How to save your voice on a night out!

Ask Vocal Coaching Expert Dr Anikó Tóth how…

Support your Vocal Coaching Lessons with this blog…

Ever wake up hoarse after a night out?

Follow the below Koko Vocals advice for maintaining better vocal health.

1) Hydrate.

Start drinking water in the morning to hydrate your entire body, including your vocal folds.

Even if you’re drinking alcohol when you’re out (notoriously drying on the entire body, including your voice), intersperse it with a glass of water throughout the night. Your vocal folds (and your head!) will thank you!

2) Warm up your voice in the morning, before you start drinking.

Really? Yes.

In the morning and afternoon, go through your normal warm up exercises, which can include sirening, fricatives, lip trills, or any other SOVT (semi-occluded vocal techniques), like singing through a straw.

This is especially important if you’re going to a concert where you know you’ll just need to sing along at the top of your lungs. (Yeah, I’m looking at you!)

3) Twang the heck out of your voice.

Get your twang going (see previous blog post on how to access twang) so you are not trying to push your voice or shout, but are projecting without effort.

Get used to the higher larynx position, especially women (any people with smaller larynxes). People (usually men) with big booming voices may find they don’t need to do this as much because the sound waves of lower frequencies carry farther.

4) Wear earplugs.

This might sound crazy, but you actually hear better wearing earplugs when in a noisy environment. This reduces the need to shout, which will save your voice.

(You do need to make sure your friends are also wearing earplugs, so they can hear you, too, so bring spares!)

You will also reduce your chance of hearing damage, which means you’ll be less likely to shout as hearing loss kicks in as you age. (Avoiding listening to music at a very high volume on headphones will also keep you aurally and vocally healthier.)

5) Use your phone to order.

This tactic also may sound unusual, but your bar server will actually love you. (I’ve had many a thumbs-up when using this tactic!)

Using your phone’s Notes app, write your list of drinks and show the list to the server, rather than trying to shout over the bar noise. They will appreciate not having to ask you to repeat yourself five times, saving your voice and theirs!

6) Bring gum.

Many folks find themselves smoking cigarettes only in a casual drinking environment.

To save your lungs, vocal folds and general health, avoid the temptation by popping some chewing gum in your mouth, instead!

7) Rest, steam, hydrate and eat well the next day.

Your body needs time to recover from a night out, so ensure you rest; drink plenty of water; eat a good breakfast when you finally roll out of bed, and consider steaming.

See our previous post on The Importance of Downtime.

8) Time your going out for when you’ve got time to recover.

Needless to say, don’t go out on the razz the night before a singing lesson, performance, vocal exam, early morning start, a long work day, or when you need to focus, generally (e.g. on correct vocal technique!).

Think about when you can really relax and recover the next day.

Choose your nights out prudently and sparingly. Your voice, body and your bank account will appreciate your consideration!

Try vocal coaching lessons with our vocal coaching expert Dr Anikó Tóth.

You can book a free consultation via the button below.

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