As far as food is concerned, it is important to avoid singing on a completely empty stomach. Singing can be athletic, and you want to have plenty of energy for your performance. However, it is also important to avoid singing on a completely full stomach.
It is generally advisable to wait at least 30 minutes to an hour after eating before singing and to avoid consuming foods and drinks.
Food you eat doesn't touch your vocal folds. So although it's fine to eat things that feel good – steamy soup in cold weather or ice cream when your throat is hot and dry — the more important principle is to choose foods based on overall health rather on than what might feel good for an instant on your throat.
Stomach acid may fall onto the vocal folds, irritating or burning them, causing discomfort and temporary vocal damage that can be further aggravated by singing. To prevent these negative effects on the voice, it's best to steer clear of meals that may trigger reflux and heartburn in the days before a vocal performance.
Make sure to never stuff yourself, especially before a performance. Some foods and beverages to avoid prior to singing are mucous producing foods such as dairy, stimulants such as caffeine and spicy foods, soft drinks, refined sugars, chocolate, iced drinks and alcohol (including wine and beer).
The best drinks for your singing voice are water (especially room-temperature water, perhaps with a squeeze or two of lemon) and tea, but be careful about consuming too much caffeine, which can dehydrate you. You can find wonderful herbal teas designed for singers.
Milk. When you drink milk, it increases the mucus in the back of the nose and throat. This can make your voice unclear and cause you to cough and clear your throat more often, which can damage your vocal cords.
The creamy texture of bananas can produce extra mucus and coat your throat, which leads to unclear vocals. The thickness of a banana will inhibit your singing ability and are best to be avoided right before your performance. Eating a banana is essentially the same as eating dairy before singing, both are bad news.
The best drinks before singing are warm drinks without caffeine or milk, warm water and herbal teas containing manuka honey, lemon and ginger are ideal. Warm or room-temperature water will hydrate your vocal cords, making them more supple and less liable to injury.
Diaphragmatic singing helps protect your vocal cords, improves your vocal range, and allows you to achieve a fuller, louder sound. It also helps regulate breathing to prevent you from running out of breath in the middle of a phrase.
Proper Breathing for singing
Breathe in and RELAX your stomach. That means the stomach should move outwards when you breathe in. You may have to really work on this because we often hold our stomach's tight all day long.
Singers breathing in (summary): Singers can and should breathe in basically the same way they would do for healthy, efficient, everyday breathing, and include the SPLAT – 'Singers Please Loosen Abdominal Tension'. One key detail is that singers should always inhale through their mouth rather than their nose.
Although bananas are good for nerves, mood, and sustaining energy levels, they're not so kind on your vocals. Bananas can produce extra phlegm or mucus which sits on your vocal cords and leads to an unclear tone.
Cold water can shock the vocal cords and create tension which limits your vocal range and ability. But, hot water can cause inflammation and increase mucus production. Stick to room-temperature water which enables flexibility in your cords.
Milk, yogurt, cheese, and other dairy
But dairy in general is difficult for the body to break down. It's a big no-no before your show. In many cases, it causes acid reflux that can creep up your esophagus and burn your vocal cords.
Food You Should Eat
In all seriousness, while it's important to still eat in moderation and to not eat within two hours of a performance, keep an eye out for these voice-friendly foods: Hard- and soft-boiled eggs. Plain baked fish, such as salmon or tilapia, but stay away from the tartar sauce.
Drink plenty of water, especially when exercising. If you drink caffeinated beverages or alcohol, balance your intake with plenty of water. Take vocal naps—rest your voice throughout the day. Use a humidifier in your home.
Tuning (Pitch)
If you don't sing in-tune correctly, people will say you sound “off-key,” and some will assume you're tone-deaf. Make sure you learn every single note you need to sing in a song. Also, practice the notes slowly and accurately. Finally, sing in a key that isn't too high or too low for your voice.
Warming up your voice will allow you to sing better and extend your range comfortably. It is absolutely necessary to always warm up before singing.
A vocal warmup should take 15–20 minutes.
If you're a newer singer, or if your performance is early in the day and you haven't spoken much yet, take an extra five minutes to ensure you cover the full range of breathing, voicing, resonance, and articulation exercises.