Throat Spray

[SpiderTrap]

What brand of throat spray do you use to ease vocal fatigue ? I've tried " Entertainer's Secret , and Thayers Dry Mouth spray , and Thayers slippery elm tablets , and they seem Just OK . Seems there should be something a little better on the market . At least these don't taste bad . I've looked over a few sites and there are 100's of others -out there . Any Hints on something really good other than Steve Tyler's Story about eating pickles ???

[DemGeetarFeelz]

Years ago I did as much research on vocal health as books and the internet would allow.
I eventually decided that most of the hints and tips for voice care aren't very effective, and are usually negligible.
I don't think sprays for the voice work very well.
I think the only way to keep your voice in shape is not singing too much.

[Pualee]

Water... lots and lots of water.

Your hydration levels usually lag by 24 hours (learned that from a doctor). So if you try to hydrate the day of... too late.

Make sure to get plenty of fluids the day before you tax your voice. Sometimes I'll play at one church, teach at another (speaking for an hours) and then play again.

I do fine. Just be hydrated, try to 'under' rather than 'over' sing (comfortable key, mic, whatever).

[Laughingboy68]

I saw a suggestion on the net for pineapple juice. I was sceptical, but it works wonders for me. I've played a four hour gig when I was in no shape (fighting a virus) to do so. I sip diluted pineapple juice at every gig and it keeps everything smooth and lubricated. If it's just placebo effect - I don't wanna know 'cause it works so well.

Mike

[Dalegreen]

hot water with a tablespoon of diluted honey. Sip on that as required
and as mentioned in the above post, lots of water prior so you are well hydrated

[DemGeetarFeelz]

A voice coach once told me that nothing you swallow actually touches the vocal folds.
I would also recommend against drinking large amounts of water; hydration is a function of having enough sodium and other minerals present. Drinking water above your thirst dilutes the system; you begin to pee out your minerals.
The sodium/fluid ratio is what's important. If you're peeing more than every 3 or 4 hours you've drank too much.

[jseth]

I had the privilege of working with renowned vocal coach, Judy Davis (RIP) at her little studio in Oakland, Ca., in the early 90's... such a fantastic teacher/coach/person/woman! I learned SO much from her in our 3 years together, most of which I still employ today... helps me to sing better than I ever have at age 64...

Judy talked a lot about taking care of our voices/vocal cords... she gave us a number of really good methods to assist in both maintenance and repair... all of which are "home remedies" and cost next to nothing!

First off, you need to realize that ANY cold beverage while you're performing (or singing seriously) does nothing good for your voice! Constricts the vocal cords... which you then try to stretch, and then douse them again with icy cold... not good.

Secondly, alcohol de-hydrates the vocal cords... and since it is frequently consumed in a COLD beverage, you are effectively nailing your voice with a double-whammy! Again, when PERFORMING or singing seriously, don't drink alcoholic beverages... (I know, I know, what about that brandy/lemon/ hot toddy thingie... just don't!)

Third, citrus fruits also dehydrate your vocal cords and are to be avoided while singing... again, contradicting the old "lemon and hot tea" for a sore throat... might work for a sore throat, but it absolutely is counter-productive for singing.

You don't want to be eating anything heavy within a few hours of singing/performing. Some people have a problem with milk or cream while singing, others do not. Same goes for coffee... personally, coffee with cream doesn't bother my voice...

Drinking room-temp water on stage (even lukewarm) is always a safe bet... curiously, good old Lipton's Tea is excellent for singing! Something about the tannins in the tea are beneficial to the vocal chops... she recommended having a thermos of slightly warm tea w/ honey to drink while on stage...

Honey, said Judy, is the closest thing to the throat's natural lubrication. I have noticed that honey is a main ingredient in every "vocal spray" I have ever seen... easy enough to just put some honey in that tea, or else get a partial spoonful and let it dissolve slowly and drip down your throat...

A great "vocal wash": BOIL some water (use "good" water if you have it), then use a little to dissolve 1/8 teaspoon salt in a mug... cool that down to lukewarm or slightly warmer (NOT hot, you aren't trying to "cook" your vocal cords!) using cool or cold water. Important to actually BOIL the hot water so that it will dissolve the salt COMPLETELY... then gargle SMALL amounts while simultaneously singing the highest note you can, comfortably... repeat, using small amounts of the salt water until finished... give your voice a rest for a while before "trotting it out to see what it will do"!

Using the above method, but with 1/8 teaspoon baking soda is very good for minor sore throats...

I actually made it through a gig using this next one. I had laryngitis so bad I could not speak between songs or on the breaks, but somehow, I managed to make it through the performance okay - not great, but okay...

Cut a slice of brown or white onion and place it in a saucer... drizzle honey over it to cover and then let stand for 6-8 hours... drain off the honey into a container, and then take small amounts of the honey and just let it drizzle down your throat... do that repeatedly, throughout the show. You won't be getting any hot dates, but you WILL be able to sing!

So, there you go... all of the above, plus being rested and hydrated, will really do the trick... unless, of course, you WANT your voice to get trashed so you can sing blues more convincingly... then just do the opposite of my reply and you'll be sounding like Stephen Stills and Stevie Nicks in no time at all!!! Of course, you will also sound like them NOW, not just when they sounded good!

Another note: singing consonants frequently, in falsetto, is REALLY hard on your voice. I don't know how Smokey Robinson did it, all those years... some singers "sound" like they are in falsetto (Michael McDonald comes to mind) but they are not; they're using a vocal technique to achieve a similar quality to a falsetto, but that technique is not damaging to your voice. Whole 'nother story, that...

BREATHE!!!!! Having enough air to keep moving across those vocal cords is paramount to good singing... Judy taught us these breathing exercises, along with vocal exercises, too. When I asked her if I would have to do those vocaleses for the rest of my life, she told me that it wouldn't hurt, but no, I didn't have to keep doing them, everyday... BUT she said that doing those breathing exercises was the MOST important thing...

I still do them... not everyday, but 3-5 times a week. I slack off on the vocaleses unless I have a gig coming up... oh, and by the way? I'm a smoker, too... and that doesn't really seem to bother my voice, although I know it is troublesome for many... find what works for you.

[jaymarsch]

Thanks for this thread and to you, jseth, for taking the time to share these nuggets from your vocal coach. It is much appreciated. I will copy down for future reference.

Best,
Jayne