Lost vioce problems

Izze · Post by **Izze** » January 24th, 2006, 9:12 pm

I'm not sure if anyone else has run into this, but has anyone else actually lost their voice while recording? I'm part way through chapter 2 of Kim (I'm still doing the editing for chapter 1, the thing was so long that I just wanted the track layed down), and I've, umm, well, lost my voice. O.o (So glad I'm not in Drama this semester! )

Does anyone know how to make the voice come back quicker, or any good recipes to help keep from losing it? Because this is really annoying. ^.^;

I mean my physical voice, not a computer problem. Unless I'm a cyborg! O.o

kri · Post by **kri** » January 24th, 2006, 9:41 pm

Perhaps hot tea and honey would help. The warmth might loosen your vocal cords, and the honey is nice and smooth. I'm sure avoiding speech for a bit will help your voice recover too.

Rev. Steve · Post by **Rev. Steve** » January 24th, 2006, 10:27 pm

The only thing that will make it come back quicker is keeping quiet. No talking, no singing. Drink plenty of water. Avoid the miracle cures.

Not listening to other people speak or sing will help too ? but few have the discipline to make that happen.

You loose your voice because you use it improperly ? usually it has to do with breathing wrong and not supporting your voice properly. What are you doing in particular? Who knows ? but I would bet that you are using your fancy, impressive, ?reading? voice instead of your regular speaking voice. Unless you loose your voice a lot ? stick with your regular speaking voice, there is nothing wrong with it.

Izze · Post by **Izze** » January 24th, 2006, 10:53 pm

I wasn't doing anything odd with it, just reading, and I use my regular voice for that.

Oh well, guess now I have an excuse not to give that Beowulf presentation in my Anglo Saxon Lit class.

/me makes mental note to buy honey the next time I go to the store.

ChipDoc · Post by **ChipDoc** » January 24th, 2006, 11:41 pm

I'd recommend gargling with warm salt water too. It won't actually help your voice come back, but it's very soothing to the throat and nasal passages. The only thing that really brings a voice back is time. Take some

pberinstein · Post by **pberinstein** » January 25th, 2006, 9:08 am

Patrick Stewart nibbles orange slices backstage when he's performing. You could try that in addition to all the other great suggestions here.

RobertG · Post by **RobertG** » January 25th, 2006, 7:25 pm

Rev. Steve wrote:stick with your regular speaking voice, there is nothing wrong with it

I tend to agree with the Reverend on this point. Perhaps this is not what caused you to lose your voice but unless you do a lot of public speaking, chances are it was. Using your voice in an unnatural way can get you arrested in some states. Oh. Did I actually say that?

There are many ways to maximize the effect of your normal speaking voice to gain dramatic or humorous effect. It's not necessary to go "over the top" as they say. A relaxed speaking tone with good modulation can be carried on for hour after hour after monotonous hour. I know. I put classrooms full of people to sleep all the time with that technique. They go home well rested (though less enlightened) and I don't get disturbed by questions.

When the voice does go (mine has been skipping for days due to respiratory flu), the only thing to do is rest, be patient and... eat lots of sardines in mustard sauce. I find that rubbing iodine into my eyebrows also helps.

I don't recommend it for everyone, though! You get lots of funny looks.

ceastman · Post by **ceastman** » January 26th, 2006, 12:14 pm

RobertG said:

There are many ways to maximize the effect of your normal speaking voice to gain dramatic or humorous effect. It's not necessary to go "over the top" as they say. A relaxed speaking tone with good modulation can be carried on for hour after hour after monotonous hour. I know. I put classrooms full of people to sleep all the time with that technique. They go home well rested (though less enlightened) and I don't get disturbed by questions.

<lol> Cool beans! What do you teach?

I would heartily agree with the suggestions of resting your voice, and keeping generally well-hydrated. Iodine on the eyebrows... well, I've not tried it, so I can't give an up-or-down vote on that one.

-Catharine

RobertG · Post by **RobertG** » January 26th, 2006, 5:01 pm

ceastman wrote:<lol> Cool beans! What do you teach?

A number of things, actually.

I make my living teaching 3D Knowledge-Based Design and Engineering to mostly aerospace engineers. The sytem is CATIA V5 -- I updated the last paragraph of that Wikpedia entry a couple days ago. First time I edited a Wikpedia entry!

As a volunteer, I teach basic and intermediate level rock, ice and alpine climbing. I've done that for close to ten years. People don't tend to fall asleep in those classes.

I've taught other topics over the decades. It seems to be a trend with me. I had always wanted to teach high school english in the inner city but other things kept getting in the way and I never realized that particular dream.

You can't climb every mountain.

Even with iodine in your eyebrows!

gToon · Post by **gToon** » February 10th, 2006, 12:52 am

Good advice everyone! I'd like to add that warming up a bit before you start reading aloud will help. Stretch a bit, take some deep breaths and hum up and down the scale lightly. Blowing your lips out like a horse can help to loosen up the lips. Try saying dig a buh, dig a buh, put i kuh, put i kuh and bud di guh, bud di guy serveral times to warm up the tongue. You'd be suprised how just a few minutes will save your voice over the next half hour or so. Edith Skinner's book "Speak With Distinction" is the bible in this area and is filled with all kinds of great advice and excercises.

The oranges Mr. Stewart eats are similar to the apples other performers eat before a show. The small chunks of fruit move mucus out of the throat and the small amoutn of fructose gives a little energy boost. I do it myself.
It's an old tradition in the theatre.

RobertG · Post by **RobertG** » February 10th, 2006, 1:25 am

I think this is actually really good advice, gToon... but I'm going to have some fun with it anyway!

gToon wrote:...warming up a bit before you start reading aloud will help.

The Warm-Up

Stretch a bit, take some deep breaths and hum up and down the scale lightly.

Can't Carry A Tune

Blowing your lips out like a horse can help to loosen up the lips.

Loose Lips Sink Ships

Try saying dig a buh, dig a buh, put i kuh, put i kuh and bud di guh, bud di guy serveral times to warm up the tongue.

They're Coming To Take Me Away

Okay, all funning aside. That did make me feel a lot better. It's only too bad I didn't see this advice earlier in the evening, cause now it's time to go to bed!

Thanks, gToon!

Robert

thistlechick · Post by **thistlechick** » February 10th, 2006, 7:30 am

*rotflmao*

gToon · Post by **gToon** » February 10th, 2006, 10:42 am

That's very amusing, RobertG! You started my day with a chuckle. I'd never heard of the "wicker rocker" excercise. I think I'll start using it myself. Hahaha!

luciartist · Post by **luciartist** » February 16th, 2007, 8:04 pm

I got laryngitis and it persisted for 4 weeks. I lost the entire upper range of my voice and my throat tickled and scratched with every sound. Many people around here in Southern California have had this thing lately. It lodges in your throat and it's the only symptom.
I tried the vocal exercises on Roger Love's "Set Your Voice Free" CD, specifically the scales using the cry sound. You sing the scales he demonstrates using syllables such as "goog", "gug", "no" with a crying sound. It sounds hilarious, but within 5 days my voice was 90% back. Since then, several of my theater cast mates have successfully used this technique.
Worth a try.

luciartist · Post by **luciartist** » February 16th, 2007, 8:04 pm

I got laryngitis and it persisted for 4 weeks. I lost the entire upper range of my voice and my throat tickled and scratched with every sound. Many people around here in Southern California have had this thing lately. It lodges in your throat and it's the only symptom.
I tried the vocal exercises on Roger Love's "Set Your Voice Free" CD, specifically the scales using the cry sound. You sing the scales he demonstrates using syllables such as "goog", "gug", "no" with a crying sound. It sounds hilarious, but within 5 days my voice was 90% back. Since then, several of my theater cast mates have successfully used this technique.
Worth a try.