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I'm kinda freaking a little sorta...


sorocknroll

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I'm getting scared. My voice is getting raspier and raspier - and quite quickly. It sounds like it needs a day or two to repair, but it won't repair!

 

I'm starting to freak a little that one of these days I'm going to get on stage and nothing will come out. I'm finding I have less and less control and my range is being crippled. I smoke, but TONS of singers smoke and still wail - some for decades. I haven't even been doing this for a year yet.

 

I am freaking to the point where I know I need to quit smoking. Aside from that, though, do any of you have any ideas how to either repair my voice or prevent it from further damage?

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For one thing, rest your voice, right now. Even if you were just in the middle of a phrase :-)

 

Secondly, look into some singer's teas - ones that'll coat your throat and protect them.

 

In addition to resting, you might want to visit a quality vocal coach/teacher, who will be able to tell you what you're doing to your instrument, and how to create those sounds without damage (if possible). There are also throat doctors with a deep understanding of the vocal process - they should be equally instructive. But for now, rest. How much and how hard do you practice, anyway?

 

Oh, and please quit smoking. Smokers look really cool leaning against the wall, one foot on the ground and the other on the wall behind them, taking a slow drag and looking out to the stars. I've always envied that, but you can definitely be cool without it :-) You'll save money, too!

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For one thing, rest your voice, right now. Even if you were just in the middle of a phrase :-)


Secondly, look into some singer's teas - ones that'll coat your throat and protect them.


In addition to resting, you might want to visit a quality vocal coach/teacher, who will be able to tell you what you're doing to your instrument, and how to create those sounds without damage (if possible). There are also throat doctors with a deep understanding of the vocal process - they should be equally instructive. But for now, rest. How much and how hard do you practice, anyway?


Oh, and please quit smoking. Smokers look really cool leaning against the wall, one foot on the ground and the other on the wall behind them, taking a slow drag and looking out to the stars. I've always envied that, but you can definitely be cool without it :-) You'll save money, too!

 

 

 

Thanks. You're right - I should meet with a vocal coach who can help me get to the bottom of what I should be doing differently. I'm hesitant to speak with a doctor, though. My sister noticed her voice getting funky a few years ago, so she went to a doc who told her to have polyps on her vocal chords removed. She did and it her voice has never been the same. She even went to a vocal therapist for a few months after the surgery, but it never improved.

 

Ever since I noticed my voice weakening, I've stopped singing outside of gigs completely. Not even in my car. Even when I'm learning a new song, I learn it in my head and don't actually sing it out loud until I'm with the band.

 

I'm scared. I'm not all that pretty, I don't have a great body - I sing. This is all I've got.

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EVERYONE WHO SMOKES LOOKS LIKE A NERRRRD TO ME! lol. A stinky nerd who has yellow fingers, grey skin and brown teeth. LOL. *is an ex-smoker*

 

Anyway...I'd just go and see a vocal coach...it's NOT normal to be experiencing what you are even if you smoke. I smoked and had no problems. It shouldn't do anything to your voice really...unless there's something else going on, like incorrect singing technique and some kind of major strain.

 

GOOD LUCK!

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Gracie, after you noted that what I'm experiencing is "not normal", I did a little research. I ordered a book called "Care of the Professional Voice" by Anthony Davies. Once I got it, I read it with extreme attention.

 

I think I know what happened. Initial damage and then compensating for it. Over time, bad habits develop and then you're left with a jacked up voice. For a rock singer, it's tricky, but I've got to totally rethink everything now. :::sigh:::

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Hmmm well you shouldnt freak out just yet. Depending on how much you sing your voice is going to get tired. What you need is rest. Not just deciding not to sing for a week. But there are other things you need to do to get the rest your voice needs when you talk about rest. Some I believe people over look. Not saying you are overlooking them but the few I see a lot of people miss.

 

~ Sleep: Your voice needs it. (unless you scream talk in your sleep.) 4 hrs of sleep after a gig just doesnt cut it. Sometimes its a luxury we musicians do not get but a vital one.

 

~ Cut talking: Talking, believe or not, is not always great for the voice. When you sing you use techniques that are good for your voice. When you talk not so much. So when you are on rest mode try and not talk as much as possible. Not only between gigs but specially be careful between sets at gigs. I believe its important to go out and mingle with the crowd and promote yourself. But the bar is noisy you talk louder creating havok on the chords. I would say try and cut back on mingling after breaks and pay attention to your voice when you are mingling.

 

~ Drink plenty of water and tea: You would be amazed at the amount of moisture you lose when you sing. It is imperative to drink lots of water when you are on rest and on stage. If at all possible drink room temp water. Keeps everything warm. I know you said you smoke but I would cut back on the cigs during gigs. It dehydrates you. same thing with alcohol. Thats not to say a smoker cant sing and smoke. But it helps when you cut back during gigs.

 

Just a few rest tips. Hope they help.

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Hmmm well you shouldnt freak out just yet. Depending on how much you sing your voice is going to get tired. What you need is rest. Not just deciding not to sing for a week. But there are other things you need to do to get the rest your voice needs when you talk about rest. Some I believe people over look. Not saying you are overlooking them but the few I see a lot of people miss.


~ Sleep: Your voice needs it. (unless you scream talk in your sleep.) 4 hrs of sleep after a gig just doesnt cut it. Sometimes its a luxury we musicians do not get but a vital one.


~ Cut talking: Talking, believe or not, is not always great for the voice. When you sing you use techniques that are good for your voice. When you talk not so much. So when you are on rest mode try and not talk as much as possible. Not only between gigs but specially be careful between sets at gigs. I believe its important to go out and mingle with the crowd and promote yourself. But the bar is noisy you talk louder creating havok on the chords. I would say try and cut back on mingling after breaks and pay attention to your voice when you are mingling.


~ Drink plenty of water and tea: You would be amazed at the amount of moisture you lose when you sing. It is imperative to drink lots of water when you are on rest and on stage. If at all possible drink room temp water. Keeps everything warm. I know you said you smoke but I would cut back on the cigs during gigs. It dehydrates you. same thing with alcohol. Thats not to say a smoker cant sing and smoke. But it helps when you cut back during gigs.


Just a few rest tips. Hope they help.

 

 

Thanks. I'm still a little depressed, but I think you guys are helping me to see my hands aren't tied.

 

I just read how horrible alcohol is for a singer! Yikes!

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Everyone here has given you the basic sound advice I would've recommended. The only thing I'd add is that I've never had much success with any kind of tea...during gigs, especially the long ones of 3-4 hours, I drink about a quart of Gatorade an hour, the old-fashioned green kind. Ditto on cutting out the smoking, I know very few people that didn't end up with some kind of long-term (negative) vocal changes over time.

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Well, my show is physically demanding (Elvis tribute show). I usually lose about 3 pounds during a 2 or 3-set show. Of course, that is mostly water and I can gain it back pretty quickly, within a day or two.

I don't know why Gatorade works so well for me, but the time I forgot to bring any and had to use water, my vocals were getting raspy by the end of the first set...it can't hurt to try it and see if it helps.

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Well, my show is physically demanding (Elvis tribute show). I usually lose about 3 pounds during a 2 or 3-set show. Of course, that is mostly water and I can gain it back pretty quickly, within a day or two.

I don't know why Gatorade works so well for me, but the time I forgot to bring any and had to use water, my vocals were getting raspy by the end of the first set...it can't hurt to try it and see if it helps.

 

 

I'll try anything! Thanks!

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I think Gatorade sucks, personally. At least in this case. Sorock, Gatorade is a drink to replenish energy, sugars and electrolytes or whatever in the body...if you're sweating buckets and expending a heap of energy in your gigs, fine. It'll help with your energy levels and general feelings of well being. But it WON'T help your voice as far as I know. In fact, isn't Gatorade so full of sugar that it may actually make your voice WORSE? Hmm...I'd say unless you're using a heap of energy you need to replace with such a drink, just stick to water. Or even cough drops??

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Good call on the sugar from the Gatorade, Grace.

 

I've started gigging over the last couple of weeks with Chloraseptic tablets by my side. It helps. And I've increased my water intake in general - AND at shows - and that has been making a HUGE difference.

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I don’t mean to be shooting down everyone’s positive and helpful ideas (eg, the Gatorade), but I really don’t think it’d help your voice. It also depends what exactly is causing your vocal issues. If it’s a scratchy throat or something sort of superficial like that, cough drops or sipping water with a bit of lemon, or tea with honey and stuff in it, would help more than Gatorade.

 

What are those tablets you speak of?

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Ah, analgesic oral and throat pain stuff? Hmm. Watch it though. If your throat's helped by being slightly dumbed or having pain reduced, and you're singing...you could be really hurting it without even knowing...also, if you find numbing the throat helps your voice, I'd DEFINITELY go to a doc!!!

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Ah, analgesic oral and throat pain stuff? Hmm. Watch it though. If your throat's helped by being slightly dumbed or having pain reduced, and you're singing...you could be really hurting it without even knowing...also, if you find numbing the throat helps your voice, I'd DEFINITELY go to a doc!!!

 

 

Ooo I would stay away from throat numbing things. As you said the problem with those is if you are doing somthing to your voice that is hurting it you cant feel it. It leaves a chance for you to damage your voice even more since you cant guage if your voice is being pushed hard or not. Ive seen people if up there voices using that stuff.

 

You know a trick my old vocal teacher use to do was eat a hand full of greasy potato chips when his voice was getting dry real fast. I personally have never done it but he swears by it.

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I've heard from not-exactly-reliable sources that ANY cough drop or lozenge is bad for your voice.

 

I know that my vocal injuries are not superficial and I further know that the compensating I have done for injuries from decades ago is only hurting me more and more. I'm trying to take steps to fix this.

 

Grease, huh? That seems like it would just phlegm you up. Worth a shot!

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I just think that these things (analgesics, grease stuff, lol) can help, but if you’re taking them so you CAN sing…well, that’s a sign to go and get some sort of expert opinion.

 

And grease…I don’t think it does generally create too much mucus. Dairy things like yoghurt, milk, and also bananas even do for me. Things that coat the throat but don’t get in the way are honey, etc.

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