makes sense right? I sing pretty loudly though most of the time, lots of projection, or at least Id like to think so. Its just hard for me to maintain it over an extended period of time. It feels like my lung capacity is just low. Supposedly I have asthma, a doctor told me I did when I was like 16, but it's never been a real problem, but I wonder if thats contributing to it at all. But I just didnt know if there was anything extra I could do or anything.
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Dionna Blue said:
Sounds like you just need to give yourself time to adjust. Do you move around a lot when you sing? Perhaps chillin on a stool would help conserve some air. You just gotta make sure you sit up tall. Taking deep breathes all the time helps me, even if it's just a short phrase coming up. Then it's easier to fill up when I need to cuz I've already got some reserved. lol Asthma could affect you but usually only if it flares up and imflames your bronchials. I have asthma but it only bothers me if I have a cold or if I go out in the winter air without a scarf over my mouth and nose. You may be singing louder than you need to. There's nothing wrong with letting the mic work for you. Congrats on your promotion. :)
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This ^^^^^^^^^^ :D
 
Dionna Blue said:
Sounds like you just need to give yourself time to adjust. Do you move around a lot when you sing? Perhaps chillin on a stool would help conserve some air. You just gotta make sure you sit up tall. Taking deep breathes all the time helps me, even if it's just a short phrase coming up. Then it's easier to fill up when I need to cuz I've already got some reserved. lol Asthma could affect you but usually only if it flares up and imflames your bronchials. I have asthma but it only bothers me if I have a cold or if I go out in the winter air without a scarf over my mouth and nose. You may be singing louder than you need to. There's nothing wrong with letting the mic work for you. Congrats on your promotion. :)
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I dont necessarily move around a lot, but we're a rock band and I play guitar and lead work too. So theres a lot to process and I'm not used to doing all of it at once just yet either. Some of this stuff I doubt very seriously if the guys on the radio can sing as well as are on the album, lol. So I try to just do the best I can. We are trying to get in an acoustic song or two per set so I can "rest".

I'm glad you told me about the asthma though cause I know nothing about it. I dont feel like I'm getting inflammed, just short of breath.
 
Yes studio and live are 2 totally different animals as you well know. You will wheeze if your asthma is flaring up. The bronchials swell and cause wheezing when the air travels through the squeezed passages. A full set is a lot for any singer, there are usually rest periods of instrumental sets, guests, alternate singers, etc. at concerts. That's not a bad idea at all.

Guitarfreak585 said:
I dont necessarily move around a lot, but we're a rock band and I play guitar and lead work too. So theres a lot to process and I'm not used to doing all of it at once just yet either. Some of this stuff I doubt very seriously if the guys on the radio can sing as well as are on the album, lol. So I try to just do the best I can. We are trying to get in an acoustic song or two per set so I can "rest".

I'm glad you told me about the asthma though cause I know nothing about it. I dont feel like I'm getting inflammed, just short of breath.
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Guitarfreak585 said:
Cool I'll check that out. Nah my neck doesnt get stiff, I just feel like I'm just bad out of breath after awhile. Makes sense right? I sing pretty loudly though most of the time, lots of projection, or at least Id like to think so. Its just hard for me to maintain it over an extended period of time. It feels like my lung capacity is just low. Supposedly I have asthma, a doctor told me I did when I was like 16, but it's never been a real problem, but I wonder if thats contributing to it at all. But I just didnt know if there was anything extra I could do or anything.
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It sure is part of the problem.

I've been in the same situation as you to a degree.

personally, i've always found it funny to hear people say "you gotta make sure you do this and do that... and if you want to sound good make sure you do this"

i think its all bull shit.

just get up there and do it... if your a new stage singer you will need time to grow just like everything else.

the only things to look out for is get your throat checked every once in a while to make sure your not fucking up... dont frequently push through pain (the show must go on)... rest your voice well after a show... and do warmups and drink water.

getting a teacher/not drinking coffee or soda or any of that is just dumb..

personally i dont drink beer or soda before or during a show, but because i dont want to be burping instead of singing :P

edit... i forgot to mention... as soon as i found out i had asthma and got it treated... my singing became 20x better... singing is all about air support... each note has a different amount of air pressure and to extend your range.. the most important thing to learn about is how much air to push... hard to do when you cant breath properly. theres the right way and the wrong way to hit a tenor C ... the right way is to find the amount of air pressure needed and the correct shape of your voice box to hit the note... the wrong way is to push as hard as you can for it.... i do both because like any other instrument... the tone is different as to how you do it... sometimes you're really looking for that heavy push/strained voice sound... but tahts the stuff that depletes you quick.

also a strategically designed set lets will help you aswell.
 
I dont know man. That sounds so much like all the guys that ever told me to "just get under it and push" at the gym. Theres more to it sometimes I think. I think I've got a good voice, and I know my range pretty well, I just need to work up to being able to do it for longer periods of time.
 
Guitarfreak585 said:
I dont know man. That sounds so much like all the guys that ever told me to "just get under it and push" at the gym. Theres more to it sometimes I think. I think I've got a good voice, and I know my range pretty well, I just need to work up to being able to do it for longer periods of time.
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Are you playing bars? Are you cover band or originals? When you play "out" how long do you play? What songs (name names) are you playing? Are they all in your range? Do you have anyone to relieve you for a song or two every set? More info will help!
 
As other's have said, sing in your range.

Don't push it to far either as that could cause more harm than good. Especially at practice make sure you sing till your tired, push a bit longer and then take a 10-15 minute break.

You'll find that you can go a little longer each time.
 
Probably will be playing bars and clubs, shooting for a 4 hour show, including the breaks of course, have no one to fill in for me. No one else in the band sings. We're an alt/hard rock band. We're doing stuff like Breaking Benjamin, Nickelback, Alice in Chains, Eve 6, Chevelle, Shinedown, Fuel, things like that. Most of it is in my range, but if it isnt, usually we'll transpose it down a bit so i feel more comfortable singing. I prefer to sing the Breaking Benjamin stuff. He fits my range pretty well. But i just run out of breath on some of the more difficult ones like Shinedown or Three Days Grace.
 
im actually strongly against the "just push" at the gym ... more reps and less weight is always the way to go... but lets not compare apples to oranges. the reason why thats a bad idea at the gym is because you could damage your joints and bones or pull something.

what im talking about doing with your voice isnt close to the same... but, to each their own... i've gone from singing an F4 at my peak to singing well above a C5 up to a G5 in full voice due to what i've done.
 
Stay clear of dairy and don't eat a heavy meal before you gig or it will affect your singing abilities! You say that breath is your main issue - I hope this helps:

Make sure you warm up your voice before you sing and make sure you are pushing and controlling your singing with your diaphragm - NOT your throat. If you are singing from your throat or breathing wrongly then you are likely to damage something and not be able to sustain your singing for any amount of time. Check your breathing is fine - clavicular breathing is when you see your clavicle and shoulders rise when you breathe - this is the wrong way to do it. You want diaphragmatic breathing which is when you see your belly rise when you breathe in and fall when you breathe out. Practice some simple breathing exercises using this technique (it's the kind of breath you use for a yawn - deep and from the pit of your stomach). You then should learn how to control your breath - take a deep breath (from the diaphragm!) and release it slowly and be as controlled as you can (don't let air escape like a deflating balloon - pretend you are channelling a direct and controlled stream of air through a small straw). Do this until your lungs are empty - this will help your breathing technique.
 
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