I’m just finishing up recording for my EP.

The last thing that I like to record is vocals. I sing all the vocals myself, and I like having all the other instruments blaring in my headphones to give me a nice musical environment to sing in.

There is a lot of information out there about how to record vocals well. But today I want to talk about how to prepare your voice for recording. Because no matter what mic you use, or what DAW to record into, or what mixing tricks you have up your sleeve, a good vocal recording starts with a great voice.

If you’re not a singer yourself, chances are you’re going to need to work with a singer sooner or later. These tips will help you to prepare your singer for recording day.

Practice, practice, practice

Ok, so maybe it’s a no-brainer, but it has to be said.

You’re not gonna get a good vocal recording if you can’t sing the part well.

Yes, we have some great tools today for making a vocal recording sound great. Autotune and Melodyne can work wonders when used properly. But there will never be a tool that can take a bad vocal performance and make it sound great. It’s just not possible.

So make sure to practice the part. Practice a lot. It will help you to be able to hit the notes effortlessly so you can focus on what really matters: the character and emotion of the performance.

Take care of your voice

On my vocal recording day, I made sure to spend some time warming up my vocal cords. I didn’t do specific vocal warmups (although I probably should have), but I did a number of things to prepare:

1. I sang a few songs with just me and my guitar. Not songs I was recording, just some other songs I knew. If you’re going to do this to warm up, make sure the songs are easy and don’t strain your voice.
2. I drank a hot drink. It was a Lemon Balm and Honey herbal infusion, actually. It was delicious and soothing. This sort of thing warms and wets your vocal cords. Just stay away from milk and caffeine. Even a simple mixture of hot water, lemon juice, and honey will do the trick.
3. I “steamed” my voice. This is something I often do if I have to sing when I have a cold. Simply boil some water in a pot, put the pot on the table, stick your head over the pot, cover your head and the pot with a towel so the steam doesn’t get away, and breathe. It looks absolutely ridiculous. But spending a few minutes inhaling the hot steam will help to warm and loosen up your vocal cords. Just be careful not to burn yourself…

Have plenty of water ready

It’s really important to keep your vocal cords hydrated. You can damage them otherwise, especially if you’re singing songs that are at your vocal limit.

I usually have a water bottle right beside me when I’m recording vocals, and I have a small drink before every take. Have a sip, clear your throat, and start singing. It helps to keep you at the top of your game.

Take breaks

Seriously. Don’t do 3 takes of 5 songs all in one go. You gotta take breaks if you don’t want to hurt yourself.

Recording any instrument is the same way, but this is even more important for vocals. Again, especially if you’re singing a difficult song. Your vocal cords need time to relax and get ready for the next song.

There’s no formula here. I’m not going to tell you to record a certain number of takes and then have a break. Just be mindful of how your voice is feeling, and take a break before you strain it too much. You may even need to quit for the day and come back tomorrow. It’s better than pushing it too hard and hurting yourself.

Don’t overdo it

Unlike other instruments like guitar, a vocalist can only do so many recordings before tiring out. So don’t record 10 takes of a vocal part. It’s just not going to be worth it.

Personally, I like to stick with 2 or 3 takes at most. If I can do it in 1, then that’s even better. But after 3 takes, things can start to get worse instead of better. You get tired, and start to wear yourself out.

So don’t overdo it.

What do you do to prepare for a vocal recording? Have any other tips? Leave a comment below!