So here (finally!) are some suggestions for effective throat clearing. First, make sure you are hydrated and that your vocal folds are moist. Drink water, inhale steam or nebulized saline, or start your routine with a hot shower.
Throat clearing is extremely traumatic to your vocal cords – causing excess wear and tear.
The best drinks before singing are warm drinks without caffeine or milk, warm water and herbal teas containing manuka honey, lemon and ginger are ideal. Warm or room-temperature water will hydrate your vocal cords, making them more supple and less liable to injury.
Hoarseness / Sore Throat
Make sure you are holding the warm water in the back of your throat as you gargle. Singers don't always like to do this because gargling warm salt water isn't pleasant, but it has worked for years in helping people with red, sore or scratchy throats, soothing it and helping it feel better.
Gargle with warm salt water for 30 seconds before every rehearsal, singing lesson, performance, and recording. Even better, make a cup of Throat Coat tea, pour a bit into another cup, add some salt, and gargle with that!
The best drinks for your singing voice are water (especially room-temperature water, perhaps with a squeeze or two of lemon) and tea, but be careful about consuming too much caffeine, which can dehydrate you.
Singers shouldn't drink hot water. Hot water increases the amount of mucus surrounding your vocal cords – and too much mucus is just as bad for your voice as too little. Hot water can ruin your tone, making your voice sound stuffy and phlegmy.
Straining to hit notes or singing too hard can cause friction and tension in your throat muscles leading to pain. To avoid straining, relax, breathe correctly, and sing within your vocal range. Learning to belt correctly can also help avoid throat pain.
Many singers think that they can lubricate their vocal cords with sprays and oils, but that's not how it works. According to Lori Ellen Sutton, a Voice and Swallowing specialist, "Nothing that you swallow or spray into your mouth actually comes in contact with your vocal folds."
The caffeine content in some sodas can be as bad for your vocals as drinking coffee before you get on stage. Caffeine dries out your throat, leaving your vocal cords tight and irritated. Combined with a high sugar content, fizzy drinks will make your body hit a rush, then cause you to burn out and crash.
Is lemon good for your voice? Yes, as lemon has a high source of vitamin C to help fight infection and, like honey, contains calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium. Lemons contain citric acid which helps to break down the mucus in your throat and also helps to relieve you of throat inflammations.
Honey can help singers recover quicker from strained, sore, and lost voices. But honey isn't just effective when you're ill; it can be used to prevent vocal problems too. Its thick, smooth consistency coats and lubricates the throat, providing relief to your vocal cords and voice after a strenuous performance.
Some foods and beverages to avoid prior to singing are mucous producing foods such as dairy, stimulants such as caffeine and spicy foods, soft drinks, refined sugars, chocolate, iced drinks and alcohol (including wine and beer).
Cold water can actually shock your vocal cords and create tension in your throat. This can reduce your vocal range and ability. While it is important to stay hydrated and water is an obvious source of hydration, room temperature water is best.
Throat Sprays: Sprouts Voice Remedy & Vocal EZE
This particular product also uses slippery elm, as well as horseradish, two things known to soothe and clarify! Another popular natural spray many singers swear by is Vocal EZE — and fortunately the taste is not too strong or unpleasant.
“The vocal folds need to be lubricated with a thin layer of mucus in order to vibrate efficiently. The best lubrication can be achieved by drinking plenty of water.”
Vocalzone Throat Pastilles is a brand of throat pastille, or throat lozenge, used to help keep a speaking or singing voice clear during public performance and singing. The company was founded in 1912 by William Lloyd, who adapted a medicine he had created for the tenor Enrico Caruso into a pastille form.
To some extent, some of our throat tightness can also be attributed to a lack of breath support when singing. Whenever we run out of breath when singing, we start to support our voice with other related muscles, and our throat muscles start to strain and tighten up.