I can't go on feeling like this...My throat hurts, constantly. If I don't practice or speak much, it improves and so does my singing. Infact, when I CAN sing, I'm extremely happy with it.

I am planning on taking two days a week off to not speak at all, and to only sing when I have to, maintaining technique and warming up 'til I feel warm. I'm going to coddle myself.

My question is though, that if I can, at times, sing almost exactly how I would like to, and sometimes I feel incredibly fatigued and in pain from just speaking, do you think that two voiceless days every week and very minimal vocal use will be able to heal what's going on in my throat? It doesn't seem too bad if I can still sing like this.

and...While i'd like to not sing for a year, I can't do that...I'm recording next month! So nobody suggest that please, heh.

MAn dont know you could have acid relux. Not sure take a break I know it hurts inside when not singing well i get that but rest is rest.

sounds like you need some privaye coaching. Sounds like the problem is resulting from your speaking voice. Or, like Spektor said, could be acid reflux. If you want to find out if it is reflux or not, get a bottle of Bragg's apple cider vinegar from GNC and take one tablespoon before every meal for the next week. If you don't have a sore throat like you generally do, then that is it. Otherwise, you need some private consultation time.

JV

Did you see your ENT doctor about this? You might have nods on your vocal chords... Or acid reflux like previously suggested. It's definetly not normal to hurt so much if you don't use your voice that much...

I'd see an ENT but I'm pretty broke and I am not sure if I can go to a health clinic and get it checked out. I will, however, rest my voice and refrain from speaking, and I'll drink ACV after I eat. If I have nodes, finding out won't mean much anyway. I can't have surgery, and I'd end up doing the same, just resting and trying to hook up with someone for speaking lessons.

I would be more than happy to pay for you to see a doctor. Im sure others here would help too, right jamie?

Sure, set up a paypal account and we'll start a collection of you go to the ENT.

JV

I did note write the previous post. Whoever is using my username; stop. Jaime, can you do something about this?

Cobb; I'm pretty sure you did this. Get a life or get help.

It eas probably James Fater himself trying to get us to feel sorry for him, hhahaha ;)

JV

I don't think so!

James, I truly wish that I could in fact help but I have plenty of bills of my own to pay. In addition, just as you mentioned yourself it probably wouldn't change the matter of fact that you must slow down to get your voice back into shape.

Look up Dr. Morton Cooper's Change Your Voice, Change Your Life as referred to in RYV and follow instructions closely. It really helped me get a hold on my speaking voice. I'm a school teacher and I was starting having swollen vocal chords last year after several colds and using a low voice to assume my authority to the kids (just as described in the book, you'll see!). Now, I keep lending the book to my friend teachers who are too having voice problems. A very common issue in my profession as you can imagine. Good luck!

You pathetic losers are turning on yourselves......cobby loves it!!! I think we should take up a collection to get oiselle some shoes.......Cobby rules the world!!!!!!!!!

p.s. Quit being such a meani cheapskate oiselle....even cobb would donate some greenbacks.

See that's why you need password protection and IP's addresses on your website Jaime. Anybody can write any stupidity under anybody's name without being caught. Not good.

Cobb, don't try to turn this onto someone else. You're the only one that's been not nice and sneaky towards me here. That's why you came to mind right away and consequently the first one I blamed. Everybody else has been super nice.

If it weren't you, I apologize however, for me to truly believe that you would actually have to start being nice to me and everybody else here. Redeem yourself. Otherwise, as I said before: you go get help with your low self-esteem issues; you seriously need it dude.

What if I start out slowly...like be nice to you...then in a few weeks,someone else...and so on? Would that work? Im really a nice guy...:)

Yes, it will work if you are sincere. Being nice to people is easier and more rewarding than being mean. By the way, I will also accept your offer for new shoes. I love shoes

Of course it was, Jaime! You've foiled my plan. I'll never be able to afford that dress now.

Anyways. I don't think a doctor would do much but tell me that I have a problem. I'm going to try and find a speech therapist, I think my speaking voice may be the culprit here.

Ha, ha. You were being ironic I hope and you did not actually use my user name... Otherwise I will remember that next time you need help and keep my opinion for myself instead of trying to actually help you; this is not a joke.

I am joking. I've no reason to be a troll and impersonate you, Oiselle.

Thanks James. That's what I originally thought of you in the first place. Going back to your speaking voice problem, you should really check out that book. Speech therapists are very expensive too and if you don't have benefits they might not be an easy solution either... Plus, according to that book, many therapists aren't that useful; they just want to put you on medication and many don't believe in healing the voice with simple exercises. So, I don't know if that would be a waist of your money as well unfortunately...

"waist" is spelled waste when you use it in that sentence my little barefooted one. Well a least your a singer and not a teacher.

Thank SO MUCH you for helping me write better English (that was meant to be ironic).

You know what Cobb; I am a teacher. I teach French. English is my second language and like anybody here including you, I do make spelling mistakes sometimes. Who cares?! What about you? Are you smart enough to fluently speak and write a second language? And you know what; writing a language is not just about spelling. In school, we teach how to develop ideas. Intelligent, relevant and thoughtful ideas. I give you an "F" for that for far.

By the way, you are off to a bad start regarding being nice to me and other users on this board.

I went to a speech therapist what a big waste of time. She didn't really tell me anything, just tell me not to yell or drink caffeine pretty much and told me not to sing high. What a joke.

Well I guess I've decided based on all this advice to drop the therapist idea...It does make sense. Most doctors are just going to tell you what you may already know.

I've decided instead that I'll speak as little as possible and that I'm going to start systematically redoing the RYV exercises. I have hardly spoken since I started this topic and I've today begun doing the falsetto slide with a different approach, and will continue to do it for a week from tomorrow then add on a new exercise every week, only singing for real at rehearsals and in the shower.

I think this should give me time to figure out whether my technique isn't as good as I think it is or if there's a physical problem.

Dont need a second language no-shoes...I was born in the USA...the #1 country in the world....next thing your gonna tell me is your canadian...jeeezzz...ps- We have all the GOOD Hockey teams here too....Love ya though....

I just went to a website for home cures for a sore throat. It mentioned ACV, but it also mentioned gargling with Cayenne Pepper. Check out the website and good luck.http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/sore_throat.html

yep I mention that in RYV:)

JV

Everybody else has been super nice.

No I haven't...

Hey Cobb, CORN IT!!!

Thxyerafoodgroup.

you MAY be overdoing it. Power Power Power is NOT for everyone. I went to a teacher in the 80s in Seattle. A very respected teacher that has taught many. His methods left me hoarse and with a screwed up throat for about 6 months. I couldn't make it through gigs without losing my voice. It was only through another teacher that used a more singing as extended speech method that I got my voice back. I'm 44 friggin' years old and I sing in a club band weekly singing fairly rangy stuff. If I was still using those methods, I'd be toast. If something is not working for you, don't do it.

The throat is delicate folks. Take it easy. If your throat is in pain, YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG. FACT. If you're using too much air to sing and push, it WILL cause problems.

Use a light eeeee vowel at a low volume to reduce swelling in the chords. That will help. Check out the reflux angle, that is something that affects me and I take medicine EVERY FRIGGIN' DAY to stop what it does to my voice.

BW, love ya man, but as I said in my email there is NOTHING wrong with ANYONE using power as long as they are doing it CORRECTLY.

You got the right idea though. If it hurts then STOP, because you are doing something wrong. The soft approach isn't for some people either. But singers should do a lot of soul searching and figure out what works for them. Don't know what you was doing that caused you to burn out vocally but consider this-

Two years ago I worked with a singer named Phil Tayler who was in a band called Future Leaders of the World on Epic records. Unfortunately, Phil was using power all the time (incorrectly) and he lost his voice constantly, which led to him losing his record deal.

Afterwards he sought me out. Not only did he regain his voice, but now he can sing higher and louder and he generally sings from 4-6 hours a day WITHOUT losing his voice. He sings real rough and brutal like Kurt Cobain, only higher. He now has a new band called MACHINA, with John Lecompt and Rocky Gray of Evanescence and I am sure they'll have a deal once Evanescence is off tour. He told me that if it weren't for me showing him how to redirect the power he was creating and take the force away from his cords, he would not have regained and mastered his voice.

Now he is singing better than ever. I also showed him that he DOES NOT need to sing at full force all the time, that he can get a similar sound at lower volumed. But, he can sing loud if he wants without having to worry about it.

Now back to the consider this-If I can shout at glasses at over 110 decibels for an 8 hour period, If Jim Gillette can sing like a freaking fly and never lose his voice on tour, and if Tony Harnell can sing and record for 22 years with no signs of wear and tear, then isn't it is safe to say that if a singer is doing the power techniques EXACTLY how they should be done, then they will never have to worry the fear of thinking they will cook their voice? ;)

JV

this makes sense Jaime. Don't worry, I'm not dissing your techniques, just telling my experience (not necessarily with your method)

I also find not really my throat all all gets tired, but the muscles in my neck and muscles around my larynx start to get tired after singing higher and powerfuly. I use more of a operatic tone that jamie teaches and I sometimes feel some of the sound coming more so in the back of the mouth in like a bubble dome feeling that seems to wear my voice and muscles a bit if I keep singing high with that sensation.

However I check and I really don't have any strain I think just my voice and muscles aren't used to this technique yet.

Sorry I made a typo I meant to say Jamie doesn't so much teach opera tone.

I cooked my voice ten years ago, and there was lasting damage. Now I have to be warmed up to do much of anything. I (shamefully) rely on proximity to the microphone as well as FX on it to mask my overall lack of volume. I hope this doesn't paint me up to look a sham.