scratchy feeling in my throat?

ryker

I've been working on stretching my chest voice with the vowel mods and I can reach the high male C. When I'm warming up my voice feels fine, but after singing a few songs my voice begins to feel scratchy. It becomes a little harder to hit the high notes. I'm obviously doing something wrong. I just don't want to harm my voice. Any advice?

highmtn

Yes.  Congratulations for making it to the high C.  Now relax just a bit. 

Think of it like taking a new, tight rubber band out of a package, or a new balloon. 

Often we will first stretch that balloon or rubber band, and it will become more pliable and able to wrap around larger items without breaking or inflate without popping.  If we do not do the stretching first, the rubber band or balloon may break or be harder to inflate.

I know I overstretched my voice a lot during a long period of chest stretching.

My best advice is to stop immediately when you feel the tickle in the throat.  The difference between a tickle or scratch and then noticing you've overdone it is very subtle.  Usually, by the time you start to wonder if you should hold back a little, you've already done something that will cause a little swelling.

Swelling of any kind will cause you to lose a few notes in your upper midrange, and it may take a few days or more to recover.  You will recover, but it's annoying, so better safe than sorry.  Any irritation you induce will result in a little minor swelling, so learn to work just underneath this threshold of irritation and you will be fine.  You will also speed up your chest stretching process by avoiding minor setbacks along the way.

If you want to increase your chest voice range (and you do) you will have to go about this process of stretching your chest voice (and later your head voice) range.  Make the most of it, and do it in the most efficient way that you can.  Be nice to your voice, but gently and persistently, over a long period of time, ease it on up to those higher notes. 

When you are doing physical fitness exercises to stretch your tendons, it is always a good idea to do so gently and carefully.  Your voice is also a part of your body that needs to be stretched in order to attain greater flexibility.  So be diligent in continuing along your path, while exercising care to remain within your present capabilities of safe and careful extension.

Stretch your voice with tender, loving care.

 

Bob

highmtn

: ^ )

ryker

Thank you @highmtn for your help. I'm just too eager to sing that sometimes I don't pace myself. Thank you once again and Merry Christmas!