Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

Note the advice that follows is a simple start and does not make up a full vocal course

Let me recommend that at the very least you borrow/purchase either a copy of
• The Contemporary Singer: Elements of Vocal Technique by Anne Peckham. [Published by Berklee Press]
OR
• The Vocal Course ‘Funky and Fun’ by Kim Chandler available from Vocaltech

The authors with me would suggest that singing lessons/vocal coaching is important if you want to take your voice seriously

Here are some common questions I’ve been asked with a few guidelines in response

It hurts when I sing

Please note that I’m not talking here about ‘singing over a cold’ and will touch on that under the next heading

Pain is a sign from our bodies – that sadly as vocalists we tend to ignore. I try to follow a general ‘rule of thumb’ here – if it hurts don’t sing.

Your voice could be tired or strained – or there could be a more fundamental problem. In most cases complete rest followed by a gentle course of voice rehab [teaching the voice again how to produce sound] will be sufficient.

Don’t be afraid to get your voice [ear, nose and throat] checked out if the problem continues.

A final note – it is sometimes thought that whispering is helpful when our voice is under par – but it is in fact more tiring for the voice! It might be a cue for complete rest rather than continued whispering.

I have a cold – can I still sing?

I find that if I have no throat pain or symptoms but just feel rather nasally or with a head cold then I can still sing.

Firstly – drink lots and [if you can stand it] hot or tepid water with honey is a great lubricant! [Try to avoid cold water as this tends to ‘shock’ your vocal chords]
As you sing – it will mean that more emphasis is placed on your breath support to maintain the sound.

Another practical tip – take the song ‘down’ a pitch or two to fit in with the range of your voice [with it’s more nasal sound quality!]

Try to avoid cough sweets as they tend to dry your throat out – putting all that good work of drinking lots to waste!

Keep gently humming the melody [ever so gently] using the ‘ng’ hum [see my Voice Production pages]. This will help keep the flexibility of your voice while your head cold lasts.

My everyday job tires me vocally

I taught for 12 years in a secondary school and the classroom seemed to be the last place to exercise vocal care!

Try not to get too worried about it – see if some of the following tips help:

  • Try at least one warm up at the beginning of the day or in your breaks
  • Take a deeper breaths when you are making presentations or having to raise your voice
  • Don’t forget your support [see my previous page on Breath Control]
  • Avoid if you can prolonged talking around smoke, dust and noise
  • Drink lots

Do vocal exercises really work?

Yes! Yes! Yes! If you are warming up and doing some vocal exercise for let’s say 30 mins a day [even skip the weekends] at the end of two weeks you should begin to see/hear a difference!

It is important at some point to have vocal training/singing lessons so that you can get an expert opinion and perspective with coaching suited to your voice

Do I have to keep fit?

We sing with the whole of our body – our posture, support, stamina, smile, breathing, not to mention awareness of our lips, teeth and even eyebrows – all are a part of voice production.

I sometimes hear people say when they’ve finished a session with me – how they feel like they’ve just had a workout!

Singing uses the whole of our bodies – and keeping fit will help increase stamina and mental alertness

Also as I write this at midnight [!!] I’m reminded that you need to get lots of sleep!

Thankfully my midnight hour is not a regular occurrence and I couldn’t sustain a concert, or event or Sunday morning on poor sleeping patterns!

My voice seems to be changing

When I hear this question it invariably means that the singer cannot sing as high as they once could.
Our voices change all the time – and if we continue with good fitness levels, and vocal exercises – our voices should continue to mature with us

Are there any things I need to avoid?

  • Try to avoid caffeine, alcohol, cough sweets and smoking – they are drying on the voice and the body [I use herbal teas or water to re-hydrate]
  • Avoid like the plague anything that slightly anaesthetizes the throat masking the pain that is in fact a warning sign

If you are in such pain that you need lozenges, throat sprays et al – you really shouldn’t be singing.

Does what I eat affect how I sing?

I’ve found that if I eat certain foods it can affect my vocal production

  • Say after me… milk = mucus!! Well it does for me!

I try to avoid [at least the week before] milk products which for me include cheese, yoghurts and sadly chocolate! if I’m going to sing

  • I’ve already mentioned to try and avoid caffeine and alcohol which tends to be drying on the voice
  • I’ve heard that pineapple and carrots work wonders too!

The key will be for you to experiment and find out what food and drink hinders or helps your voice production
[I do have friends who are absolutely fine drinking tea and eating chocolate before they sing!! – humph! I’m thinking happy thoughts!!]

When I sing with the band I feel vocally tired

This is called ‘over-singing’. It usually happens if your singing with a guitar band and you are not able to hear yourself sing.

Try to use a microphone and stand in front of a monitor speaker. I know that not everyone will have that benefit of a monitor speaker [although in an electric band for a vocalist this is a necessity not a luxury!]. If you haven’t got a monitor – try and position yourself away from the loudest instruments [electric guitar amp, drums]

I get sooooo nervous

There are a few people who experience no nervousness at all – but in the main most of us experience the sweaty palms, dry mouth and other symptoms of nervousness to some degree before a performance.

The key is to work with your nerves in a way that doesn’t distract from the performance

  • Make sure you know your song well. Sometimes nervousness can be an obvious sign that you are actually unprepared. Good preparation will go a long way to move you from nervous anxiety to excited anticipation
  • Sometimes I work with singers who ‘do themselves down’ before they’ve even begun! Try to avoid being the ‘prophet of doom’ for your upcoming performance
  • Take a few deep breaths before you start. Sometimes nervousness can make our breathing become shallower – deep breathing will help!
  • Drink lots [remember not cold water if possible!]
  • Quietly hum the first verse through once or twice
  • Ask God to sing through you – to take your preparation and your voice and use them – somehow!
  • Do be aware of your body [hands playing with necklaces, or ‘going over’ on your ankles!] Practicing in front of a mirror or a friend will help to iron out the fidgets!!
  • Try and get performance practice with say a smaller friendly group before the big event!

I wish I could sing like…

It’s great to have other singers to aspire to – but get to know your own voice!
What are its distinctive qualities?
Does it have a

  • bright sound, [it sound’s like you are smiling when you sing!!]
  • nasal ‘sound [a piercing ‘like a ‘laser’ sound]
  • breathy quality [more breath than vocal tone]
  • solid quiet tone
  • solid loud tone
  • …and much more or a combination of the above

Experiment and learn about your voice – what causes your voice to sound under stress? When does it sound ‘great?’

Sometimes dissatisfaction with our voices can lead to tension and poor vocal production when in fact the voice you have been given is a unique gift that is brimming with possibilities waiting for you to explore and develop it further.

Geraldine – what has been your most useful technique/tool?

For me it has to be the ‘ng’ sound [at the end of the word ‘hang’]. Using this to warm-up is invaluable at moving the sound ‘forward’ – and helps me to incorporate my ‘head resonances’ with my naturally resonant chest voice.

Smiling too – is my second most important secret tip! It does work!

And finally…

Our voice is unlike any other orchestral or band instrument – it reflects how we are feeling, resonates with the day we’ve experienced and can be a first sign of oncoming infection or poor health.

But it is also a powerful mode of expression unique to each of us.

Take your time in allowing stamina, colour and expression, support and flexibility to develop – sometimes things will happen overnight – sometimes it will take months – but give your voice the time and respect it deserves if you are taking vocal care seriously!

Enjoy the journey!

Geraldine Latty
22 November 2006