Top 5 Solutions for Common Vocal Health Issues Singers Struggle With
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Top 5 Solutions for Common Vocal Health Issues Singers Struggle With
From time to time, even the best singers run into vocal issues. Many of them are more common vocal issues to do with the health of the singer and incorrect speaking and singing production.
From chronic hoarseness, a loss of range or high notes to losing your voice altogether, it’s very unsettling and disheartening. Especially when you depend on your voice for a living.
My method (The Cole Vocal Method) has vocal health baked into the foundation. The technique regards the health of the voice in every exercise we do. This is the way to achieve a voice that can stand up to the wear and tear of singing professionally without accumulating damage or injury.
“It is imperative that singers train or they are going to inevitably end up with vocal problems. And you will want to avoid all of that.” ~ Cari Cole
Over the years of coaching singers, I have helped thousands of singers recover their vocal health with many different issues from hoarseness to more serious issues like vocal nodules, or Muscle Tension Dysphonia and vocal issues that arise from the speaking voice or diseases like Lyme or Epstein Barr. Drawing from my large solution based protocols and natural solutions including natural remedies, therapies and vocal therapy for the speaking and singing voice.
Here are my Top 5 Solutions for Common Vocal Health Issues Singers Struggle With. I hope it helps you find relief and get on the path to healing, and an even stronger voice than before. To your vocal health!
Vocal Issue #1: Hoarseness?
Solutions: Hydration, Proper Technique, Lifestyle Changes
Hoarseness is a common issue affecting singers, particularly those who use their voices extensively.?
Vocal issues are it’s own puzzle to solve mainly because of the unique issues each singer has with their body, alignment, diet, lifestyle, and their vocal technique of speaking voice issues.?
Vocal hoarseness is usually accompanied by muscle tension in the muscles surrounding the vocal instrument (neck, jaw, tongue, laryngeal muscles, chest, back, intercostals, abdomen and hips).
Vocal hoarseness is usually accompanied by dehydration. Be sure to stay hydrated and try steaming regularly to hydrate the vocal folds.?
In addition, systemic issues like Laryngeal reflux (silent reflux), GERD, allergies and other dietary, chemicals, lifestyle, or environmental issues interfere. It’s usually a blend of all by the time the singer feels symptoms!?
Hoarseness can be a sign of a bigger vocal health problem. If it is persistent, seek out a vocal professional like myself to get on the right track back to health.
Singers may experience hoarseness due to various factors, such as:
Causes of hoarseness in singers include:
Treatment options for singers’ hoarseness vary depending on the underlying cause. Some common approaches include:
By recognizing these signs and seeking professional help, singers can receive timely treatment and prevent further damage. Additionally, maintaining good vocal hygiene, avoiding vocal strain, and incorporating regular voice exercises can help prevent hoarseness and promote overall vocal health.
Vocal Issue #2: Vocal Fatigue
?Solutions: Hydration, Voice Building Techniques, Improve Overall Health
Vocal fatigue is an issue that stems from either underuse (a weak voice) or overuse of the voice and usually the former.?
But it can also come from other unrelated health problems, dehydration, lack of breath control, or laryngeal reflux.?
The first step is to determine the root cause of the fatigue. If it’s coming from a weak voice, we slowly build it up in addition improving the energy and overall health of the singer and put them on a hydration plan eating foods rich in water content and electrolytes along with water to improve overall energy levels.?
Voice building for weak voices is imperative. The Master Voice Building Exercises are designed to help build up a voice that is weak. You can find those inside of the Cole Vocal Method. Learn more about the Cole Vocal Method here.?
Vocal fatigue can be a sign of a bigger vocal health problem. If it is persistent, seek out a vocal professional like myself to get on the right track back to health.?
Vocal Issue #3: Loss of Upper Range
Solutions: Hydration, Warmups and Cool downs?
You only have 2 vocal cords and they can’t be replaced. It’s important to learn a vocal technique that has vocal health at it’s foundation. Too often it is the result of a lack of or the wrong vocal technique. The loss of range is an indication that the vocal cords are inflamed and are not recovering properly.?
I hear stories all the time of singers training with techniques that PUSH the voice and they end up injuring their voices. Here’s one that just came in from a new student who just joined my Vocal Freedom Circle yesterday.?
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“After I had Covid, I lost the upper notes of my range. So, I signed up for singing lessons online with a group who do not stress vocal health (as Cari does) and got into trouble with a lot of throat pain trying to push the high notes. I went to a laryngologist and a vocal therapist and found that Cari covers all that the therapist was doing —but also gives [vocal technique and natural health] routines.”
Getting your range back starts with what we’ve discussed so far in #1 and 2 above, along with a round of vocal therapy exercises to therapeutically restore the range.
I created the Vocal Rescue Kit to help restore singers voices. Learn more about the Vocal Rescue Kit here.
Vocal Issue #4: Losing Voice After Gigs?
Solutions: Hydration, Vocal Therapy?
Until you have established the foundation for your voice with vocal technique, you are susceptible to losing your voice from improper use.
It starts with feeling a little hoarse or raspy after a gig from which you recover in an hour or so. But when the recovery time becomes 1-2 days and then more than that, you know you are singing incorrectly and headed for more serious vocal problems.?
To avoid losing your voice, all you have to do is to train with the proper vocal techniques to warm up your voice for singing (improves endurance) and to cool down after your show to reduce inflammation at the vocal folds.?
Vocal Issue #5: Vocal Nodules
Solutions: Proper Diagnosis, Vocal Rest followed by Vocal Therapy?
Vocal nodules are not a common occurrence but probable for professional level singing without proper training. Overtime using the voice incorrectly will cause problems like nodules.
Vocal cord nodules are benign growths that form on the vocal cords, typically as a result of excessive vocal cord use over a long period. Singers are particularly susceptible to developing vocal nodules due to the demands of their profession.
Nodules occur when the vocal folds rub against each other causing a small blister than left untreated hardens preventing the cords from coming together correctly and vocal loss occurs.?
Vocal nodules can occur from overusing the voice, often due to:
Symptoms of vocal nodules include:
Treatment for vocal nodules typically involves:
Prevention measures include:
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The first step with any vocal problem to identify the root cause. Knowing what is going wrong is half the battle. Vocal problems can come from a myriad of sources and it can be puzzling to figure out the root cause.
Are you over-singing? Under-singing? There’s an epidemic of weak singing voices out there in our almost post-pandemic world.
Is it from environmental factors like allergies? Reflux? These are chronic issues that plague singers’ voices. Sometimes reflux can be what they call “silent reflux” or “laryngeal reflux”. In this case, you won’t even know that you have reflux, but your voice is breaking, and cracking and you know something is wrong. It happened to me onstage. I’d never had anything like that happen and I knew something was wrong. Sure enough, when I got a vocal scope I had laryngeal reflux.
In some cases a regular doctor who isn’t a specialist with singers voices (not all ENT’s are), they won’t even see it – or if they do, they put you on medication that doesn’t fix the root cause and now you’re taking a medication that is drying your voice out. All pharmaceutical medications dry the singing voice, which can be a real problem. A dry, dehydrated voice won’t function as well and can lead to hoarseness, lost range and burning out early.
For more help, here’s what I suggest:
WEDNESDAY LIVESTREAM with Cari Cole: JOIN ME EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 12 pm Eastern for my Weekly Livestream: Join me on YouTube (and Instagram, Facebook)– where I discuss the Blog of the Week followed by a short Q&A where you can ask me questions.
This post helps you get started, but that’s only the beginning. What would it feel like to Say goodbye to vocal problems, regain your vocal health, and stop losing your voice. Experience the transformative powerful Vocal Rescue Kit used by Grammy Winners, the Voice, & American Idolist Finalists, and thousands of independent and emerging artists worldwide. Restore your voice with vocal therapy techniques and holistic methods only learned here. The Vocal Rescue Kit is Part 2 in the Cole Vocal Method.?Click here to learn more .