and welcome to the forumpimpleburger wrote: Best of luck,
pimpleburger
Voice is strained ... singing tonight ... please help!
Woops, I seem to have stepped on toes. Sincerest apologies, and best of luck.davidhughes wrote:What a lovely way of talking to people! I can see some good advice in there, but totally uncalled for attitude! I wasnt asking for confidence lessons, I have that, the problem is my voice is hurting, and wanted advise of how to repair it. Just saying something in the mirror doesnt make it happen. But I think you know that, youre just being awkward
Ive taken everyones advice though thanks guys, im out
-
sweetjesus
- Posts: 8803
- Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2004 3:12 pm
- Location: www.fridge.net.au
- Contact:
so .. sorry im with Neb to some extent ... mind over matter.davidhughes wrote:What a lovely way of talking to people! I can see some good advice in there, but totally uncalled for attitude! I wasnt asking for confidence lessons, I have that, the problem is my voice is hurting, and wanted advise of how to repair it. Just saying something in the mirror doesnt make it happen. But I think you know that, youre just being awkwardnebulae wrote:one other thing...shut the fuck up about not being able to sing...I mean I know you're making light of something that's concerning you, but you have to think positively...
Visualize being able to do it...just like an athlete does before competition. if you believe you can get through these gigs, you will. If you keep thinking and worrying, then you'll never hit the notes. And worse, if you're underconfident, the audience will know. And confidence is so much more important than ability.
So look yourself in the mirror, and repeat the following mantra:
"I am a god; my voice knows no bounds; my penis is frighteningly enormous; and the next three gigs are already in the bag."
Ive taken everyones advice though thanks guys, im out
yes your voice hurts, but it seems you think your brain is not a good enough tool to help you.
... cmon dont be offended
we're just talkin like beer drinkin buddies .. now shut the fuck up and break a leg! 
-
davidhughes
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 2:43 pm
- Location: Sunderland , UK
- Contact:
-
sweetjesus
- Posts: 8803
- Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2004 3:12 pm
- Location: www.fridge.net.au
- Contact:
No, no, no: milk might activate the flegm machine on some people and Lemon!! I guess maybe if this was the begining of some coccus style infection *maybe* but in the end it just acid and abrassive. I don't know about you but for me straight lemon makes my whole stomach ACID, and it just takes one gulp of tasty reflux up the trachea to really *burn* whatever it is that's left over of your voice. Personal experience talking, your body is different.minimal wrote:pure lemon juice
hot milk w/honey
This is the remedy that has fixed me up before - it has been handed down from granola hippies to granola hippies through more than three generations:
SAGE tea <---- main medicinal *magic* throat fixer
few drops of honey <----- emulcient makes you smooth
sprinkle Cayenne red pepper <----- activates the zone
Try it. It's as good as it gets for you tonight.
I supplement that with concentrated sage drops ...
Go Kill them tiger,
-h
http://www.mesmero.net
---
---
---
---
Hidden Driveways wrote:This doesn't answer your question at all, but I said it anyway simply for the joy of making a post.
No milk, no dairy
No smoke, secondhand or otherwise
Room temp water (cold from tap ok but not with ice) with some lemon juice, Just a little bit of honey
A half glass of wine (not beer, not hard alcohol!)
Sleep before performance
Steamy shower or bath-- use an aromatic soap: rosemary esp.
Minimal talking
(the sage sounds like a good idea)
No smoke, secondhand or otherwise
Room temp water (cold from tap ok but not with ice) with some lemon juice, Just a little bit of honey
A half glass of wine (not beer, not hard alcohol!)
Sleep before performance
Steamy shower or bath-- use an aromatic soap: rosemary esp.
Minimal talking
(the sage sounds like a good idea)
UTENZIL a tool... of the muse.
Here's the deal:
Your voice is "croaky" because of vocal fold edema. Either you're sick or you sang too hard/too much on it last night, or both. In any case, your vocal folds responded by swelling up, which causes them to phonate at a lower frequency, giving you the sound and sensation of croakiness. Because the cords are not as stretchy and supple as usual, you've probably lost some range and flexibility as well. All you can do at this point is take measures to reduce the edema, increase blood flow to the larynx (voice box), and hydrate your body/vocal folds.
Non-medical options, in order of importance:
-vocal rest: total silence. don't talk, sing, whisper, nothing. use a note pad and hand gestures to communicate with people. talking on swollen cords is like running on a swollen ankle.
-steam, 2-3 20 minute sessions per day: to hydrate your cords (not too hot, or you'll fry your cords)
-drink assloads of water: hydrating your body is the best way to hydrate your cords
-warm liquids: these don't wash over your cords (see below), swallowing them changes the temperature in your larynx, causing the nearby blood vessels to expand and shrink, thereby increasing bloodflow to the area.
Medical options, in order of importance:
-vocal rest
-steam
-drink assloads of water
-warm liquids
-cortisone steroid: via injection, or dripping directly onto the cords. for a short period of time, it will dramatically reduce the swelling in your vocal folds (without healing them), allowing you to sing like normal, but it has a nasty rebound effect, i.e., your cords will swell up again after a day or two and you have to go on vocal rest for about a week to let them recover. professional singers use this as a last resort, and only when they don't have any engagements for the following week or two.
-prednisone steroid: in tablet form. will also temporarily reduce swelling, but not as dramatically as cortisone, and without the severe rebound effect.
-ibuprofen: about the same dosage you would use for a headache. will reduce swelling slightly with no rebound.
How to deal with the gig, if canceling is not an option:
-do a light vocal and physical warm-up before the show: do a set of situps or something to get your breath mechanism going, and some light humming in the middle of your voice, but save the rest for the show.
-shorten the duration of the gig if you can: singing it on swollen cords is like running a marathon on a sprained ankle - cut your losses.
-use the mic: if your musical style allows it, opt for croony, intimate, finesse instead of raw, blood-curdling power
-change the ranges of the songs, if you can: don't sing any higher or lower than the music demands. stay in a comfortable part of your "sick" voice.
-immediately after the show: go home, shut up, steam, sleep.
Eating or drinking things won't directly help or hurt, because food and drink never actually touch your vocal folds (the epiglottis's job is to seal your trachea off from the esophagus, preventing you from choking). In fact, the evolutionary purpose of the vocal folds is to prevent foreign materials from entering your trachea and lungs. Please ignore all this shit about lemon, ginger, etc. Acidic foods may cause reflux, which would fry your already toasted cords.
Dairy products may increase the volume of mucus and give it a thicker consistency. There is a lot of individual variation to this, though. I'm a professional opera singer, and I drink milk, eat ice cream, etc. with no problems.
If, now or after the gig, your voice feels like total fucking death warmed over, you can barely make a sound, and/or the sound you make is REALLY fucked up, go see an ENT who specializes in singers, because there could be risk of permanent damage - particularly if you get a nodule, polyp, or busted blood vessel. These pathologies can only be confirmed by an ENT, looking at the cords directly with a laryngoscope.
Also, don't rule out the option of canceling. A canceled gig is much less catastrophic than fucking your career over by losing your ability to sing well.
Your voice is "croaky" because of vocal fold edema. Either you're sick or you sang too hard/too much on it last night, or both. In any case, your vocal folds responded by swelling up, which causes them to phonate at a lower frequency, giving you the sound and sensation of croakiness. Because the cords are not as stretchy and supple as usual, you've probably lost some range and flexibility as well. All you can do at this point is take measures to reduce the edema, increase blood flow to the larynx (voice box), and hydrate your body/vocal folds.
Non-medical options, in order of importance:
-vocal rest: total silence. don't talk, sing, whisper, nothing. use a note pad and hand gestures to communicate with people. talking on swollen cords is like running on a swollen ankle.
-steam, 2-3 20 minute sessions per day: to hydrate your cords (not too hot, or you'll fry your cords)
-drink assloads of water: hydrating your body is the best way to hydrate your cords
-warm liquids: these don't wash over your cords (see below), swallowing them changes the temperature in your larynx, causing the nearby blood vessels to expand and shrink, thereby increasing bloodflow to the area.
Medical options, in order of importance:
-vocal rest
-steam
-drink assloads of water
-warm liquids
-cortisone steroid: via injection, or dripping directly onto the cords. for a short period of time, it will dramatically reduce the swelling in your vocal folds (without healing them), allowing you to sing like normal, but it has a nasty rebound effect, i.e., your cords will swell up again after a day or two and you have to go on vocal rest for about a week to let them recover. professional singers use this as a last resort, and only when they don't have any engagements for the following week or two.
-prednisone steroid: in tablet form. will also temporarily reduce swelling, but not as dramatically as cortisone, and without the severe rebound effect.
-ibuprofen: about the same dosage you would use for a headache. will reduce swelling slightly with no rebound.
How to deal with the gig, if canceling is not an option:
-do a light vocal and physical warm-up before the show: do a set of situps or something to get your breath mechanism going, and some light humming in the middle of your voice, but save the rest for the show.
-shorten the duration of the gig if you can: singing it on swollen cords is like running a marathon on a sprained ankle - cut your losses.
-use the mic: if your musical style allows it, opt for croony, intimate, finesse instead of raw, blood-curdling power
-change the ranges of the songs, if you can: don't sing any higher or lower than the music demands. stay in a comfortable part of your "sick" voice.
-immediately after the show: go home, shut up, steam, sleep.
Eating or drinking things won't directly help or hurt, because food and drink never actually touch your vocal folds (the epiglottis's job is to seal your trachea off from the esophagus, preventing you from choking). In fact, the evolutionary purpose of the vocal folds is to prevent foreign materials from entering your trachea and lungs. Please ignore all this shit about lemon, ginger, etc. Acidic foods may cause reflux, which would fry your already toasted cords.
Dairy products may increase the volume of mucus and give it a thicker consistency. There is a lot of individual variation to this, though. I'm a professional opera singer, and I drink milk, eat ice cream, etc. with no problems.
If, now or after the gig, your voice feels like total fucking death warmed over, you can barely make a sound, and/or the sound you make is REALLY fucked up, go see an ENT who specializes in singers, because there could be risk of permanent damage - particularly if you get a nodule, polyp, or busted blood vessel. These pathologies can only be confirmed by an ENT, looking at the cords directly with a laryngoscope.
Also, don't rule out the option of canceling. A canceled gig is much less catastrophic than fucking your career over by losing your ability to sing well.
..... . . . . . . . . .
-
Johnisfaster
- Posts: 7251
- Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2005 8:34 am
- Contact:
lemon juice should only be used if you dilute it in water or tea or something, honey is good. licorice I've heard is also good. but these are all only good for flem problems. to help with the strain I would recommend humming quitely and drinking lots of water. then before you play the show take a shot of whiskey and chase it with more water. alot of people say that alchohol isn't going to help the situation but the fact is that a shot before you perform can really help you relax which is going to help you sing correctly. but you have to chase it with water and keep the alchohol at a minimum.
also, there is a thing I do that keeps my voice limber. take your lips and press them together in kinda a flat kissing duck face type way and them hum loud enough that your lips flap like youre making a race car sound or something. try to hum tunes while doing that making sure your lips continue making that buzzing race car sound. it sounds totally silly but the idea behind it is that you're totally forced to use your diaphram while doing it as well as making notes with a bair minimum of airflow (too much airflow can dry your voice out, which is why humming can help, less air flow)
also, there is a thing I do that keeps my voice limber. take your lips and press them together in kinda a flat kissing duck face type way and them hum loud enough that your lips flap like youre making a race car sound or something. try to hum tunes while doing that making sure your lips continue making that buzzing race car sound. it sounds totally silly but the idea behind it is that you're totally forced to use your diaphram while doing it as well as making notes with a bair minimum of airflow (too much airflow can dry your voice out, which is why humming can help, less air flow)
It was as if someone shook up a 6 foot can of blood soda and suddenly popped the top.
Damn, that is what i wanted to say but my brain was sort of boiled so didnt go to details.Mesmer wrote:No, no, no: milk might activate the flegm machineminimal wrote:pure lemon juice
hot milk w/honey
-h
Pero que es eso, gringo turista en San Juan ? No mentioning most popular medicina caribena, elixir de cana de azucar ? Dont tell me that singers in San Juan gave up ron ? Gasolina de creatividad y salud!
rikhy your spanish is funny, duderikhyray wrote:Damn, that is what i wanted to say but my brain was sort of boiled so didnt go to details.Mesmer wrote:No, no, no: milk might activate the flegm machineminimal wrote:pure lemon juice
hot milk w/honey
-h
Pero que es eso, gringo turista en San Juan ? No mentioning most popular medicina caribena, elixir de cana de azucar ? Dont tell me that singers in San Juan gave up ron ? Gasolina de creatividad y salud!
"but what is that, a "foreigner" tourist in San Juan? Not(?) mentioning th most popular caribbean medicine, the sugar cane's elixir ? Don't tell me ("no me digas", just for you rikh) that singers in San Juan gave up on RUM? Oh that fabolous fuel of creativity and health!! I like to drink it wearing my toutou with pink boa and the heels ... oh rum goes well with my Britney Spears Albmums .
Faitful translation, I swear
Back on topic, yes, my uncle swears "Cañita" rum is medicinal.... of course drinking that much ethilic should clean you up as good as clorox!
cheers,
-h
http://www.mesmero.net
---
---
---
---
Hidden Driveways wrote:This doesn't answer your question at all, but I said it anyway simply for the joy of making a post.
Funny ? Funny que ? Oye, que quieres decir ? "funny" como un payaso ? Gracioso ? Soy gracioso ? Yo? Bang! bang! bang! reminds me of Joe Pesci in Goodfellas
Well, correct contextual translation of "don't tell me" should be "no me jode" and you should trust your uncle anyway., this way you will enjoy prosperity and good health- respect your elders! "Canita" ( sorry, tengo puta teclados Aleman ) is what you call it in PR, like it.. Remember another PR drink called I think "cocito" very sweet, home made . If you know how it is made let me know please. Has nothing to do with voiceless singers but all to do with feeling well and happy.
Well, correct contextual translation of "don't tell me" should be "no me jode"
and you should trust your uncle anyway., this way you will enjoy prosperity and good health- respect your elders! "Canita" ( sorry, tengo puta teclados Aleman ) is what you call it in PR, like it.. Remember another PR drink called I think "cocito" very sweet, home made . If you know how it is made let me know please. Has nothing to do with voiceless singers but all to do with feeling well and happy.Yea, funny as in fun, enjoyable, LOL.rikhyray wrote:Funny ? Funny que ? Oye, que quieres decir ? "funny" como un payaso ? Gracioso ? Soy gracioso ? Yo? Bang! bang! bang! reminds me of Joe Pesci in Goodfellas
Well, correct contextual translation of "don't tell me" should be "no me jode"
You know I still can't tell if spanish is your first language and you "lost" it due to exhile ... or if you learned it in the street ... 'cause some things you say are very colloquial.
Yea COQUITO is one of my favorites ... really popular around christmas, everywhere you go, they offer you some. Some people like to think it's our version of egg nog. I like to think egg nog is COQUITO's wuss ass cousin, LOL. It's name means little cocconut. I'm sure AQUA_TEK will tell us all about it really soon!
I'll ask my grandma for a recepie, 'cause around these parts everyone has their *secret* recipe.
Oh, as to justify this post: davidhughes if you're around, tell us how it went; what you did?!
-h
http://www.mesmero.net
---
---
---
---
Hidden Driveways wrote:This doesn't answer your question at all, but I said it anyway simply for the joy of making a post.