Throat Coat ala syrup

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mshea

mshea

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I've noticed a lot of posts concerning, scratchy throat, voice saving drinks, etc. I've had great success with my vocals as well as those of my husband's clients with a surprising remedy/preventative measure.

1 TBSP of GRADE B MAPLE SYRUP, a cup of hot water with some lemon.

Directions: Take the teaspoon of syrup, sip the hot water/lemon mix as needed throughout the session.

PERIOD.

Not sure how it works, or why but every vocalist i've whipped it up for is surprised, happy and most of all, maintains happy vocal chords through grueling tracking sessions.
 
As a Canadian, this intrigues me.

Have you experimented with other syrups? Does grade A work too? How about Mrs. "It's Mostly Corn" Butterworth's?
 
Vocal Chords?

It should be noted, however, that we don't drink things with our esophagus. When that happens, we call it choking. :D Things you drink do not actually coat the part of your body that makes the noise.

Best way to protect your voice is to be properly hydrated (you can use a remedy if you want, but water works great too) and to warm up your chords. Starting drinking water about an hour before you sing so your body has time to work that water into your system. Warm ups don't need to be hard, just start easy. Start by humming bass lines or melodies softly and work you way up to signing over the course of 10 minutes or so. You can work scales and other 'traditional' vocal warm ups but there is more than one way to skin a cat.

If your voice hurts, stop signing. You are doing damage.

If you are straining a lot, stop singing. You are doing damage.

Clearing your throat over and over is also bad and damages the chords.

Your voice needs to be protected if you plan to use it a lot.

I'm the worship leader at my church and sing several hours in rehearsal each week both with the band and then choir rehearsals, plus Sunday services and, in 8 years, have never missed a Sunday because of my voice. There was a time that I used to eat cough drops to help get me through rehearsals but the next day my voice would be shot. Now, staying hydrated, my voice is totally fine and I have no strain or soreness the next day at all.

The hot water or tea is great because you breathe in the warm, moist air which is wonderful for the chords and drinking nearly anything is good for your body being properly hydrated. Downing water while singing is also good and does wet the back of your throat ect, but it's no substitute for being well hydrated from the start. I am never more than a few feet from my waterbottle :)

Also, signing more often will make your voice stronger (assuming you are taking care of it). Chords are muscles and if you work them out they will be stronger.

A quick fix will get you through an evening but doing that fix over and over will make your voice weaker. We all want everything now, it's the modern way, but if you beat up your chords they will give out.

Sorry to sort of hijack the thread... It pains me to see and hear people hurting themselves. Just being properly hydrated will make a huge difference and often times that's what the real benefit of these remedies is. People in general are so dehydrated all the time and your chords just won't work right if you are. Drink up!

Robert
 
That's what Tiny Bennett said when they asked him for singing advice once - drink a lot of water.

Honey has a very nice affect on your throat too, I use it when I'm sick and need to sing.

Singing speech level as Seth Riggs professes is the single biggest thing I've learned to save my voice. I see it like playing electric guitar - you don't hit an electric guitar loud all night to get more volume, you turn up your amp. And the same for vocals, and that's why, at least for the stuff I sing, I only need to sing at a medium talking volume.

It's actually way harder on my voice to talk than it is to sing.
 
plus what works varies from person to person. I mostly do a single act these days which means I sing 4 hours straight and usually do 4-6 nights in a row with doubles on Sat.
I virutally never have any problems with my voice and my secret is .......... NOTHING!
I do exactly nothing to 'coat' my throat.
I actually often don't even have anything to drink, water or otherwise, for the first couple of hours.
Just not a big deal for me.
But I wouldn't suggest that as a method.
All of these things may or may not help particular singers.
You just have to try them out and see if they work for you.
 
Must....resist....obvious....predictable.....I-got-something-that-will-coat-your-throat-joke..........
 
sr71rules said:
It should be noted, however, that we don't drink things with our esophagus. When that happens, we call it choking. :D Things you drink do not actually coat the part of your body that makes the noise.

Best way to protect your voice is to be properly hydrated (you can use a remedy if you want, but water works great too) and to warm up your chords. Starting drinking water about an hour before you sing so your body has time to work that water into your system. Warm ups don't need to be hard, just start easy. Start by humming bass lines or melodies softly and work you way up to signing over the course of 10 minutes or so. You can work scales and other 'traditional' vocal warm ups but there is more than one way to skin a cat.

If your voice hurts, stop signing. You are doing damage.

If you are straining a lot, stop singing. You are doing damage.

Clearing your throat over and over is also bad and damages the chords.

Your voice needs to be protected if you plan to use it a lot.

I'm the worship leader at my church and sing several hours in rehearsal each week both with the band and then choir rehearsals, plus Sunday services and, in 8 years, have never missed a Sunday because of my voice. There was a time that I used to eat cough drops to help get me through rehearsals but the next day my voice would be shot. Now, staying hydrated, my voice is totally fine and I have no strain or soreness the next day at all.

The hot water or tea is great because you breathe in the warm, moist air which is wonderful for the chords and drinking nearly anything is good for your body being properly hydrated. Downing water while singing is also good and does wet the back of your throat ect, but it's no substitute for being well hydrated from the start. I am never more than a few feet from my waterbottle :)

Also, signing more often will make your voice stronger (assuming you are taking care of it). Chords are muscles and if you work them out they will be stronger.

A quick fix will get you through an evening but doing that fix over and over will make your voice weaker. We all want everything now, it's the modern way, but if you beat up your chords they will give out.

Sorry to sort of hijack the thread... It pains me to see and hear people hurting themselves. Just being properly hydrated will make a huge difference and often times that's what the real benefit of these remedies is. People in general are so dehydrated all the time and your chords just won't work right if you are. Drink up!

Robert
Click to expand...

I have to agree with this entirely. Warmups are ESSENTIAL. Hydration is ESSENTIAL. Prepare before each time that you sing.

People who are very serious about their voices will even not speak at all for 24 hours or more before a big event. It's worth considering.

And not to beat a possibly already-dead horse, but proper vocal technique is essential. If you can't afford voice lessons, at least get a reputable video instruction course from the library or something.

Improper technique and not caring for your vocal cords can lead to vocal nodules, which you really really really don't want to ever get.

AJ
 
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