Members rim Posted December 29, 2005 Author Members Share Posted December 29, 2005 Originally posted by worthyjoe I've been sick with a cold since xmas eve and am feeling better but am still congested. If the only problem you have is congestion, you may want to try Afrin nasal spray - really opens you up! -------------- Thanks all for the advice. I'm gonna try to do as much of the good advice here as I can. Just plain warm water has been very soothing (though I'm peeing every hour now ). I usually pound orange juice when I'm fighting something but I better lay off the acidity so gonna get me some vitamin C pills. And humidifier with Vicks - I'm addicted to Vicks, I do have off tomorrow so I'm definitely gonna take it easy. If all else fails, I do have a bottle of Jack at home. All you guys rock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members worthyjoe Posted December 29, 2005 Members Share Posted December 29, 2005 Originally posted by rim If the only problem you have is congestion, you may want to try Afrin nasal spray - really opens you up! -------------- Thanks all for the advice. I'm gonna try to do as much of the good advice here as I can. Just plain warm water has been very soothing (though I'm peeing every hour now ). I usually pound orange juice when I'm fighting something but I better lay off the acidity so gonna get me some vitamin C pills. And humidifier with Vicks - I'm addicted to Vicks, I do have off tomorrow so I'm definitely gonna take it easy. If all else fails, I do have a bottle of Jack at home. All you guys rock! Thanks for the tip. I will pick up some of that Afrin. I just need to loosen it up enough to get through tomorrow. Then I have another week to recover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpacedCowboy Posted December 29, 2005 Members Share Posted December 29, 2005 Rim, hate to sound off with my two cents, but I faced this same dilema with a 3 nighter we had a few weeks back, and had the same problem you did. Here's my suggestions: Throat Coat tea: No caffene in it, and available from any GNC or health food store, and a little honey in it helps things too. Singer's Saving Grace throat spray: Ditto. Except for the honey part. Water: I don't care if you have to go to the john every three minutes. Just drink water. And lots of it. (no ice, however) Lemon juice. But only in small doses. Drink too much on it's own and you'll end up in the club bathroom after the show's over puking your guts out. I know. Sleep. Sleep as much as you bloody well can. Steam: When you shower before the gig, get the shower as steaming hot as you can without scalding yourself and just breath in the steam. It works, trust me. OR, do the tried and true method of standing over a steaming pot. Try not to cough. I know this is the hardest one, but try not to cough as much as you can. The more you hack and cough to try to release that phlegm, the more damage you do. When the gig is done, hack away. Oh, and these should be no-brainers, but they bear repeating: No smoking, no drinking (until after the show, trust me that beer or whatever will taste so much better cuz you've been waiting on it) and no drugs, especially those of the amphetamine persuasion...just like caffine, they'll dry you out worse. Good luck dude...I've been there and I'm rooting for ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BndGrl Posted December 30, 2005 Members Share Posted December 30, 2005 Originally posted by SpacedCowboy Lemon juice. But only in small doses. Drink too much on it's own and you'll end up in the club bathroom after the show's over puking your guts out. I know. Here's My Suggestion: Lemon juice. Don't leave it in a warm car and then try to drink it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dughaze Posted December 30, 2005 Members Share Posted December 30, 2005 I suffer or used to suffer from congestion and sinus problems from allergies until I had sinus surgery. But the thing that has helped more than anything has been using pure old simple salt spray even since the surgery. The salt spray, humidifier, sleep (when you can), and drinking lots of water are my main operations through any cold or during allergy season. You can use salt spray as needed to wash the sinuses and keep the phlegm washed out of the back of the throat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Blackwatch Posted December 30, 2005 Members Share Posted December 30, 2005 I know this sounds like a wifes tale but this really works: -Warm tomato juice with a tablespoon of cayene pepper, well stired and taken every 3-5 hours. This will greatly diminish the symtoms of colds and the flue. I've used this many times and have always had positive results. Good luck.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Arius Posted December 30, 2005 Members Share Posted December 30, 2005 all of the above. definitely no milk, too. drink lots of orange juice. and i usually swill some Buckley's right before i go onstage. that stuff is magic... although i wouldn't mix it with JD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SanDiego333 Posted December 30, 2005 Members Share Posted December 30, 2005 I am an MD, but, you know, online advice is justr a lawsuit waiting to happen, so.... IF I were just looking for ways to try and subside the sympyoms that inflame these things... I would tend to agree that OTC Afrin, along with a saline spray (that can be used when /as needed), would be a good first choice. If you do not have resolution, then perhaps you could check with your personal MD to resolve any infection issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SanDiego333 Posted December 30, 2005 Members Share Posted December 30, 2005 oh ,and... as basic and "un-scientfic" as it sounds...water is your best friend. You can never drink to much of it, and if that fails...you can never drink too much of it... :-) Water...the only drug that doesn't cause my insurance to go up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 2180 Posted December 30, 2005 Members Share Posted December 30, 2005 If you get thru the next couple-of days with all the crazy advice....., I'd suggest going to a good vocal instructor. I studied voice with a private teacher and they do teach you how to sing if you become somewhat-ill or such as that. The one thing you learn with a good teacher, is to know where you "are" in you're talents, then you train your voice to the best possible outcome. My voice teacher was very experienced and had been teaching professional opera singers for many years and he always poo-poo-ed the lemon and honey BS, for just water and rest. Vocalizing is the big thing that most people don't understand and you have to always do it, no matter what, you have to have a strong voice and then you can sing, yes, even when you're sick, if you know your voice and it's limits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jeff Irok Posted December 30, 2005 Members Share Posted December 30, 2005 Count me in for the salt water gargling thing! I'm sure these other tips work as well, but I've done the gargling salt water thing with good results. What you need to do is get a full glass of warm salt water (a healthy amount of salt), take a gulp, and gargle until it's either cool or you gag (you'll gag several times!) Then go for the next gulp. Repeat till empty It takes about 5 minutes or so to get through the whole glass, and you probably have a little mess in the sink when you're done. (I'd recommend doing it in the bathroom with the door closed...it isn't one of the prettier things musicians do!) Best case scanrio is to do that every hour or 2, but if you can't try 3-4 times in the day/evening. This isn't necessarily a long-term fix, but it definitely serves to rejuvinate a tired/worn larnyx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bonscottvocals Posted December 30, 2005 Members Share Posted December 30, 2005 2180 - great advice, and this goes back to my runner's analogy, if you're strong and well prepared, your muscles can do more than the average person in times of personal sickness. A lot of people forget that the vocal chords are only part of the vocal equation - there is the nose, throat, tongue, cheeks, and remainder of vocal mask, along with breathing and breath control. All of these factors make for a strong vocalist. Many singers who are doing the typical blues thing, but there are rarely any incredible passages, powerful belts, or ear-splitting highs in the songs. A little alcohol and a cigarette are what you need to get the sound and feel of these vocals. It doesn't hurt the whole blues mood either. What to do for warmups? Well, it's a good idea to sing a few scales in the middle of your range. Then, slowly work upwards towards higher notes and downwards towards lower until you've covered your range. Other warmups that aren't so 'obvious' are with your tongue, mouth, lips, cheeks, and breathing. Start by humming the letter - b - like a baby blowing spit bubbles. This loosens your lips up. Now do tongue trills, like making motor boat noises when you were a kid while humming scales. Make huge 'O's with your mouth, being careful not to overdo it. There are several breathing exercises, all of them require you to increase the amount of air you are taken in by dropping your diaphram rather than expanding your chest. Although it looks sexier to stick your chest out and suck in your abs, it's the worst possible way to breath for singing. A good way to practice proper breathing as deeply as possible with your diaphram and let it out as slowly as possible while singing 'Haaaaa' on one note. Lastly, learn to visualize notes by seeing the lower notes coming from your abdomen and higher notes ringing through your head. There is more, much more, and only a decent vocal coach can get you in your zone, but this is a good start. The things that you will learn about the manipulation of your voice will help you to hit notes you never thought you could or hadn't done in years. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members anonpostguy Posted December 30, 2005 Members Share Posted December 30, 2005 This guy's advice has saved me several times. Also, look him up on the internet. His singing method allowed me to gain dramatically more control over my voice and gain much more range. Follow his advice about "vocalizing". When you are losing your voice it helps get you through. Also, I found when singing when sick, try to place your voice in different ranges (ie, chest voice or head voice). Typically, even when you start to lose your voice, you will still have range somewhere that you can capitalize on. Make the most of what you have available. "Singing With a Cold" - Mark Baxter Winter and show biz don't mix. Biting winds and piles of snow keep potential audiences at home and make things difficult for load-ins. Then there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpacedCowboy Posted December 30, 2005 Members Share Posted December 30, 2005 Originally posted by 2180 My voice teacher was very experienced and had been teaching professional opera singers for many years and he always poo-poo-ed the lemon and honey BS, for just water and rest. The vocal coach that I took a lot of my advice from (whom trained actors as well as singers) saw nothing wrong with lemon and honey (in moderate amounts) as well as extolled the virtues of water and rest. Different strokes, man.:shrug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jabney Posted December 30, 2005 Members Share Posted December 30, 2005 As a long term sinus sufferer, what I've finally settled on is Sino-Fresh. It's not cheap, I have only been able to find it (so far) at Walmart, and it's not 100% effective. But it does work better than any other product I've tried. Example: I tend to get congested on one side or the other. I'll spray two or three spritzes of Sino-Fresh in each nostril. Then I'll rest on my side with the stuffy sinus side down (in other words the anti-intuitive side) for a half a minute or so. Then I'll turn on the other side and start breathing heavily through my nose (both nostrils). The majority of the time (though not always), the bulk of the mucus that had been in there will be expelled. The product seems to avoid the throat, unless I get too vigorous on the input stroke of the heavy breathing. best, john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Blackwatch Posted December 30, 2005 Members Share Posted December 30, 2005 "Singing With a Cold" - Mark Baxter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SanDiego333 Posted December 30, 2005 Members Share Posted December 30, 2005 Throat-coat tea, Afrin, Saline Spray (if you have nasal congestion), lots of water. After going through Comtrex, Sina-Flu, Claritan, Nasal Crom, et al., I was finally advised by my own MD to just stay with the basics. Seems strange, but it works for me. Of course, he also gave me a shot of anti-biotics, a steriod shot, and a prescription, but as a rule of thumb....water, Afrin, Saline spray, honey /lemon or throat-coat tea... Good luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rossiband Posted January 2, 2006 Members Share Posted January 2, 2006 DONT SPEND / WAST THE MONEY ON ANY DRUM MACHINE,OR HAT OTHER CRAP,Look Our drummer O.D.ed I had To play with Just a bass player If you any good {censored} the drummer and do with out. I had to play guitar sing. no bass no drummer.and Keep them a tough croud moveing.I like haveing a drummer and I looking for a new drummer too but you can pull it off . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rossiband Posted January 2, 2006 Members Share Posted January 2, 2006 And as long as you get payed who caires.and thy call you back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bonscottvocals Posted January 2, 2006 Members Share Posted January 2, 2006 Originally posted by Rossiband And as long as you get payed who caires.and thy call you back. Luckily, your logic is as flawed as your spelling. If you get $100 or even $10,000; you may damage your voice permanently by singing when you should not or with improper technique. In high school, you might look like a big man on campus when you run for the winning touch down at State's with an injured knee and a steroid shot, but what good did that do when instead of being able to play college or pro ball, you wind up a shoe salesman who recalls the good old days - like Al Bundy. To the original poster - how did it go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rim Posted January 2, 2006 Author Members Share Posted January 2, 2006 I'd say my voice was at 10% when I first posted and by the time of the gig it was at 75%. So we replaced some of my more difficult leads with easier ones and when I felt it wouldn't sound too weird, I sang some of the harmonies an octave down. We also turned my vocal mic up more than usual which led to more feedback so we ended up turning the monitor and my mic in a non-usual angle but it worked. There was only a couple of times where I felt my voice warbled reaching for a higher note but no one noticed. Fortunately, I already had Friday off so it was spent taking it easy, drinking lots of warm water (sometimes with honey), taking TheraFlu Cold medicine, taking Vitamin C with Echnicea supplements, gargling with salt water, taking Zicam spray, and AirBorne tablets. I made sure I wasn't taking any of them too close to each other to be safe. By Friday evening, I was able to talk almost normally. I did the humming thing and tried to sing a little but I still I didn't have anything higher than the my low range. On Saturday, I was feeling better and talking normally. I started feeling worse when I was loading the band equipment to my truck but thankfully, a friend of the band came over to help. I was a little worried especially since I still had almost 3 hours to drive to Philly. To make matters worse, the bass player was having issues with his gf and it was unclear when (or maybe even if) he was showing up to the bar. Anyway, everyone showed up at the bar on time if not earlier. Though my voice was fine, the gig wasn't without incident. We tripped the circuit breaker twice (another first for us ). After the first time, I noticed the DJ (they also had a DJ) still had power so I changed one of our extension cords to an outlet he was using. I guess the DJ misunderstood because the outlet I thought he was using for his gear was still in the same circuit (the one that was still working was hidden from my view) which is how we tripped it again. After the second time, we found an outlet in the kitchen and we were able to do a 4-song mini set before the countdown without further incident. I'll create a separate thread for our power problems. Between my voice problems, the possibility of the bass player not showing up, the long drive (for us) to the gig and tripping the circuit breaker twice, it could have definitely been worse. Overall, it was good and felt like we survived a battle. Thanks all, for the excellent advice. We don't gig that much (less than once a month) and I don't get sick often, so this is the first time I got sick a few days before a gig in the 6 years we've been playing out. My voice wouldn't have been ready if it weren't for all your help. Virtual drinks for everyone, on me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ibescotty Posted January 4, 2006 Members Share Posted January 4, 2006 Sorry to hear about that kind of stress before a gig RIM. Hopefully you remembered to have fun!! P.S. Is double post dead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rim Posted January 4, 2006 Author Members Share Posted January 4, 2006 Hey Scotty! I was wondering about doublepost myself. Hopefully, it's just an extended hiatus. I had a good time after the gig drinking and smoking - I quit smoking on the 1st so I didn't deny myself the last hurrah. I only had 2 cigs on Friday and just 3 before heading up to Philly on Saturday. I'm normally a 10-15 cigs per day smoker so I felt pretty good about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ibescotty Posted January 4, 2006 Members Share Posted January 4, 2006 Congrats on quiting smoking. I could never sing and smoke. I somehow make it through the night with all the 2nd hand smoke as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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