is too much singing, in the wrong way, "dangerous"?

[fuzzychoir]

i used to be in the sch choir for the past 2 years, but that was very easy as there was only 1 practice per wk. now i'm in secondary sch, and they have practices nearly everyday since a performance is coming up. my throat rly feels terrible, esp. since i haven't fully grasped the methods of how to sing well. but precisely bcuz i haven't grasped it, i want to experiment more and more so i can sing louder. but ever since this yr, i have come down with at least 2 sore throats and 1 throat infection. my throat has bcum so susceptible to sicknesses! i am very worried bcuz it seems to be turning out as a vicious cycle: go for choir and sing loudly, get a terrible sore throat, go for choir and get a sore throat again and so on. will my throat eventually "die"? i'm very afraid that my throat may eventually become "permanently" sore. i would appreciate any help very much!

 

[Fishybob]

Just like an instrument, your voice needs to be looked after. Make sure you warm up before heavy rehearsals, drink plenty of water, don't smoke!

Also look at throat losengers like Vocalzone to clear and protect your throat. They've worked wonders for me when I went on tour and had to endure smokey gigs.

I'm not sure how loud you're planning to sing but perhaps screaming isn't the best think for a chior.... (it might be but still...!)



... And remember to enjoy it!

 

[MadAudio]

Yes, improper singing can damage your vocal cords. A friend of mine once developed nodes on her cords from using a growling style of singing. She recovered, but had to relearn how to sing properly.

 

[DonF]

...it seems to be turning out as a vicious cycle: go for choir and sing loudly, get a terrible sore throat, go for choir and get a sore throat again and so on.

Have you approached your choir director about this problem? It sounds like you may be failing to breathe properly while you're singing. This puts the vocal mechanism under excessive strain, leading to soreness (almost the same as how overdoing a workout on the weight machine makes your muscles sore). Another possibility is that you're not in the correct section -- maybe you're really an alto, but they've placed you in the soprano section.

Deal with this sooner rather than later. You can damage your voice if you go on the way you're going.

Don

 

[whyseye]

...if you're straining your throat, your technique is wrong, and it is very easy to damage your vocal cords. Like MadAudio said, nodes on the vocal cords can sideline you for a long time, and can be precursors to more serious conditions like polyps....
The most important thing is to support your tone with breath control - diaphragmatic breathing, etc. Your teacher should be able to give you tips about that; also be sure to fully warm up with exercises and scales before you try to hit those high notes (especiallly with high volume)!
There's a lot of info online about exercises, etc. if your choir leader is not helpful...good luck!

 

[fuzzychoir]

singing

i don't rly know who to get tips or individualized instruction cuz our sch choir is supposed to be very good, so our choir conductor doesn't need to teach us how to sing, everything is basically run by the students. and they just tell us to use support, sing loudly, focus, dada unclear and brief instructions.

i don't rly know what to do as if i go and see a doctor or some doctor specialising in vocal thingies, well firstly i dunno if it's rly necessary. two, since nth too serious has shown up, my parents will probably not be willing to take me there anyway. as for a singing teacher, again, my parents won't spend the money and i don't have much time due to schoolwork.

i don't smoke and i drink plenty of water, yet when i sing it just hurts. i'm learning diaphragmatic control and breathing on my own by looking at webpages, so i hope i can learn sth, though it is pretty difficult.

but thanks for all ur advice anyway. i rly appreciate it.

 

[fuzzychoir]

oh, and by the way, what exactly are nodes? are they really so serious? are there any symptoms of nodes?

 

[fuzzychoir]

also, i've read that sometimes we spoil our voice by screaming or using a bad speaking voice. what is like a bad speaking voice that can spoil ur throat? i think i may have sth like a bad speaking voice because i can talk talk talk then suddenly when i'm emotional i will like "shriek" and talk in a high pitch subconciously.... is there any way to correct this habit? or is this not really a bad speaking voice in the first place?

 

[Fishybob]

I think you have what's known as teenageexcitablegirl syndrome... nothing to worry about... it'll pass!

 

[DonF]

what exactly are nodes?

From http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/10976.html:

Vocal cord nodules are small, hard, callus-like growths caused by vocal abuse. They occur in pairs, with one nodule on each vocal cord at the site of greatest irritation. They sometimes are called singer's, screamer's or teacher's nodules. ...

[Symptoms include] hoarseness, low-pitched voice, breathy voice. Singers may notice a loss of vocal range. ...

If you don't do anything to change your vocal cord abuse, nodules can last a lifetime, and even can come back after they are surgically removed. With proper voice training with a certified therapist, nodules can disappear within six to 12 weeks.

Sounds to me like they're easier to avoid than to get rid of.

 

[fuzzychoir]

oh gosh nodes are really scary. i have been noticing that my voice tends to go lower-pitched... but not really hoarse... as for loss of range.. lol i can't sing high notes that well anymore but i can sing lower notes better

haha teenageexcitablegirl syndrome is so cute! (

 

[Dani Pace]

The ola saying,"No pain, no gain" does not apply to the human voice. If it hurts you ARE doing something wrong, plain and simple. It takes time and lots of practice to develope a singing voice. Also keep in mind that somewhere around the arrival of puberty the vocal chords go through a number of changes, some parts of the vocal range get easier and some get harder. The vocal chords, like other body parts grow in "spurts" and the times of growth are a vunerable time, too much strain will cause permanate stretching which can lead to huskiness or raspyness for life. The worse scenerio to consider is simply, some people are not ment to be singers, all voices are not equal and some are stronger/weaker than others. Just don't overdo and allow your voice to develope.

 

[Farview]

A friend of mine has a book called 'Singing for Dummies'. It comes with a CD that has exercises on it. I looked it over and it is a really good book that is organized rather well. It has everything my vocal coach taught me (after I blew my voice out and had to re-learn how to talk). I would recommend getting the book before you really screw up your voice.

 

[fuzzychoir]

ok... i think all the dummies series book are very good.. haha..

i feel very dilemma-ed, cuz all the juniors are really very lousy compared to the seniors, and i wish that i can be as good as them, so i keep experimenting, and then my experiment fails and my throat hurts, and so i have to wait for it to heal, then i experiment again, and so on...... and next we have 4 continual days of practice for a big performance.. and if i don't sing i'll feel bad that i didn't help the choir!

these few days i feel that my throat is like a bit swollen (though i did not sing for the past 2 days except for some very little occasional fun), my voice has become lower-pitched cuz if i speak in high-pitched, or if i speak very excitedly or quickly, or if i laugh unweakly, it'll ache too! and sometimes i can feel that it's very hot like that... sigh.. at least i still can talk... but i do not even know if it's bcuz of maturing or illness or just plain heathiness.. i have been drinking lots of water and abstaining frm junk food! boohoo i miss ice cream!!!