How Not to Blow Out Your Voice

[Anderton]

Hey Al - I moved your post to a new thread because I think this deserves its own topic!

[Al Koehn]

I went to hear a band that I work with a few nights ago. The singer had asked me to drop by to perhaps hear reasons he was getting hoarse during his gigs. During the show he seemed to be singing correctly (not straining, etc) and he was drinking warm tea (no alcohol).He told me he always warms up before a show. No problems there. But as the night went on I discovered several big reasons his voice was breaking down. 



1. The room was full of cigarette smoke. I recommended that he get 2 of those cheap window fans and set them on either side of the stage, throwing air diagonally across the front of the stage. This stops the smoke from hitting the singer by pushing it off to the sides. He also needed to get out of the room during breaks and go outside and take some deep cleansing breaths before returning.



2. Speaking of breaks: I noticed he stayed in the room most of the time, hugging the girls and playing the star. Two things happen to the voice when we do this. First, we keep on breathing the smoke, only up close and deadlier; and second. those rooms are LOUD with talking, laughing, etc. Without even noticing, we begin to talk louder when we really need to be giving our vocal chords a rest. ( Need I point out that the same vocal chords that sing for us also SPEAK for us.)



3. While on stage he was getting a lot of positive (loud) energy from the audience. This led him to sing louder. But why? He had a perfectly good mic and powerful pa system. He began to push his voice to match the volume of the crowd. Problems. Also he wasn't careful when he was speaking to the audience. It's ok to yell "is everybody having fun?" or whatever, but remember that yelling is tearing on the vocal chords. If you can't fix that let another member of the band do the talking.



Also I noticed that the song list grouped too many songs together that pushed his high range. The high range needs rest, and gets that by singing lower songs. Don't let the band dictate the song list without regard for the health of your voice.

That's what I have to say. What about you? Let's hear what your experience has taught you about this. Also, feel free to ask questions.

Al Koehn

[Anderton]

As I live in the high desert, one thing I've noticed is I have to drink a lot more water when singing, whether live or in the studio. That may seem obvious, but...it took me a while to figure out I basically had to double the amount of water I drink compared to places with higher humidity.

[cherri]

Thanks for the breakdown, AL.

1. Fans - check.

2. My thoughts: It's important for the front person to mingle on breaks, smoke or no smoke. When I'm watching a band, I am turned off when they take a break without mixing with the crowd. When we are performing, set breaks aren't really breaks, they are time to tune, hit the bathroom, hopefully sell and autograph some CDs, book a future show, and most importantly meet, greet, and thank the audience for coming.

3. That one's tough to control. Live = enthusiasm = louder.

We break up the lead vocal duties. I sing about 75% of the tunes and the bass player and lead guitar player sing the other songs. That gives me a vocal break, and a chance to hang back playing guitar and let someone else get the spotlight. It also mixes up our sound. No matter how great a singer is, the modern generation with their 35-second attention spans aren't going to listen to the same singer for four hours.

[Stackabones]

Great thread!

[Al Koehn]

I agree with you in that working the crowd is important during breaks. But I do think we need to be aware of the vocal problems that may cause, and perhaps stay out there for shorter periods. Just being aware of this will help a lot. Be smart.

As far as enthusiasm and energy having to always translate into volume, I feel that this isn't always the case. Mics don't necessarily translate volume as excitement. Loud is just loud. Energy can be used in a lot of ways. I find that singing loud can be a waste of good energy, even if you're singing metal. Use your energy to generate enthusiasm, excitement and emotion by being enthusiastic, excited and emotional from the inside out. This is a complicated issue and I plan to start a separate thread about it.

Al Koehn

[Anderton]

Use your energy to generate enthusiasm, excitement and emotion by being enthusiastic, excited and emotional from the inside out. This is a complicated issue and I plan to start a separate thread about it.

Looking forward to it...:thu:

[flemtone]

Al, each of the things you mention are extremely important. We learned them as we went along.

Smoking is no longer allowed in clubs here in NJ, so that's a non-issue. Using the mic dynamically is a wonderful thing, especially when altering vocal dynamics at the same time.

The most important thing I found is going outside during breaks. I can't yell over the house music system or try to penetrate the ears of folks who've just had a loud live band in their faces for 45 minutes. The other members of the band are much better at 'working the crowd' than I am (I'm a 'corner-stander', watching the world go around me, except on stage), so if I fade outside, there's not a problem.

Water, not liquor. Zinc lozenges afterwards (and earlier in the day, if necessary). I quit smoking at the beginning of the year (yay!) and I'm amazed at how much more range I have, but not smoking has definitely altered the timbre of my voice. It's cleaner and clearer, but that doesn't necessarily work with all the songs I sing. I'm working on it....

Great post and, Craig, thanks for getting this forum up on the boards. It's been needed for a loooooong time. Even Phil agrees! See? :phil:

Now who can argue with that?

[sydfan]

Wow! I can't believe you guys go through all this kind of stuff just to sing. I've been singing in smokey bars for 25 years and I sing loud and hard, and I rarely get hoarse. I don't warm up, I drink....I don't know. All this stuff seems pretty diva-ish to me.

:o

[flemtone]

Different strokes.

If I blow out my voice, I can't finish a gig. People have paid to see us play. This is something I'm not willing to take a chance on. They come to see us, then I'll do what I can to give them a good show.

Don't get me wrong - I used to be just like you. Smoked hand-rolled butts, drank, screamed, no warm-up, snorted/toked between sets, shouted to be heard between sets, etc. I found, as I got older, that my voice suffered from that kind of thing.

Also, I formed a three-voice acoustic group that was so much more vocal-harmony oriented and I could actually hear the flaws in my voice, heard the weak spots and worked diligently to make my voice better. It improved with time and the things I mentioned in my last post were some of the things that I changed to improve it.

I'm proud of my voice, just as I'm proud of my playing. I practice both and try to keep both instruments (voice and bass) in good working order.

YMMV.

[dughaze]

Wow! I can't believe you guys go through all this kind of stuff just to sing. I've been singing in smokey bars for 25 years and I sing loud and hard, and I rarely get hoarse. I don't warm up, I drink....I don't know. All this stuff seems pretty diva-ish to me.

:o

Maybe you're genetically blessed with a good set of pipes or you sing everything like I heard the other night in one band...the guy sang everything in his bassy voice and it seemed pretty monotone and boring but his voice sure held. For instance, the guy was no Steve Perry type singer. Or maybe you don't sing that much or often?

I agree the life of a singer can be diva-ish at times because of what it requires and people just don't understand the requirements of good singing and being able to move through all the registers and do some of the technical stuff. But if you've never blown out yor voice or had problems with it as you learned to sing it makes me wonder.

[flemtone]

I put my bass into a padded case for protection. I protect my other instrument, as well.

[sydfan]

Maybe you're genetically blessed with a good set of pipes or you sing everything like I heard the other night in one band...the guy sang everything in his bassy voice and it seemed pretty monotone and boring but his voice sure held. For instance, the guy was no Steve Perry type singer. Or maybe you don't sing that much or often?

I agree the life of a singer can be diva-ish at times because of what it requires and people just don't understand the requirements of good singing and being able to move through all the registers and do some of the technical stuff. But if you've never blown out yor voice or had problems with it as you learned to sing it makes me wonder.
I sing virtually every Friday and Saturday night and every Sunday morning. I believe that singing is my strongest musical asset. I certainly don't sing everything bassy. I have a pretty good range and I can sing most anything within a tenor range. I don't want to sound arrogant or like a braggart, but I do believe that God did bless me with a good set of pipes. Most compliments I get are from singing. I ended up singing as a fluke. A few buddies and me started a band back in 1985 and I was a drummer. We were going to find a lead singer, but to learn songs, I sang things just to get them down, but after a few months of rehearsals, we decided not to hire a singer and let me handle the duty. I'm really glad it worked out that way, because I might have never been a singer. I really love to sing and I think I'm pretty good at it. Maybe because I've never been properly trained, I've just learned how to sing properly. I know I sing from my diaphragm. My voice is very strong and I have a really good sense of pitch. Again, I don't want to sound arrogant. I just believe that The Good Lord has given me a gift.

:)

[mark7171]

we dont meet the audience..the lights turn on, and it is time.

[SevenString]

I've heard sydfan, and he's got a great sounding voice. Probably some cast-iron in there, somewhere. :thu: :lol:


All of Al's points are good advice, especially if you're having trouble with "blowouts". Personally, I've never had one, but I guess I'm lucky. :idk:

I'm somewhere "in between" in terms of my vocal "maintenance".

I do a couple of common sense things, like avoiding alcohol because it has a noticeable bad effect on my voice. I also drink enough water to stay hydrated especially before and during gig-time. Finally, especially for those 4-5 hour cover gigs, I let the mic do the work, and sing at the same level as I do any other time.

But I just accept all of the other stuff as part of the deal. Talking with audiences on break, smoky rooms, the smell of wine and cheap perfume. :lol:

Truth is, my voice isn't very fragile, partly because of genetics I'm sure, and partly because I have learned to relax when I sing, so that it feels about the same in my throat whether I sing high or low, or add "grit" for rock material.

I'm not saying anybody else DOESN'T do these things, I'm just saying that these are the fundamentals that work for me, and beyond that, I don't sweat the other stuff because it doesn't seem to have much to do with whether I, personally, can sing well or not.

Other people's mileage may vary.

[Cool Hand Luke]

Well, I don't agree on all accounts.

Smoke can have a drying effect on the vocal chords and CAN be a bit hard on the voice. There is nothing that's as bad on the voice as bad technique though.

The biggest problem and one of the problems I have suffered myself is that I never really learned how use support properly. If you don't know how to support properly or the muscles in your diaphragm becomes tired it's VERY easy to let too much air through - especially when going for the high notes. Too much air slipping through your vocal chords while they're making sound is very bad and THAT can blow out your voice in one song easily.

When you're using the proper technique it's amazing how loud your voice can actually get without you hurting yourself. The same technique can be used when talking to the crowd in the breaks as well.

[bassred]

I've got a pretty strong voice myself, but some nights it's too much booze or not enough water (usually the same night) and by set 4 it's rough. I moved to in ear monitors a few years ago and won't look back, cymbal and guitar levels no longer cause me to push myself too hard...

[Bryan316]

Hard to describe it, but when I have problems, it's because I loosened up my throat as I sang. When I'm warming up, I can go up and down and as I reach for high notes, I feel like I keep my throat nice and tight. But on stage, I'll feel like I let go, like I loosen up a lot, requiring too much breath and force to reach the high notes.

I wish I could have a better physiological explanation of how the human voice works. I understand the difference between chest voice and falsetto voice, but the other mechanics? Wish I could find a good vocal coach and spend a few months with him.

[bassred]

I sit on a Swiss exercise ball at work .. My chair is a big blue exercise ball.. I stopped using it for a while, but have gone back to it. Within a week of going back to the ball I had a rough night, stomach felt ill, tight, hot. it went away (the same thing happened when I first started using the ball) pretty quickly and now when I sing, I find that singing is easier.. I wonder if the ball, while not a fat-loss type of exercise, is putting my abs to work enough all day to help with my breath from my diaphragm...

just a thought.

[Caspar]

What is a swiss exercise ball?

For me the big difference is the smoke. If its a lot of smoke my voice suffer. Played an outdoor gig last weekend for the wine harvest. 2 hours friday night and 2,5 hours on the saturday night (hard rock). My voice was in top trim all weekend.

[Bryan316]

Hmmm... exercise ball. That's not a bad idea in general. Forces correct posture, forces certain muscles to work, hmm.... I say again, HMMmmmm....

[bassred]

What is a swiss exercise ball?

For me the big difference is the smoke. If its a lot of smoke my voice suffer. Played an outdoor gig last weekend for the wine harvest. 2 hours friday night and 2,5 hours on the saturday night (hard rock). My voice was in top trim all weekend.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_ball

The smoke is bad, but when properly hydrated and warmed up, it is not the end-all for a singer. it sucks, but shouldn't be your crutch for blowing out your voice. I've played as many as 5 mights a week with no problems, I just had to keep on top of the H20..