losing voice

[Cutie93]

sonot drink orange juice before you sing that causes alot of phlem. Also, if you can try to use a vaporizer before yuo go on that really helps to
Hope I helped

[Greg]

I read recently that you should put some salt water with baking soda in your nose if your nasal passages aren't clear.

Haven't tried it, but there have been times when I've thought about it.

[ChrisNeedsHelp]

I have never sung in a band or any kind of organized group, but I sing on my own for fun. I have noticed when I am singing along with a song that after 3 songs or so, sometimes my voice just "dies." My entire upper range is gone and my voice gets scratchy. I can still sing the deeper notes, but higher notes I just can't reach anymore. I realize singing can sometimes be bad for your voice, but it seems as if I'm losing my voice way too fast. This only started happening recently.

Before I "lose" my voice, I sing the deeper notes with a kind of natural scratchy-ness to give it that edge. Very similar to the way Dave Grohl sings. I believe this to contribute to my voice going. Is there a proper way to sing like that without losing your voice? Regardless, I will lose my voice even if I don't scratch.

I enjoy singing, but I'm afraid I'm doing it wrong and causing permanent damage to my voice. Could it be that I'm not preparing properly or that I am just singing the wrong way?

[Guest]

[Io U]

[Tawanaa]

Greg,

That is true. It's called Nasal Irrigation. I got a recipe (don't have it now but I have it remembered) for it from an allergy doctor. You actually use "Canning Salt" (about a 1/4 to 1/2 tsp). The Baking Soda's about the same amount. You put it in an empty "clean" plastic bottle (with about 8 ozs. of water) or something similar with a good size tip (but not too big) to put in your nose. You squirt it real fast on each side. The water forces the mucus out of your nose to help you breath. You might need to blow your nose inbetween irrigating each side. It's not a pleasant experience. But if you're congested (& nothing else works)-it will decongest you. P.S. I hope that I didn't gross anyone out!

"Tawana"

[Tawanaa]

Rick,

As far as getting your voice back after major surgery, I'd have to tell you to talk to a Vocal Therapist or a throat specialist. They would be able to tell you if you'd be able to get back your singing voice, etc... I think it's great that you're still able to sing after a surgery like that. Mark Baxter might be a good one (he's in Massachusetts part time). He's a vocal therapist & he's worked with a lot of "Rock Bands". You could do a google search on him to find his website & get his contact information. Another person that comes to mind, is Dr. Sanskey (Stansky-spelling). He's in Houston. From what I've been told, he's the best throat specialist (ENT) in the whole country. He's worked on a lot of well known opera singer's throats. There's also a vocal therapist within his practice as well. He's expensive. But if you have insurance, it should cover it (if he listed with your insurance). His infor. is: www.TexasVoiceCenter.com.

I hope this helps out.

"Tawana"

[picture605]

[MrsPeabody]

I have an Aunt who's an opera singer and she uses drops of tea tree oil on her tongue before a performance to soothe a sore throat.

She also is mandated by the company she works for not to speak for up to several days before a big show or between shows.

Perhaps this is a bit extreme, but if singing is your bread and butter, then you do what you have to do.

[valhal]

What a thoroughly interesting and enjoyable topic this has been. I have read every post with much enthusiasm. I have only just started to do a bit of singing, so I have found all the advise, and tips and tricks, to be extremely helpful. My thanks to all the contributors.

Hal Eaton

[MrsPeabody]

I haven't been following this link all along, but from what I've seen so far, I have not noticed a mention of the dangers of vocal nodes. Frequently losing your voice for the days that follow a performance can be an indication of a potentially dangerous condition.

Vocal Nodes are actual noduals that can form on your vocal chords causing your voice to sound scratchy and gravely. Though some artists make this their signature sound (Tom Waits), most singers don't want to sound like they've been smoking a pack a day of Lucky Strikes for 40 years.

If you do think you might be developing vocal nodes, see a doctor!!! This condition can be potentially devastating to a vocal career. I have a friend who was diagnosed with vocal nodes and she goes through periods of months where she certainly can't sing because she can barely speak!

One of the only ways to get rid of vocal nodes once you have already developed them is to have invasive surgery that will most likely alter your voice forever. Vocal nodes are basically a death certificate for a singer.

Here's some advice on vocal warm-ups that I put together for a friend of mine. These are all methods that I learned from about about 14 years of singing in choirs.

One good practice is to always (ALWAYS) warm up your voice before singing. If you've talked all day (like you just taught a class or tutored) then you don't have to worry as much about it (but I would still do it), but this is especially crucial (CRUCIAL) if you just woke up or haven't talked at all all day and you're going to sing.

First, breathe -- this literally stretches your lungs before you sing just like you would stretch your muscles before you run.

Second -- lip trills -- squeeze your lips together and hum through them making your lips buzz and flap together. Hum up and down the musical scales when you do this. Start with your lowest comfortable range and work to your highest comfortable range.

Third, sustain one note while singing A-E-I-O-U, keep your jaw loose, try not to tense up. Make your transition from each vowel smooth. Pick a scale (such as the C major scale, use a key board to get the note to start on and for each progressive note) and start at the bottom note, C, and progress (D, E, F ect…) doing the same thing on each note until you get to the last C note and stop.

Fourth, something more aerobic, sing the phrase "I owe you a very bright penny" and accentuate every syllable -- force yourself to use lots of air to spit out every syllable -- "I OH YU AI Very BRRRiT P(uh) eNNNEE!" Sing this all on one note in the C major scale and starting with the bottom C and working your way up to the last C (so you do this and the previous exercise 8 times respectively).

Fifth, sing LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA (7 LA's) starting with the first LA on the first note of the C major scale, then the second LA on the 3rd note of the scale, the 3rd LA on the 5th note of the scale and the 4th note on the 8th note (the top C in the C major scale), then the 5th LA on the 5th note of the scale, the 6th LA on the 3rd note and the last (7th) LA on the 1st note (or C) of the scale. So the scale you sing spells out the major chord of the scale, 1-3-5-8-5-3-1, LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA. Once you've done this, go up to the next major scale and do the same thing, then the next major scale and the next and the next until you've done this 8 times.

If you get too high or low on any note such that you can't reach the notes anymore, stop! This IS what straining your voice is -- forcing it to do things it can't. This is what physically damages your vocal chords -- like scraping a brillo pad over nylon violin strings.

You CAN, however, expand your range by doing these and other exercises before you sing, just like you can get more flexible by stretching everyday. A vocal instructor or choir director (perhaps at your local church or synagogue) could help you figure this out with a little time and a piano. Also, to make warming up easier for you, I recommend that you create an audio file on your computer, if you have the equipment, that plays these scale patterns for you that way you can just sing along whenever you want. If you know some piano basics or someone you know could teach you how to play scales (at least on a key board, even a cheap Casio kid's keyboard works) you could record them on a tape and play it back.

Warm UP!!! Save your voice!!! Keep singing!!

"My life flows on
in endless song
above Earth's lamentations
I hear the wheel
though far off wind
that hails a new
creation.

Through all the tumult
and the strife
while to that rock
I'm clinging
it sounds an echo in my soul:
How can I keep from singing?"

[artpaul]

I'm a street performer and I sing for hours on the street and I've notice that the more you sing practicing weekly the stronger your vocal chords get.

I've also notice that yelling can make you lose your voice for a day so if you got to sing try not to argue with someone just before the performance.

Another thing is having a day of no singing before you sing makes your voice better when you sing.

Another I would like to mention that might help is prayer.

Maybe if you pray to God he will show you what to do and not do to help your voice.

[naturalblondie]

I've been kinda close to losing my voice before, but all I knew was to cut back on singing really strong, and I'd be fine. But, great advice on what to do before you sing. I only wished that rock stars took better care of themselves and their voices. One musician, Levon Helm from THE BAND, lost his voice from 1997 to 2005. His case was severe because he was a longtime smoker. he had throat cancer, and had to get 28 radiation treatments AFTER surgery to get rid of the cancer. He couldn't even speak; he had to whisper and write notes for a few years, and wait for his vocal cords to heal properly. Then his voice came back slowly last year, and now he's FINALLY able to sing again! You can hear him on the Midnight Ramble Sessions.

Levon Helm Band - Midnight Ramble Volume 2
http://www.napster.com/player/album/12112727

[christineanderson]

RE: Losing Your Voice

Some people sing correctly naturally, but most do not. A lot of times when people sing incorrectly, they wear out their vocal chords. They sing too loud, too hard, and and they force high notes to come from their chest voice when they should be moving with ease into their middle or head voices. This doesn't happen overnight. You need to work on your voice, and it could take months or years to develop the proper strength and control. But if you love singing with all your heart, then each day is a new adventure, and the journey is a fun one!

It's really important for you to learn the difference between your chest voice, middle voice, and head voice. Practice singing scales and notice where your voice breaks or where you strain. That's when you need to stop using your chest voice and start using your middle voice. As much as I wish it were, this is not really something anyone could explain with words alone, so my suggestion is to talk to a professional singer and get some help.

Losing your voice is a sign that you are doing major damage to your vocal chords, and it means you are not singing right!! If you love to sing, don't jeopardize the only vocal chords you've got. Even if you have to pay for a lesson, do it. Tape the lesson and play it back every day, singing along. You can also buy tapes with scales and arpeggios and other exercises at just about any major bookstore. If you're losing your voice frequently, it is worth the investment. Learning proper vocal mechanics is everything as far as protecting the longevity of your voice. But too many vocal lessons can make you sound like "everybody else" for lack of a better phrase. If you have a distinctive voice, and you value your uniqueness, then all you really should work on is proper breathing and how to move from one voice to the other. The rest, my dear, is up to you!!

Also, be sure you are singing into a mike and that you can hear yourself well. When you sing without a mike, you're not even hearing what you sound like. You're feeling vibrations in your head, so what you hear isn't what other people hear when they listen to you. Try listening to yourself sing through headphones. Be sure you don't sing too loud or use too mucgh breath. Loud is only good if you're doing it right, and too much breath makes you lose tone. Plus, if you're singing incorrectly, and you're doing it loud, you're hurting your voice - possibly permanently. So start quiet and keep the sound in the back of your throat. Focus it in the same place.

I hope this helps.

Christine Anderson
www.christineanderson.net

[GregK]

Wow, this is a GREAT thread!! I know that at times I sing WAAAYYY Out of my range- only because I love the sound of "Older led Zeppelin" style of singing- yes, I know it is dangerous- thankfully I don't do it often..especially now that 'm older and cannot even attempt the high notes!
I'm really concerned because last week my wife lost her voice (she does not sing-she was cleaning out a basement and the enviroment got her into a coughing fit) it has been a litle over a week now and her voice is still gone. (considering that she's up north and I'm down here picture a woman who lost her voice trying to speak through a cell phone to a guy who can't hear well..it's a bit frustrating..LOL!)
SO- my question is- once it's gone.. what tricks/tips/techniques to get it back..as I mentioned she does not sing, so she's not going to try singing scales. So far we have tried sudafed, honey and lemon- and she still sounds like E.T.
HELP!!! -thanks and blessings! -gregK