Can't stop clearing throat while recording singing...

[Robertt8]

I don't know, maybe I'm a freak, but sometimes it seems like I can't make it through an entire vocal take without clearing my through because of phlegm build up. Are there any tricks to avoid this? Drink lot's of water??? I don't know, but it's driving me crazy.

[octoruss]

Believe it or not, your problem is so common that a company actually makes a product to minimize this. It's called the "Cough Drop". I shit you not. $40 at Musiciansfriend:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/...g=home?q=cough

[Cave Dweller]

well you can always just punch in, or mute the sections where you are coughing using a volume envelope.... for recording dont worry about making it all the way through a song in one take... use multiple takes and peice them together for a "perfect" take.

[Shockwave]

You can warm up your voice for a half an hour or so before recording too. This happens to me when I am rehearsing a take, so I'll do like six takes and by then most of the gack is loosened up and my throat is much clearer. I also record those early takes cause some of them are the best ones.

[ChisCarlson]

Actually drinking LOTS of water does help. The key is to start early - like a couple of days early. If you are like me you end up drinking lots of water all the time. Since I started upping my water intake (neally a gallon per day), phlegm has no longer been a problem for me. As an additional benefit, I feel tons better and I dropped 15 lbs. (I couldn't drink those 3 cans of Mountain Dew everyday anymore).

An additional warning; clearing your throat is a very violent thing to do to your vocal folds (cords). It slams them against each other with a lot force. Much damage can be done, and it will drastically cut down on your stamina. Try the water thing, you'll be amazed at how good your voice will feel after a long recording session.

--Chris

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Roberto of B:

Funny that Carlson, who lives in Menommonie FALLS, says to drink lots of water. I pick up on words like that.

But, you can buy a mic switch set up like Radio folks use; when they want to clear their tonsels, they just hit the button, grunt and spit and hit the button again and speak as if nothing had ever happened.

It has to be a switch that won't click on your recording.

Green Hornet

[chessparov]

Drinking water 3+ hours before and up to recording time should
help quite a bit.
Avoid milk/soda/coffee/tea in the meantime.
Having 6+ glasses of water in addition to other beverages a
day makes a big difference in general too.

Chris

[chessrock]

Two stand-bys:

* Hot Lemon Tea

* Whiskey

Maybe some hot lemon tea with a shot of whiskey just before you sing. I shit you not. Okay, maybe not a full shot - don't go overboard, but a little whiskey is okay.

Or just suck on a lemon.

[Gidge]

a decent mic
a decent preamp
a decent monitoring system
a decent recording medium
a bunch of ho's
purple carpet and green velvet furniture
painting of dogs shooting pool

[chessrock]

Originally posted by Gidge
a decent mic
a decent preamp
a decent monitoring system
a decent recording medium
a bunch of ho's
purple carpet and green velvet furniture
painting of dogs shooting pool

Shouldn't that be on this thread? I definitely second the "Ho's" nomination, by the way.

http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/sho...threadid=53588

[Gidge]

yes, it should.....

[Shailat]

Hot and cold drinks tighten the vocal cords- keep away fom them
Alcohol - keep away
Citrus like lemon and oranges - keep away
Caffeine - keep away
any type of syrups - keep away

Warm water is the proper drink.
Bananas - have oil that coat the vocals with out phlegm ...most recomended (eat it slowly)

[twist]

Duuuh! Quit smoking!

[littledog]

Remember that famous French Vaudeville performer (can't think of his name) that used to be able to "sing" purely by farting?

You didn't want to be around when he cleared HIS "throat"!

[NYMorningstar]

Originally posted by twist
Duuuh! Quit smoking!

I agree with Twist. If it's not you smoking then stop the people around you from smoking around you. That's a start except try going into a bar and tellin the people your playing for not to smoke{{{{{DUCK}}}}}} Well they won't listen so you need to increase your lung capacity and make the lungs healthier. You do this by running. I know it sounds crazy and unreasonable but alot of the good singers are runners, Mick Jaguar, Rod Stewart, me, hehe. It's a way to make certain when you need a breath of air, it'll be there with no congestion. You'll also stop getting colds, need less sleep, have better circulation, lose weight and live longer. Good Luck!

[Retro]

I second the running. It will allow you to go longer without having to stop to take a breath during your vocals and give more power to them. Both very good things.

[Queue]

Mick Jaguar

he he he ha ha ha

[John Byrne]

hi litledog.

his name was Lepedemain or Le Pedemain, I'm not too sure of the spelling, (Check the Mel Brooke's film "Blazing Saddles" - Govenor Lepedemain).

When I was in the army, I always had a glass of port before taking drill, it warmed the vocal chords and prevented a sore throat. If this doen't work, at least it tastes good.

I was going to write something facetious but perhaps Mick or Rod are reading this BBS, so I will restrain myself!

If you are doing a vocal take, then continue after the cough and then go back and puch in, or re-record on another track. I have never been satisfied with one complete take of vocals (I did a project last year where I did fifty seven takes of the vocals) and I am forever splicing vocal tracks.

That's the fun of recording, every take doesn't have to be perfect - just parts of it.

Regards,

John

[Richard Monroe]

Try about 2oz. of Southern comfort, the 100 proof version, not 80 proof. Chessrock, you're on the right track. It worked for Janis Joplin, and it will work for you.-Richie
P.S.- please note J.J. is dead, largely from smoking and drinking, but I would still never start a vocal session without "the grand old drink of the south".

[CDT-sHaG]

Believe it or not, your problem is so common that a company actually makes a product to minimize this. It's called the "Cough Drop". I shit you not. $40 at Musiciansfriend:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7.../g=home?q=cough

people who who use headphone mics use this thing...usually drummers.

[Buck62]

I have this problem all the time with the bands and singers that I record.
Many of them don't even realize it until I tell them about it.

Then, when I tell them that I have to edit out all of their coughs, throat-clearings, gurgles, sniffles, foot-shuffling, and stomach-growlings (at my regular studio rate, of course)... they all look at me like I'm some kind of 3-headed monster and deny that they made ANY noises that would show up in the recording.
Soooo, I just drop all the faders, except for the vocal track, and let them hear it for themselves.
So far, I haven't had ONE singer turn down the scrubbing (editing) of their vocal track.

Works every time!

[Jamie Jukosky]

whole milk is evil for singers

[BibleMan]

The water is obviously a good idea.

For coughing, typical cough drops (Halls, etc) are the WORST thing in the world to take. Medication is the AntiChrist to a person's throat.

If you need continued lubrication, lemon drops (the cheap store brand is fine) will do the trick.

If this is the only time (when singing) that you have a coughing problem, you should also consider that this is related to breathing technique.

Good luck

BM

[littledog]

Not sure if these would qualify as Anti-Christian cough drops, but I always keep a supply of lozenges called "Fisherman's Friend" on hand. Singers hipped me to them originally, and a lot of them swear by it.

[Retro]

They work great, but man do they taste terrible!