General Music Chat

Ok, so ive heard of the ole tea and lemon method, to keep your voice in line. But does anyone know of any other methods to keep your voice smooth and pretty like? Also I used to smoke cigs three years ago and stopped so I could get the most out of my singin. Now I do enjoy puffin a bit of the devils lettuce here and there Do you think smokin the jeeba is just as damaging to the vocal cords as smokin cigs? Just wonderin, thanks for the insight

Miggie Lou

Ok, so ive heard of the ole tea and lemon method, to keep your voice in line. But does anyone know of any other methods to keep your voice smooth and pretty like? Also I used to smoke cigs three years ago and stopped so I could get the most out of my singin. Now I do enjoy puffin a bit of the devils lettuce here and there Do you think smokin the jeeba is just as damaging to the vocal cords as smokin cigs? Just wonderin, thanks for the insight

Miggie Lou

didn't seem to affect Bob Dylan or George Burns any

Hi Mig. Cigars can be (but not necessarily "are") as harmful as cigarettes. Because there's no filter, perhaps a little more so than cigarettes.

Every now and then, I like to have a Black and Mild cigar. Not very often at all, though. That said, I can tell a HUGE difference in my voice if I smoke them vs when I don't. Maybe because I don't smoke regularly...

Hope this is helpful.

I know a slew of ppl who swear that ganja doesn't hurt ya in any way.

Dunno if I buy into it, myself. Smoke is smoke. One thing's definitely for sure - it dries out your vocal chords - prolly worse than alcohol or cigs, for that matter. I don't think it's a good idea to do it just before, during, or just after you sing those 3 or 4 sets.

I wouldn't even say that using a vaporizer is safe, cuzza the drying effect of MJ, but it's gotta be a bit better than smoking.

The vocal cords are kinda fragile & need time to heal after every gig. Take care of them & they'll heal faster. Don't take care of them & it'll put extra strain on 'em that may not affect you for along time, but I'll bet that it won't help in the long run.

Guess it all depends upon your priorities...

Eat a small bag of Lays Potato chips before you go on or before you sing. The salt and potato oil smooths out the vocal cords. Or Old Dutch if you can find them.

Eat a small bag of Lays Potato chips before you go on or before you sing. The salt and potato oil smooths out the vocal cords. Or Old Dutch if you can find them.

r u serious? haha, that's pretty kewl.

As far as fixing hoarseness problems, here's a good one - slice a medium sized onion, top to bottom, rather than across the grain to get circles...then you boil it in 2 cups pf water until it gets soft & transluscent...dump the onion & drink the "onion tea" with a little honey, while it's warm.

That one DOES work, btw.

Ok, so ive heard of the ole tea and lemon method, to keep your voice in line. But does anyone know of any other methods to keep your voice smooth and pretty like? Also I used to smoke cigs three years ago and stopped so I could get the most out of my singin. Now I do enjoy puffin a bit of the devils lettuce here and there Do you think smokin the jeeba is just as damaging to the vocal cords as smokin cigs? Just wonderin, thanks for the insight

Miggie Lou

Hey Miggie,

Yes and no. It's all good, but stay away from the J's and bowls... they will BURN your vocal chords and give you rasp as you heal constantly.

Try a good sized bong (more water = better).. always toss in an ice cube or two before use, to keep the water cool. It's the best $25 investment you can make, musically speaking.

Other than that, go for smoother blends, when possible (moister = better, look for crystals, sticky-ness)

Good luck!

Most of what you read and hear out there, are myths.

The absolute best thing for your voice, is rest and lots of water. Not hot or cold water. Room temperature is best, so as not to damage your vocal cords.

To get through gigs, I have cheated. With a shot of Sothern Comfort sipped a little at a time. But warm tea with honey and lemon, etc... They actually have adverse effects on your vocal cords. As I said, I have done them in emergency to get through a gig, but you are actually damaging your vocal cords, and you get through the night, but pay a price, which is why you will usually find your voice worse off before the end of the night.

It is best, say before a gig or recording session, to get lots of rest, and drink lots of water, maybe even a 1/4 to a 1/2 gallon, a few hours before the session. This gives the water time to hydrate your vocal cords.

And yes, pot is really bad for your vocal cords.

A little trick for warming up, that I learned from my mom, who is a world class vocal instructor:

If you have had a sore throat, rather than singing to warm up, you can hum. Do it so that it vibrates your lips alot, and that is about the right spot. It still warms up your vocal cords, but is less stressful on it.

Also, one thing actor's don't usually take for granted, but vocalists do, is the muscles in your face. When you sing, like an actor you are likely using emotion, which means facial expressions. Actors use face excercises that work out their lips and tongue and eyes and cheeks, everything. I have found this to be very beneficial before a gig as well, for singers. Contort your face in all kinds of shapes, stretch those muscles out, and you will find it will set you up that much better for singing as well.

Try it out.

.

Don't cough to clear your lungs or throat. Coughing actually damages the vocal chords. If you really need to clear your throat or get phlegm up from your lungs or throat, do it by exhaling hard and fast, but without constricting your throat as in a cough. You can get cleared up and you're not damaging your vocal chords before the gig. Coughing doesn't do permanent damage, but will stretch your chords out which hurts your singing. Same thing with hot or cold drinks, they cause the vocal chords to expand or contract.

It is best, say before a gig or recording session, to get lots of rest, and drink lots of water, maybe even a 1/4 to a 1/2 gallon, a few hours before the session. This gives the water time to hydrate your vocal cords.

Bathroom break!

From the RN stand point anything you smoke can harm your pipes and limit you air flow.

MIGGIE , You got me smokin' without lighting up.

MIGGIE , You got me smokin' without lighting up.

Nah, SHE'S smokin', you're just COOL!

The one thing that makes my pipes least longest without any glitching is long consistent practices. I practiced for 5 or 6 hours the day before a 3.5 hour gig. I worked my voice hard and it never gave me any lip. If I don't work it for a while I can blow it out in 1.5 hours.

I don't smoke anything.