Is Your Voice Always Getting Tired?

Have you noticed your singing voice frequently feels or sounds tired? Maybe you hear a loss of clarity, maybe your range shrinks, maybe you hear huskiness or breathiness, maybe your throat even hurts. Here are some things to consider to increase your stamina and longevity:

Every Voice is Different

I think it’s important to acknowledge right off the bat that every voice is different. Some people seem to have "cords of steel" and their voices never seem to tire, while other people need to be much more careful and conscious of how they are using their voices at all times. Just because your friend can go out at night to loud clubs and still sing well in the morning doesn’t mean you can. Some side hustles might not be open to you if you want your voice to be healthy. Working with young children, in a gym, or as a waiter in a loud restaurant can be really hard on the voice.

Vocal Health Practices

Are you neglecting any of the classic vocal health practices? Hydration (drinking water throughout the day, steaming/nebulizing), Rest (getting enough hours of sleep at night and vocal rest), and Warm-ups before the performance and warm-downs afterward.

Are you resting your voice when you are not performing? A lot of performers with hectic schedules don't speak much during the day and don’t go out at night if they don't have to. Things like drinking alcohol and talking over loud music at bars are so hard on your voice. You might be surprised how much vocal rest you need to keep your voice in good shape. Broadway stars tend to live like hermits.

How is your diet impacting your singing voice? Acid reflux is a common problem, and it can wear on a voice.  Some people find that they can’t eat three hours before they sing, or that dairy causes problems for them.  Keep a food journal and adjust your diet accordingly. Drinking alcohol tends to dehydrate the voice. Smoking irritates the vocal cords. Certain medications are less good for singers than others.

Are you keeping up with your singing technique? Practice your vocal exercises and make sure you are bringing good technique to your performances. This can be hard to address on your own -- many professional singers choose to take voice lessons throughout their careers to make sure their technique is on point. The goal of vocal training is to maximize efficiency so you don’t wear out your voice during the “heavy lifting.”

The Benefits of Using Dynamics

How much is your performance asking of your instrument? Are you constantly using a lot of vocal resources (chest voice)? I know “giving 100%” vocally at all times might seem like the ideal, but a good show/set actually benefits from contrast. If you are belting constantly, it will wear you down vocally, and wear on the audience’s ears, too. Find peaks and valleys in your performance: moments where you can sing in gentler coordinations so when you give more, your audience really feels the impact of it!  It will make your show more dynamic, and your voice will thank you. 

Making the Most of Sound Check

Do you take your sound check seriously? Oftentimes, when people can't hear their own voice in their monitor loudly enough, they will push without even noticing it. It’s largely a subconscious thing. Make sure your sound engineer turns your voice UP in your mix. The idea is, if you have enough of your voice in your ear, you won’t push the volume when you sing.

Are you simply asking too much of your voice?  The strongest person in the world can only lift so much weight before their body says no. Everyone has a threshold. Your voice is telling you it isn't happy when it's getting tired on a regular basis and it's a good idea to listen to it and make some changes.  Complications can arise in a voice that gets tired regularly and in the same way over and over, so I encourage you to address any regular tiring.