All sorts of methods to learn from here.

Like others I try to sing everyday as much as possible to maximize range and tone. A one-hour round-trip between home and the office helps with this.

I very rarely sing enough to start a gig feeling really ready and in full voice. To deal with this, early tunes in the first set tend to be ones that are in my mid-range and that stretch both low and high ends of the mid-range - Any Old Time (C), St. James Infirmary (Fm), Key to the Highway (E), etc. I perform solo about half the time and play in a guitar/vocal duo the other half, so it's often necessary to negotiate my voice preparation needs with my unindicted musical co-conspirator.

I drink anything from water to ice tea to beer to whiskey depending on what feels right.

After two full hours of singing at a gig I feel like my voice is just hitting it's stride. Am also just moving into that mode where my voice feels equally relaxed and controlled (if you know what I mean). Unless I have a cold, the longer I sing, the better I feel and sound. Unfortunately most gigs last only 3 to 4 hours; some only 2.

- Merritt