Is it OK for me to sing when I have
a sore throat?
Depending on what's causing it, singing with a sore throat
can be a disaster. Here is the easiest way to decide. If it
hurts to swallow, don't sing. Dry air, singing abusively, and
viral/bacterial infection are some of the more common causes
of a sore throat. Some people just wake up with a sore throat
every day of their life. A majority of these people have acid-reflux,
which means they are burping up stomach acids while they are
sleeping or sometimes even while they are awake. For most,
however, this happens in the night, so they may be completely
unaware of the problem. They then wake up with a scratchy,
raspy voice and a sore throat.
Because a dry throat is often a sore throat, consume two to
three quarts of water every day. TRY to drink up to a gallon
or more a day. If you live in an arid climate, sleep with a
humidifier next to your bed and try to warm up your voice in
the shower. The moisture is an incredible help for your voice.
Also, learn to breathe in through your nose as much as possible.
This will help moisten the air before it reaches your cords.
The next concern is vocal abuse. Some of the causes are singing too high and
too loud for too long, screaming, yelling at a football game or concert, talking
at the top of your voice in a noisy crowd, breathing cigarette smoke, doing
voice impersonations that are extreme or that cause strain and talking or singing
with a raspy, manufactured sound.Whenever my throat is sore from vocal abuse
I try to get some vocal rest ( ie - try not to talk too much ) and drink plenty
of liquids.
If you get laryngitis and your tone starts to 'skip' or 'cut out' in the middle
of a sustained note, you really want to get serious vocal rest. Most of all,
ALWAYS consult your physician if things don't clear up rapidly. By this, I
mean, if you get a sore throat in the morning and it clears up by noon and
doesn't come back (this occasionally happens to me) then there's usually nothing
to worry about. Otherwise, call the doctor, because if this condition is medical
and you don't get help, no amount of vocal rest will help.
My voice cracks as I sing higher. How do I get rid
of that break in my voice?
What you are experiencing is a "disconnect" between your chest voice
and your head, or falsetto, voice. The way to connect these two voices is to
develop an ability to blend these two in what is known as the "mixed" voice.
Here is an exercise that you can try right now :
First, sing up to where your 'break' occurs. Now drop down a couple of notes
and sing in a whimpering voice with the word "nay" and gently climb
up in you range. If you keep a slight crying sound you'll notice the tone
climbing behind your soft palate and settling more into your head voice.
All this should happen without breaking. Obviously, it is very difficult
to teach this without your ears being employed in the process, but you may
still want to give it a try.
How Do I Improve Tone Quality ?
Tone quality improves when the correct muscles are engaged in the singing process.
Feel underneath your chin with your forefinger and slide it inwards to the
point where your neck meets the muscles under your chin. Now swallow. Notice
how your larynx (Adam's apple) raises up and the muscles under your chin
tighten up as you swallow? These muscles that are engaged in the swallowing
process are opposed to those engaged in the singing process. The use of these
muscles while singing creates a myriad of problems that can take years to
correct if left unchecked. For good tone quality, you must learn to sing
without the outer muscles of the larynx. Doing so will set free your natural
voice, drastically improving tone quality and ease of use.
The 10 Vocal Commandments :
1. Drink WATER
2. Sleep at LEAST 8 HOURS
3. DON'T SMOKE ( I haven't learned that one yet, but
I'm still working on it )
4. DO NOT OVERUSE OR OVERTRAIN
5. AVOID STRESS
6. AVOID DAIRY PRODUCTS BEFORE PERFORMING
7. EXERCISE - BOTH VOCALLY AND PHYSICALLY
8. WARM UP VOCALS BEFORE PERFORMING
9. SMILE - IT HELPS YOUR TONE
10. BREATHE BREATHE BREATHE. DO NOT HOLD YOUR BREATH
- EVER
- Yvonne DeBandi
