How to Take Care of Your Singing Voice - The Doctor Is In

Singers are basically vocal athletes, right? So, check in with Sweetwater's in-house doctor for tips on how to take care of your singing voice when you're sick - and over the long term. Got a question for Dr. Todd? Hit us with your own questions in the comments!
Todd Page, MD, is Sweetwater’s in-house family doctor and provides medical care for our employees and their families. Not only is he passionate about medicine, but he's also an avid musician with a bachelor’s degree in music (trumpet and piano) from the University of Colorado.
Learn more about Dr. Todd here: www.sweetwater...
Learn more about Sweetwater here: www.sweetwater...
"20 Minutes Later" elevator music courtesy of freesound.org/...

[@sweetwater]

Got a question for Dr. Todd? Hit us with your own questions in the comments!

[@thememecat1111]

Really loved it, I am a young English singer.. Probably starting to make music and songs. This really helped me, But 1 thing is...Is it really necessary to take any 'special' meds? i guess not, I will make sure to follow these things as I will need a good voice when I will become a great singer, in the age..16 Once again Thank You!!!

[@sophiaclark6254]

How should singers with severe (seasonal) allergies cope? I'm living in Florida, and experience so much congestion and sinus pressure and lots of postnasal drip. Also, very informative video:)

[@ToddPage1987]

@@sophiaclark6254 There are so many ways to try and address those symptoms it can be hard to know where to start. One thing to try would be a nasal steroid spray (be certain it's not a nasal decongestant spray...), and then add an antihistamine (one of the non-sedating once daily ones) if not working well enough. This would be a good start at least (as long as they don't make you feel dried out - be sure to drink more water than usually too). There are a lot of over-the-counter options but if you can identify what your allergies are caused by sometimes you can eliminate or at least reduce your exposure to them and cut back on symptoms without needing so much medicine.

[@ToddPage1987]

​@@thememecat1111 I'd save the medications for when the non-medication efforts aren't working well enough, for sure! Good technique, solid practice habits, and healthy lifestyle are foundational and should almost always come before trying medications.

[@sophiaclark6254]

@@ToddPage1987 Thank you!

[@Dozereyes]

Biggest trick- I found this most helpful before my rock gigs. Start drinking tons of room temp water 24 hours before a show. You’ll peer every 30 minutes but don’t stop drinking. Very small warm up right before you go on- then a beer after 4-5 songs. You’ll be golden.

[@jmhdbh]

Fantastic!!! What many don’t know is that Todd is an amazing singer and has been performing for decades - this comes from his practical experience.

[@saraparisi1938]

Yes yes yes! BUT, PLEASE remember that if you take medication or something with a numbing agent DO NOT SING because you can end up damaging your voice since you won't feel the pain

[@billdeng9050]

thats good advice

[@Dozereyes]

Never take aspirin or advil day of gig. Worst thing you can do.

[@GodIsGracious112]

Thank you ❤

[@christianramos9996]

Does thc count as numbing because I take edibles for pain? Thank you

[@abelreyes9370]

@@Dozereyeswhy ?

[@karma6795]

For those who dont want to use steam from the shower to save waterrr- you can just heat up boiling water or microwave water for about two minutes and inhale the steam from that, and then you can drink that water later :)

[@choleevans3123]

You're amazing 😌

[@rhondahummel7253]

This is excellent, Todd! I'm saving to share with my voice students. Boy, were those touring days exhausting!

[@petrucciismyhero]

Love it. More of this please.

[@misbahmayan7345]

Please suggest ways to increase your singing range, i.e. to sing high notes

[@connorsky6956]

Look up excercices on yt. There are a lot + always think about getting high notes through good breathing technique, not that much through your throat

[@WideCuriosity]

Practice, practice, practice. And warm up. Common advice, gradually get your vocal flaps to vibrate at higher frequency, make sure you support well by breathing using your diaphragm, relax your throat, try to picture high to low notes going right to left or front to back, not low to high, as that may help you keep your larynx low, lift your soft pallet to create a large reverberation space, ideally try to use even higher spaces, open your mouth sufficiently, don't breath out too hard, learn to be soft first. That is off the top of my head, but there are other things such as the sounds to try to encourage correct muscle position. All this and more I picked up from various music teacher channels here on KZbin.

[@anandavalayden3966]

I really like this video which (unlike others) is short, concise and straight to the point. You just get the recommendations without too much talking.

[@KristiMusicVideos]

Hi! I'm a teacher and a singer. Is there hope? lol I use my voice a lot, and it's been catching up with me lately...taking longer to recupe after a four-hour show. Most bigtime performers have opening acts, and their shows are about 2 hours. Mine are closer to four. Trying to heal my voice and restore it as much as possible while in between acts. Tried steam today with a towel over my head over a pot of hot water. Then my head is bent forward for 10 minutes. Not sure I wanna do that 3x a day!

[@katiem4935]

Ah this is how I'm feeling too!

[@sostl154]

I think you might have to pick one or the other

[@dooberbug]

@Kristi, I'm not sure if this helps, or if this is an issue for you too, but I used to have issues with vocal fatigue and hoarseness after "shows" (for me, as a cantorial soloist, services ;) ), that has been greatly reduced after working on technique with my voice teacher. For context - during high holy days, including my vocal warmup and pre-service rehearsals with accompanist and choir, it's about 4 hours or more per service, and on Yom Kippur in particular there is a service in the evening, the morning, and the afternoon the next day. I've been working with my voice teacher for over two years - old dogs take a while to learn new tricks after singing less-than-optimally for 52 years! - but recovery is much quicker now. HTH.

[@KristiMusicVideos]

@@dooberbug Thank you, Deb. I feel encouraged! And I'm 52!

[@Dozereyes]

Drink tons of room temp water.

[@kingyertle100]

This was great.

[@kogutwashington2036]

This is the first video on this channel I see and I already love this guy.

[@megamoutwash]

Fr he’s funny af

[@luckygardner6117]

This was very informative and helpful. I would love to hear Dr Todd's perspective of how different alcoholic beverages effect the vocal chords

[@celestialistAJ]

tysm this is a lifesaver

[@katiem4935]

This was brilliant, thanks so much!!

[@flowerchild3027]

Thank you

[@kyleblair]

Please do one on drumming health!!!

[@gideonasumeng1328]

I used to really enjoy tea before practicing, now I try to stay hydrated with water.

[@gladwinMrGee]

You're Amazing!!!! Thank you

[@phoenix3284]

love it thanks! (pls next time lower the music and pick a calmmmm one). Thank you though, been searching for this!!

[@heatherelsley2998]

Thank you sooo much I needed this today for adult band camp Any ideas to stay mentally in the game ward of self doubt and quitting feelings ?

[@tstv205]

Thank you. Good information

[@Self-taughtJay]

I love this. Thank you so much for posting this.

[@Megan66666]

Omg I wish you lived in Ireland !! Thanks for you help!

[@RobiShow]

Yea

[@theritikabhagatjimmyjimmy5694]

Thank you doctor ❣️😄

[@musicoftheuniverse8006]

This is really enjoyable to watch. 😄

[@megamoutwash]

This needs more views

[@JenniferDHall-oc5zd]

I have allergies and GERD very bad. Any tips?

[@beershebacatherin8356]

When I sing for 5- 10 mins..My throat gets sore..voice is not clear when I record in studio mic....throat gets tired..what can I do? Suggest something?

[@dooberbug]

I used to have a lot of trouble with sore throat and vocal tiring, but it's really reduced since working with my voice teacher. I was age 52 before starting voice lessons, and I found that the more I learned, the less vocal strain I experienced! I don't know if this applies to you, but for me, I learned that my vocal technique needed serious tweaking - I learned that singing with less-than-stellar, untrained technique for years was really tough on the vocal cords. After working with my voice teacher for over a year, I had improved my technique SO MUCH - and, most importantly, the vocal fatigue and strain is nearly gone! For background - I am a cantorial soloist at a synagogue and have (before working on my technique with my voice teacher) had a particularly difficult time around the Jewish high holy days, when intensity skyrockets due to extra rehearsals with my volunteer and professional choirs. With more emphasis on proper technique and vocal self-care, thanks to my voice teacher, I feel so much better. Hope this helps!

[@beershebacatherin8356]

@@dooberbug Thank u so much

[@jarodreddig63]

Some good advice 👍🏻

[@moniquewrites9046]

I cleaned my bathroom with bleach and it hurt my voice for a few days. Praying it gets back the mucus that was in there.

[@miguelalejandrodiazmoyano7155]

Genial!, excelente video 🤟🏼♥️

[@thekaraokemistresspeacepri4958]

I absolutely love this 😂thank you sweet water 💦😍😍😍

[@DannySchneible]

Great video. Why did you only say something about tobacco, and not all forms of weedy smoking?

[@Dozereyes]

I smoke cigarettes- even between sets on 3 -4 hour nights of singing in bars and clubs. Never hurts me at all. Water water water especially before the gig.

[@JesusSavedYouu]

​@@Dozereyesuntil you get throat cancer or lung cancer, mouth, larynx, esophagus, heart disease etc. tobacco contains many chemicals that can cause these

[@echandler673]

One of my favorite artists seems to like to drink whiskey as in at every show. Not to.mention his liver and body, what does this do to his voice?

[@DannySchneible]

How do I make an appointment with you at Sweetwater? Can you do online evaluations?

[@sweetwater]

Hey, Danny! The only way to see Dr. Todd is to get a job at Sweetwater! Sorry, but our clinic is for employees and their families only. Thanks for the question!

[@matangi.justsing2323]

Ha ha. You are a funny doctor 😂😂

[@jettolentino25]

They say that ginger brew helps vocal singing, but what are the precautions?

[@madhumitakhan3189]

Just don't use too much ginger cuz ginger really irritates the throat. The reason ginger brew is good is bcs it helps fight infections and would stop the overproduction of mucus. But to have the brew right before using your voice is just gonna hurt you, ginger is really hard on the throat

[@geneloy8633]

What about nebulizer?

[@angelagainnocent4566]

My voice is cracking.I have a soar throat.Please tell me how to heal it! I am performing at Monday on the stage,And I need help!

[@nirankarpatil7907]

Sir,does doing gym affect our voice?

[@Slechy_Lesh]

Yeah he said exercise is good for that and everything else. Just don't go too crazy, if you're grunting like an enraged bear, you're taking too much weight and will also hurt your voice.

[@scottboy]

*Makes a video on caring for your singing voice:* -recommends numbing product to hinder your ability to detect when your hurting yourself. When you mentioned numbing spray, I thought you were going to do the obvious thing and denounce the idea of masking the bodies #1 most effective mechanism at warning you of damage.

[@sheikhbasit7653]

Give me some tips how to make a bat singer to a good singer please I really need help please doctor if you do this for me God will bless you

[@Reprodestruxion]

Rinitis

[@MissAhn]

Dr Todd hot water or cold water?

[@JesusSavedYouu]

room temp for drinking

[@TheMaskedNate]

Keeping my body healthy, I suppose I mean- *eating being a part of being healthy* Oh, well that ain't happening anytime soon.

[@endezeichengrimm]

Steam up the bath tub? A great way to waste water.

[@erikdugan]

You can boil water and breathe the steam

[@JesusSavedYouu]

i mean, you can only do it before having to sing in front of others or smt like that