I didn't say use your speech to cool down -- I said use your speaking voice as a gauge. Talk normally after singing and if your voice doesn't feel or sound like it usually does then you should cool down by using vocal exercises (like the lip trill I demonstrated) to bring the swelling down before you go to sleep. That way your voice is in better shape the next day.
@@ropi8739 Nothing we swallow touches the vocal folds. So drinking room temperature water with lemon is great for hydrating the whole body, which in turn will benefit the voice - but not directly. There is no next day is you sing everyday! That's my advise!
Thanks so much for posting this. I use this exercise as needed and have recommended it to teaching friends who complain of voices which are exhausted and rough from teach-talking.
Yes - my voice used to fatigue from teaching all day too. But once I started respecting both the maintenance required and speaking with melody that's no longer an issue for me as I teach about 10 hours a day.
You bring up a good point. The reason your speech sounds okay (but I'll bet it doesn't feel okay) is because you speak too low in your range. So head right for the ultimate check: a slow slide through the change of register. If that's smooth at a low volume you're okay. Incidentally - the more you do that (and then speak around there) the easier it will be to sing high notes without force.
The real solution is to learn to use less pressure to sing high! But for now work your way back down with gentle slides from high notes down. It's the same as a warm up - only in reverse! Gradually bring the volume down as well.
So, what happens when your speaking voice sounds fine after a gig? I find that usually, where there are "issues" is where you start to push or right around where your headvoice kicks in. So my speaking voice is always fine, but I don't realize I'm baked until I sing in a higher range.
MARK SAYS TO USE OUR SPEECH TO COOL DOWN AFTER HOURS OF SINGING. ¿HOW EXACTLY DO WE HAVE TO USE OUR SPEECH TO COOL DOWN? ¿JUST SPEAKING AS WE ALWAYS DO OR IN A DIFFERENT WAY? THANKS.
After singing high for a while, specially when am practicing vowel modifications, I find it almost impossible to sing in my low range. Also, I can't talk after I've sung high, my voice cracks.. how should I deal with that problem?
I see in one of your comments below you say to use "less pressure when singing high." So.....less air pressure? More support, less air? Is that what you mean?
I know you've heard that you should use more support for high notes - but you didn't hear it from me. Your vocal folds are stretched thin in order to produce a high pitch. They become thick to produce a low pitch. So which set up do you think would need more pressure? The thick low note. The only reason you feel you need to "support" more on high notes is because your throat is tensing in anticipation to singing high. So you push through your tension or else the high note breaks up - especially on an AH vowel. To break that cycle - first learn to keep throat muscles from tensing by allowing your higher notes to be in head register. Then gradually increase the volume while focusing on keep throat relaxed.
Alright, relax the throat --but less air pressure for high notes. That is correct,yes? It's not about taking a giant breath in order to hit the higher note. Yes? No.Close?
Hi Mark !! Just wanna ask that is it necessary while doing lip trills to start from head register down to chest.I mean when I do a cool down after singing or even vocalizing I just pick a random pith and start doing lip trills and honestly it feels good after 5-8 mins.. If you get time to read it please kindly answer my question
AND--nothing we swallow touches our vocal cords/ folds? So.....all these years of being told to drink warm water , lemon --slippery elm tea and lozenges--they don't actually help? It seems like it does. ....?
It seems you don't believe me - so ask a doctor! You also know when you swallow something the "wrong way" a coughing fit will follow. So what exactly is that wrong way? It's when whatever you swallow touches the folds! All the things that are suggested to soothe the voice really just soothe the throat. So if you're using a lot of throat muscles when singing then you'll feel better. But if you use less throat muscles when singing then you'll SING better!
And what about a glass of ice cold water immediately after a show, like when a sportists use a ice bath to recover their muscles and minimalize swelling? I found it very usefull except when i catch a cold :D
Nikola Mircetic Nothing we swallow touches our vocal folds - so ice water doesn't affect swelling within the larynx. If your throat is swollen, swallowing is like pouring water over your legs - meaning not very affective because the water will warm quickly. It's different when you immerse your body in cold water, because the water will stay cold. I used to place beer bottles right out of the cooler on the back of my neck after gigs at clubs. It definitely helped reduce my neck tension but my voice was still swollen next day. Of course the best remedy is to not create such problems in the first place - but it took me years before I came to that realization!
