How to Help Soothe Your Singing Voice

Exercises, diet and hydration can help soothe your throat.

Singing can be hard work, particularly for your lungs and vocal cords. Keeping your throat soothed and supple to prevent pain and potential damage to vocal cords is an everyday process involving diet, hydration and regular exercise to prevent sudden strain. At times, a store or strained throat may make singing difficult, but there are several approaches to soothing the pain and allowing you to safely sing your best. A combination of preventative routines and symptomatic relief may keep you onstage in all but the most dire of circumstances.

Things You'll Need

• Room-temperature water
• Dehumidifier
• Honey
• Herbal tea
• Lemon
• Hot water
• Lozenges
• Cough syrup

Instructions

Hydration

1. Hydrate regularly with room-temperature water; ice water can constrict vocal cords. Drink two to three quarts of water per day.

2. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and smoking, as well as smoke-filled rooms, as these can dehydrate your throat and cause strain on your vocal cords.

3. Use a humidifier when sleeping to prevent overnight dehydration.

4. Take regular warm showers to create steam to soothe your throat and make vocal cords more supple. Beware of water that is too hot; high-temperature steam harms your vocal cords.

Diet

1. Carefully monitor your diet. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins A, C and E, all of which are vital for health and can be particularly helpful for singers. Vitamin C, for instance, helps your body fight off infections such as the common cold. Vitamin E has a more general antioxidant effect, also helping to fight off infections.

2. Avoid fatty foods and excessive dairy consumption. These can produce phlegm, which may result in excessive throat-clearing and potential damage to your throat. At best, you'll strain to sing through the phlegm.

3. Eat a balanced diet, but don't eat just before going onstage. A modest meal about two hours before singing is right for most people, but try different intervals to find out what works for you.

Exercise

1. Exercise regularly. Exercise your vocal cords every day by singing scales, building from the middle of your range to the extreme highs and lows. Singing exercises in the shower may help soothe your throat and prevent damage to your vocal cords.

2. Use breathing exercises to strengthen your diaphragm, putting less stress on your throat and vocal cords by effortlessly pushing air through the vocal cords.

3. Run, jog, lift weights or perform other workout tasks to strengthen your lungs and chest muscles. This reduces stress on your throat.

Treatment

1. Treat a hoarse or sore throat with soothing substances such as honey. Brew a hot herbal tea, then add 2 teaspoons of honey. Allow the tea to cool to a tepid temperature, then slowly sip until it is gone. Alternatively, add lemon to boiling water, allow it to cool to room temperature and slowly sip for maximum effect.

2. Suck on lozenges. Avoid menthol lozenges as they may feel soothing at first, but quickly may dry out your throat.

3. Bring a glass of warm water with you onstage to soothe your throat from time to time.

4. Use commercial cough syrup or lozenges in the case of a violent cough, as the cough is more damaging than the cure, but be careful to avoid substances with alcohol content. If acid reflux disease may be the cause of throat pain and dryness, see a doctor for appropriate medication.

Tips & Warnings

• Acid reflux is a serious condition and should be handled by a professional.

References

• Singing Like Pro: Does Eating Affect Singing Voice?
• Bret Manning's Singing Success: Singing With a Sore Throat
• Your Personal Singing Guide: Good Singing Foods
• Vocalist.org: Vocal Health