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Did you know that your whole body is a musical instrument? The voice is one of those instruments that are in our human body. So everything that we vocal teachers nag you guys about, your body alignment, respiratory system, the larynx, vocal tract, and brain, are involved in this musical phenomenon! But just like an athlete, we have to be aware of when our body is tired, and if you are a singer, regardless of the level of singer that you are, we have to know when our voice is getting tired.
So how do we identify if the voice is tired? Another question we should as ask is, what can we do, and what signs can we look for to prevent vocal fatigue? Below is a list of symptoms that you can use to identify if you are vocally fatigued and how we can remedy it.
General Signs of Vocal Fatigue
Are you stretching to relieve tension? Tension in your body, especially in the face, neck, and shoulders, can occur when we misuse or overuse them. Try stretching your body a few times a day. This could include head, neck, and whole-body stretches to relieve unwanted tensions.
Constant Licking of your Lips: Licking your lips frequently can signify dehydration. If you find that you are constantly licking your lips, this may signify dehydration. Ensure that you are drinking between 6-8 glasses of water a day and monitor the things that may cause dehydration like alcohol, coffee, food with high sugar content, etc
Watch your Posture! Are you slouching? Are you hunched over your computer? When people have a small amount of air in their lungs due to shallow breathing, they tend to slouch overdue to overdriving/constricting from the abdomen to push the tiny amount of available air. Take a deep breath and be aware of the contraction and release of your muscles in your mid-section. Try placing your hands on your stomach and feel the movement as you inhale for five counts and exhale for five counts.
Excessive Throat Clearing or Hoarseness: This can occur due to overuse or misuse of the voice or an attempt to clear mucus. Swallowing helps reset and clear the voice and stretch those singing muscles. Another option for getting rid of mucus is to gasp. Act surprised as you exhale and then quickly swallow. This can help clear any lingering mucus from your throat to your mouth and then be cleared from your vocal tract with a quick swallow. Avoid coughing if possible. Please drink room-temperature or warm water. It can become habitual if you force a cough, especially after recovering from sickness. Coughing gets your vocal folds to come together to cause more fatigue and possibly cause more hoarseness to your voice.
Other signs to look out for that are specific to singing.
- You may notice other clues while singing that could be signs of vocal fatigue. However, this could also be due to a singer that hasn’t developed the proper vocal technique skills yet.
- Have issues sustain long phrases. It could be due to the inability to keep the ribs or the ab muscles expanded/released for part of the sung phrase (on exhalation) when you are having this issue. This can be a common problem for the ribs to collapse or abs to squeeze when the body is tired. In addition, this kind of control and coordination will often decrease with fatigue.
- Loss of Tonal Focus. If you feel yourself not engaging in your resonance as constantly as you usually do, it could be due to tension in the throat. The unwanted tension in the upper part of your body, which includes your face, neck, and other body parts, can affect your vocal resonators.
- Irregularity of Vibrato. An irregularity of the vibrato is a significant indicator of vocal fatigue, especially with singers who have a strong vibrato. It could either be a slow quaver or a fast bleating vibrato. This is due to the coordination imbalance.
- Loss of your range. These are signs that heightened and nuanced coordination of muscle & airflow are not as efficient as they usually are, or they could be.
There are several ways to prevent vocal fatigue without waiting for one of these symptoms. First, we have to follow a vocal hygiene regimen. Here is a list of things that you can do.
- Drink water regularly throughout the day, especially if you are frequently speaking—a thin layer of mucous covers our vocal folds. … Adequate consumption of water is vital to keeping the mucosal layer moist.
- Reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption to prevent the vocal folds from drying out.
- Avoid shouting and yelling. Use alternatives such as whistling or waving to gain attention or walk over to the person you wish to speak with.
- Avoid irritants such as dust, sprays, and smoke.
- Avoid talking over background noise. For example, turn down the radio or television when talking, move to a quieter area when you have to speak in a noisy place, or wind up the windows in traffic.
- Avoid throat clearing and excessive coughing. If you do have to clear your throat, do it gently. Try sips of water, sucking on a lolly (not anything containing menthol), or a dry swallow instead of throat clearing.
- Avoid speaking or singing if you have a sore throat. Particularly avoid aspirin for pain relief as this may increase the likelihood of damage to the vocal folds. If you have to talk loudly to project your voice for long periods, ensure that you know the correct voice projection techniques. Alternatively, use a microphone.
- Ensure you have vocal rest after speaking for a prolonged amount of time.
If one of these signs occurs, you may be fatigued vocally or increase your chances of wearing out your voice. But, again, experiencing any of these signs could be due to a lack of vocal coordination and experience.
The first step to preventing voice injury is awareness of misuse, overuse, or physical behavior that compromises vocal efficiency (directly or indirectly). Next, it is helpful to consult a professional vocal trainer for an assessment and strategies for better voice use and care.
Finally, depending on the severity, frequency, and specific symptoms or challenges, you may need to see a Voice Trainer, Speech Coach, ENT (ear, nose, and throat specialist), Speech-Language Pathologist, or Vocologist.
By building awareness and learning how to prevent the body and vocal fatigue, consult a professional, and you can start a journey toward vocal longevity, sustainability, and freedom. It sounds like a much better option than putting yourself at risk of getting hoarse, limiting your vocal freedom, or a vocal injury.
There are many ways that we can avoid vocal fatigue. What are some other ways you protect your voice?
Rosita Ruiz