Hoarseness

Trine

Hi,

I have the feeling that I am more hoarse now than I used to be. I am not sure if this is just immagination or not.

I have asthma, and use inhaled steroids, but a rather low dose. This medicine is typically making you hoarse, which is a problem for many singers. Because of that, I have started using the Buteyko breathing technique http://www.buteyko.com/, which is very effective. In two months I have reduced the use of medicine with 50%, and I am going to continue until I am totally free.

So, my hoarseness is probably due to:

1. Asthma medicine (I actually don't think it is the major cause, because I wasn't hoarse like this before, and I have used the medicines for some years now).

2. Oversinging (I sung 3 hours in a row last week, high belting songs-e.g. "Weak" with Skunk Anansie. It was so funny that I forgot to stop. I wasn't hoarse right after, but maybe that was a bit too tough for my vocal health....

3. A virus infection

4. Wrong technique (It is very likely that I did something wrong, but I am extremely aware of open throat when I sing and that it should not feel uncomfortable, so I don't think it is too bad. I had an online lesson with Ken, and he didn't mention anything about the throat).

This was a bit of a philosophical post. What I really wonder is this:

Could it be the 3 hours singing, and what should I do when I am hoarse? It is not very bad, but the voice is kind of breathy and I feel that there is some mucus on the cords (feel this when I sing high notes). I am afraid to damage the cords, so I want to ask for advice.

Trine

voodoo

Trine, do your exercises very lightly, don't push hard to hit any higher notes that you may be working towards.   This will help clean any stuff on the cords, and clean up the cords from any overuse.  If you haven't worked up to 3 hours yet then it's probable that's part of the hoarseness.  For example, if you are used to running a mile or two a day and then decide the next day to run a 10K you'd probably be really sore afterwards.  Also hidden technique flaws can come out when you sing new songs (new grouping of vowel transitions, consonants, for example that aren't part of the core Volumes or that you haven't consulted with Ken yet).  Hope that helps.

Trine

Thank you! I did as you said, and the hoarseness went away. Acutally, I think it is more about mucous than about sore cords. It was very strange, because I was afraid to sing, but when I did it, after a while my voice was clear and nice, and I could reach high notes easily.

AdrianD

Hey guys,

I found I've run into something similar where after running a handful of tunes where I'm in belting/upper range my voice isn't so much hoarse as it is "a little more breathy" and "the odd crack while speaking" afterwards.  However no pain is present.  I am able to pull chest up pretty high (around a g past high c) and my head voice is fairly weak.

My stomach moves out when I breath and I use my vowel mods fairly well (I've been doing Vol. 1 for a month and 1 week).

With that being said I have a couple questions:

1. Am I damaging my voice by doing this?

2. Any ideas of what could be wrong, could this be similar to Trines' situation?

3. After I'm done singing for the day and my voice is "a little more breathy" should I do vol.1 workout lightly and connect chest with head early or still connect later?  Will that help clear up the breathiness?

Thanks!

Adrian

sspatrick

Hey Adrian. It's hard to say if you are doing anything wrong without hearing you. It could just be fatigue the muscles not string enough to sustain the sound pressure in the mid voice. I've had this happen in lessons with Ken. We would just take a short break and get back at it. After I've done my workout Vol3 2 times through, I can hear a little more air passing through. Short break and it clears up. Just the voice building up strength, just like a work out. I never get hoarse just fatigued. Over time my voice has gotten much stronger and I notice this happening less and less.

AdrianD

@sspatrick

Thanks for your reply!  Gotcha.  Maybe my voice is just fatigued then. If my voice becomes fatigued is it normal to have a breathy speaking voice with the odd crack here and there?  I could post an audio of myself singing something if that may help diagnose whats wrong.

sspatrick

A demo would help, but yes you could have the odd crack or airy tone in your speaking voice when you are fatigued.