Any food or drinks to avoid to prevent loss of vocal range?

XHellChris

Are there any food or drinks that we should avoid consuming to prevent the loss of our expanded range? I don't wanna lose my hard earned vocal range...

Furious_Phil

Basically avoid anything that causes you to experience GERD/Acid Reflux, as that condition really plays havoc to the cords (as well as everything else in that area)

TommyM

Some good advice I was given, and which I don't apply enough myself as I'm doing it right now, is avoiding caffeine after around 7pm, and also avoiding it before or during singing. Drinking it later will likely cause or exacerbate reflux which can damage the chords. This is what usually happens with me and I wake up with a scratchy throat that takes ages and a lot of hydration to warm up.

Alcohol too, which is a pain when you're playing live and someone offers to buy you a beer. You could maybe get away with one or two beers as long as you're drinking plenty of water, but avoid spirits and cider; cider dries you up something awful, even if it feels really refreshing at first.

Soft drinks and sodas are best avoided too. They coat your throat and make likely that you'll burp out a big ripper right in the middle of your set...which I did in front of around 300 people on St. Patrick's Night...in an Irish pub...while drunk...not a good combination, trust me.

Milk and dairy products too. Same applied. Coat y'er throat and clog things up. You'll be hacking out phlegm constantly.

Also, Absinthe. Not specifically for vocal reason. It's just concentrated evil, really.

Furious_Phil

Agreed... also avoid overeating before a rehearsal or show, as a full/bloated belly doesn't really allow for proper diaphragm engagement.

I gave up soda-pop a few months back and I haven't even died! I thought for sure I would :-p

I do drink a small glass of Aloe Vera juice a day to assist with water's hydration cycle. Its seems to have made a big difference in the suppleness of my vocal cords.
I also consume Golden Paste (a Turmeric supplement) to deal with inflammation issues, which also seems to assist throat recuperation.

bentk

overeating is indeed a problem. I would also eat well before a show anyway. Like at least an hour, but i prefer even more like 2 hours before. Personally i don't notice real problems from coffee or dairy, but i don't really consume them during my singing, so that might be why.

All the best,

Ben

TommyM

@bentk I once ate a cheese and chilli pizza about 45 minutes before going onstage. Big mistake. Hahahaha!

bentk

@TommyM

haha, that made me smile. I hope it still went well enough for you though. I will remember not to eat chilli pizza before i perform.

Furious_Phil

Nothing like "verping" into your windscreen