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Location: Cicero, NY | Just out of curiosity, I know that a lot of things can affect a voice in a negative way (smoke, alcohol, etc.) but is there anything you singers lean towards on a night when you're going to be singing to keep a throat especially "clear" (i.e. I've heard lemon tea)?
Thoughts? |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I've heard most warm liquids, but I think coffee gets my vocal cords a little too loose. |
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Location: big island | no dairy products 24 hours before crooning.
eat black licorice chips from italy, the real stuff. |
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Location: big island | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
I've heard most warm liquids, but I think coffee gets my vocal cords a little too loose. caffeine deprives the vocal cords of oxygen. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | I've heard dairy never helps but black licorice?
HATE that stuff...(and even the Italians can't fix THAT!) |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Chloraseptic |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by lanaki:
caffeine deprives the vocal cords of oxygen. That's a new one on me. I know it dehydrates them (diuretic) but have never heard anything about oxygen. Where'd you hear that?
Weas, I think your answer is tequila.
Lay off it for a while... |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Umm...you could be right, Waskel.
Three to four minutes between shots enough?
Naaahhhhh....that's just silly. |
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Location: closely held secret | It's not so much the frequency as it is the 12 ounce glasses you drink it out of... |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Well, I can use smaller glasses but then the frequency HAS to rise! C'mon, man, do the math! When am I gonna PLAY?!?
Oh...wait...I see where this is goin'... |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Abstain from the... ehh... "oral arts" |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Weaser P:
C'mon, man, do the math! When am I gonna PLAY?!?
Oh...wait...I see where this is goin'... Here, Weas... Let me get you a refill... |
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Location: big island | Originally posted by The Wabbit Formerly Known As Waskel:
Originally posted by lanaki:
caffeine deprives the vocal cords of oxygen. That's a new one on me. I know it dehydrates them (diuretic) but have never heard anything about oxygen. Where'd you hear that?
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Location: East Tennessee | I have found that lack of a good nights sleep will affect my voice more than anything else.
Of course if you don't much of a voice to begin with nothing you will do will have that much affect. :D |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Which I don't, Mike, but I thought, if I can just not make it any worse...
Y'know, maybe this is why Mom suggested the tuba. |
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Location: Atlanta, GA. | Alcohol has always has a positive effect on my singing voice.
The more the audience drinks, the better I sound! |
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Location: Cicero, NY | "The more the audience drinks, the better I sound!"
I don't know if I have that much money. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Cinzano on ice with a twist, used to work for me.
But then, I was TRYING to make one last per set.
Back in the day when I could drink 3 russian alcoholics
under the table before dinner......
(If you MUST drink beer while playing, try to belch
in rhythm with the song....it's a real crowd pleaser.) |
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Location: Simpsonville, SC | ...and tha question is, What is Sasparilla?
Oppps...sorry, wrong topic.... :o |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Most of the stuff I've heard of is "no" stuff like 3 hours before singing:
no diary
no carbonated drinks
no smoking
no eating
but stuff that helps?
I suppose water and a good night's sleep. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Diary was never a problem for me.
I'm allergic to handwriting.
But when I snag (or sang) for cash (for a very short while) I was smoking 1 - 2 packs a day....and for some reason I had more vocal stamina then than I do now. (I blame it all on being Young, Dumb, & Ugly .....or Immortal, Invincible, & Infertile) |
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| No dairy is a rule for all vocalists anytime.
I use halls cough drops with as much mentholyptus as I can find about two hours before I sing this opens up the sinuses pretty good, depending on the level of northern winter lack of humidity damage combinations of Coffee can help as well. We have to deal with this especially when it gets to 5 below...it is DRY. a good humidifyer each night will keep you from drying out as well. Don't forget to sing in the car and warm up before the gig. you'll be fine. Where ya playing??
Randy |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by Northcountry:
you'll be fine. Where ya playing??
Knowing Weaze I think I just heard the bathroom door shut and lock. |
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Location: Winston-Salem, NC | Good ol' fashioned glass of ice water. |
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Location: NJ | Herbal tea that has a high Licorice Root content in it (OR a "Licorice Tea").
There's a small tea company called Yogi, and one of their blends is actually CALLED "Throat Tea".
I swear by this stuff!!
I keep a stash of about 6 teabags in my GigBag at all times. |
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| Well considering Cliff's experience and vocal range I'd try the tea.
Wonder what the licorice root actually does?? |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by cliff:
I keep a stash of about 6 teabags in my GigBag at all times. Honest officer, that's what it is! |
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Location: enid, ok | A stash of... |
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Location: big island | a company called "traditional medicinals" makes a tea called "throat coat". two flavors, licorice and lemon echinacea. the licorice works the best. |
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Location: big island | iced drinks freeze the vocal cords and hot drinks swell the cords. it is best to drink room temperature (liquids, not eggs!) |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Southern Comfort Smoothie... :eek: |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Oh! The licorice... That would be an Anisette Smoothie... :cool: |
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Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Northcountry:
Wonder what the licorice root actually does?? Licorice root contains glycyrrhizin (and other derivatives). There is a list (some proven, some claimed) of positive effects on the body. The hydration of the vocal cords and throat are aided by its anti-diuretic effect (opposite of caffeine). Its expectorant and anti-inflammatory effects also help the singer.
REQUIRED WARNING: Too much of a good thing can be bad... too much for some people might only be a small amount... "It contains glycyrrhizic acid, which increases the body's retention of sodium and water. It may interfere with the effectiveness of anti-hyperactive drugs, diuretics, and those used to treat heart disease. Development of hypertension, edema, muscle contractions, and convulsions may occur if consumed with alcohol. Long term use, of more than four weeks, can produced hypertension, cardiac problems, diarrhea/constipation, and ulcerations. Long term use can also deplete potassium stores. Licorice should be avoided if there is high blood pressure present, or if there are irregular heartbeats. It is contraindicated in the presence of chronic liver disease, severe renal insufficiency, diabetes, and pregnancy."
Cliff, please pass me the... |
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| Yeah but if it makes ya sing like a bird, I'll do it until I have to wear glasses. :cool: |
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Location: NJ | First of all, it doesn't MAKE you sing, or LET you sing.
It just kinda' "soothes" your vocal cords and keeps them from getting dry & "raspy" . .
Secondly, Noah's right. There CAN be too much of a good thing. I've heard stories of people in the Netherlands (evidently licorice candy is VERY popular there) that were eating it . . well, like "candy" . . .
There's been cases of people just falling over dead from cumulative adverse effects.
Here's what I do:
I take one of those tall, insulated "travel" mugs with the snap-on lid. Two teabags of ThroatTea, maybe a dash of honey, and top it off with hot water. That sits around and "steeps" while I load up the car, etc. I'll "sip" at that while driving to the gig, setting-up, etc. When it gets depleted, I'll ask a waitress to top it off with more hot water and set that aside while I guzzle pint-glasses of regular water because by that time, I've been sweating like an absolute pig and need to re-hydrate. I'll take an occasional "hit" off the mug just to keep the throat "comfy".
Occasionally (but not often), I may throw another bag in, but not usually.
Of course, I've been known to "sip" a Myers on the rocks(or three) during the "break" but by that time, I've been singing for about two hours and everything's all nice, "stretchy" & loose . . .
It's not adviseable, but people oft-times get perturbed if you don't let them buy you a drink, and if I can't enjoy myself, what th'f@ck am I doing it for???
Lotsa' WATER is key, tho . . .
(also helps you to develop the bladder-control of a SuperTanker) |
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Location: GA USA | I don't prepare in any way. If I'm raspy, I figure it's just the way I sound that day.
I have a singer friend who will not use toothpaste to brush with the day she sings. Says it dries her out. |
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Location: NJ | Is she brushing her teeth with it?? . . . |
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| What do I do if I am already wearing glasses? |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Realize that you're probably overstepped your limit and fell asleep on the bar again. Thankfully, your forehead hit two glasses and kept your etire face out of the mess you made when you passed out. |
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Location: Portland, OR | 5 ounces of fresh squeezed lemon juice in an 8 ounce glass and a bottle of Bushmills. Throw out the lemon juice and fill the glass up with the Irish. Drink down in ten seconds. You'll think you've never sounded better. |
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Location: Detroit area | I take a hot shower first, to loosen up all the sinus gun. Then I eat a banana - the natural oils seem to coat my throat well. Add to that plenty of water and an occasional Halls Mentholyptus. |
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Location: SE Michigan | Beer. Before, during, and after the performance.
Sometimes if conditions are right you can actually belch-sing certain notes. It's quite a stunning effect. Belching can even help you get those really low notes that otherwise are out of your range. |
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Location: Yorkshire, England | As a singer/guitarist in various bands, and as a solo act gigging around the UK, I honestly don't think anything makes a big difference to your natural voice, unless for some reason you feel it's under par maybe because you're ill - (like you have a sore throat or a cold.) It always helps not to be tired, so a good nights' sleep beforehand is advisable - (Best of luck with that one, I haven't had a good nights sleep in the past 15 years!) Your vocal chords are muscle & must be kept in shape & looked after. Of course, once you get one or two beers down you to loosen the vocal chords, as with many other things, you tend to THINK you sound better but probably don't - although it may calm the nerves a bit for some! Smoke filled rooms in my opinion were the hardest thing to overcome from the point of giving a good singing performance - The smoking ban in the UK has been the best thing to happen for vocalists here, although clubs etc, are feeling the pinch because of smokers staying at home. It'll be interesting to see how it all turns out. |
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Location: North Carolina | Water. Plenty of it. |
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Location: Brisbane Australia | Steam inhaler
Works for Celine Dion :D |
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Location: NJ | If only she'd inhaled a .38 we'd ALL have been spared . . . |
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| WEEZIE Where ya playing? |
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Location: Cicero, NY | I'm not "playing" anywhere - just trying to get a hint or two on improving what I put out there when I do (wherever that might be). I've played my share of bathrooms and basements, the occasional wedding (three under my belt now) and, once in a while, a backyard bbq but I'm not planning a world tour just yet. I'm also toying with a recorder and the thought of me putting something down that actually might be around for a little while is a bit daunting as well. Just having fun doin' what I'm doin' and looking to lift it a notch if I can - thas' all. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Singing in front of a crowd is among the scariest things on earth... "Cheers" to those who have the nerve and the voice to pull it off.
(or the egomania... whatever works) |
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Location: NJ | Weas;
Find yourself a couple of OpenMic Nights (or even (ugh!)Karaoke).
If you're "self-conscious" about it, find 'em in an area where nobody "knows" you, and if you feel you were THAT "bad" . . . they'll never see you again . . .
Go there a week or two ahead of time and "scope" it out. A lot of these people will be in the same boat as you, and can be surprisingly "kind".
You need to learn the Fine Art of Singing Into a Mic (when to to back-off and "belt", when to get up close and "eat" the mic).
The only thing that will make you "better" at it is to keep DOING it (and of course, "have fun" while doing it).
(whatever you do, avoid ANY "singing tips" from Schroeder . . . ) |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Don't be so harsh Clifford, I've not heard many people who hold a single note like Schro. |
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Location: NJ | There's a fine line between "holding" & "strangling" (if only you'd had a nickle for every time THAT was whimpered on a FirstDate . . . ) |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Yeah, I know that's the real answer (on the "self-conscious" side - can't tell you how many times I've been told to find another town and sing :rolleyes: ) but I really was a little more curious on vocal tips because I seem to be sounding a little more "nasally" (at least to my ear) lately and I wondered if anyone did anything to tweak their own sound. Thought it was a good place to ask and, not surprisingly, there was some great advice. |
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Location: NJ | Best thing t'do is to find someone to sing WITH . . and keep at it. |
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Location: enid, ok | Or just keep it in the shower. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Or, for maximum effect, find someone you can sing with while IN the shower. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Sometimes I pray for Brian... |
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Location: NJ | . . is your shower BIG enough for you & Brian?? |
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Location: Cicero, NY | ...and don't even THINK about bringing up the acoustics... |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Why not? They're waterproof!
On finding your voice.... I find a number of people who try to force their voice to be something it isn't. (met a lot like that in radio..natural tenor voices trying to sound basso profundo)
For an experiment, try focusing your voice...down in your body...I don't know any other way to say it. Place your hands on your diaphragm (you might wanna do this alone) and another on your chest and sing different notes. See which ones seem to register further down in your body from the diaphragm to the upper chest.
For my money, this is where you want to sing...not 'in the throat and head'....tires the vocal chords too quick. Save your high notes for dramatics. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
Don't be so harsh Clifford, I've not heard many people who hold a single note like Schro. my neighbor's basset hound can! |
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| Listen I am sure they told Cliff to sing in another town as well, he never listened.
Keep at it man, Someday we'll go to New Jersey and take over! Not sure why ya'd want to, but it sounds like something to do.
:cool: |
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Location: Cicero, NY | From what I understand all you'd have to do to complete a NJ invasion is bomb all the pizza joints. |
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| Didn't know they had Pizza down in the minors. |
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For the singers out there