Help Keep Me From Losing My Voice

November 1, 2009 4:48 PM

I'm looking for advice to avoid losing my voice while speaking for a long time. Can anybody help me...?

A couple of times a month, I need to give a presentation that lasts a whole day. The presentation mostly consists of me talking. Sometime after lunch, my voice starts losing its power and I find myself having to "push" harder to maintain the same volume. By the end of the day, my voice is almost gone. It takes a couple of days before I get it back.

Does anyone know of things I can do while speaking that will prevent me from losing my voice? Or, alternatively, what can I do to get it back quickly?

I don't know how frequently I can stop to drink, because I'm not usually standing behind a podium, but I can take a few gulps here and there. Last time this happened, I tried tea with honey during the evening, but that didn't seem to help.

posted by Simon Barclay to health & fitness (9 comments total)

Hydration is key, breathing properly (from your diaphragm) will also help. You might want to have a consult with an elocution or voice teacher. S/he will be able to pinpoint specific changes you can make so you will have staying power. One day of talking at a presentational volume should not make you lose your voice for a couple of days. My guess is your voice isn't being properly supported by your breath, and you may be relying on the resonance of your throat too much for your volume.

Oh, and do not hesitate to sip water throughout your presentation. Water is a standard requirement for public speakers, and no one will think less of you for it, as long as you time it appropriately. Anytime you ask for questions or comments, or tell your audience to find a certain point in the presentation materials, is a perfect opportunity to take a swig.
posted by katemcd at 5:01 PM on November 1

I think, empirically speaking, that the efficacy of this stuff is subject to debate, but everybody I know that's tried it swears by Throat Coat tea. It's not a substitute for fixing harmful voice practices, but it'll hopefully help to sooth your throat a bit in the meantime.
posted by invitapriore at 5:07 PM on November 1

Well, basically you need to treat your voice the same way I have to if I'm planning to sing a four hour show. I put a bunch of tips in comments on this post, so I'd check those out. My main tips are covered there... speak from your diaphram not your throat, stay away from coffee, wheat, ice cubes and milk on the day of your speech, be well rested, avoid being anywhere near cigarettes... if you do that stuff, your voice should be exactly the same from start to finish without change. Remember, you should speak the way you normally do... I'm assuming you have a microphone so there is absolutely no reason for you to be speaking any louder or more forcefully when you're amplified. If anything, just learn how to use a microphone properly and you can whisper the speech if you want to. Trust me, if you use the mic correctly your audience AND your vocal cords will thank you.

Products I'd recommend are here. And another secret little tip... if your voice gets a bit hoarse, grab a bag of potato chips and have a few before you go onstage. The oil from the potato chips will coat your throat and that can help a bit. And if you have a problem with phlegm, cut a slice of lemon and suck on it or squeeze the juice in some room temperature water. (Again, avoid ice cubes.)
posted by miss lynnster at 5:26 PM on November 1 [1 favorite has favorites]

Also, read this post.
posted by miss lynnster at 5:28 PM on November 1

The way you use your voice and the general condition of your vocal chords will have a lot to do with this, so it's not necessarily "your fault" if you lose your voice easily- some people just do. If you naturally have a hoarse, scratchy voice, you'll tend to lose it quicker than people with smooth voices. But you can help your voice last longer no matter what your baseline is. I do a lot of public speaking and here are few things that help me:

Speak from the diaphragm. See a theatrical voice teacher for a quick session on this. You can email a local arts college or arts high school to get a referral; most voice teachers would be happy to give a private lesson on the side. Expect to pay $20-$70 for an hour depending on how famous/busy the person is. I'd guess an arts college voice teacher might charge $50.

Practice in a room the size of your speech. Dot the audience area with items in random spots (a shoe at the back, a coat in the front, a binder on the side) and speak to those items as though they were human faces- it helps you get a better sense of your "targets" when speaking.

Drink hot water with honey and lemon. Or teaspoons of honey.

Avoid loud places the week of the speech- most people find they get hoarse after being in a bar or concert.

Get enough sleep! Can't stress this one enough. Sleep is the only time a tired voice can regenerate. The less you sleep before the big day, the worse your baseline will be.

Warm your voice up gently. I like to start in the shower, humming quietly, then louder as the hot water steams my throat. Then I sing along to CDs for a while, working up to singing in a full belt. Singing a bit before a speech is good, too. Put one melodic song on your ipod (I like Starlight by Muse) and sing along to it before every speech, starting quiet and light, ending with full open voice supported from the belly.

Be aware that tannic, astringent beverages coffee or tea will tend to dry your mouth and throat. Water with lemon is a pretty safe bet, and the lemon helps as it keeps your saliva glands alive so you don't get a dry, pasty, sticky mouth that makes gross sticky smacky noises.

Try to find licorice pastilles like Meloids, or the horribly named Nigroids. Valda is also great. Meloids are my secret weapon. They're hard to find so if you come across some I suggest you stock up.

Hope that helps!
posted by twistofrhyme at 5:41 PM on November 1 [1 favorite has favorites]

Some of it has to do with practice. As a teacher, I find that the first day or week back in school after a long vacation I have troubles with soreness in my throat. After that first week, it's rarely a problem again.

If you're doing an all day thing, you need to avoid stressing your throat. Speak normally, and don't try to use your voice in a radically different many than you do normally. Speak at your base volume, rather than giving into the feeling that, since you're giving a speech, you need to speak louder.

Can you use a microphone? If one is available, use it, and speak into it as if you were having a quiet conversation. Have the person handling the setup adjust for your volume, and you should be easier heard.
posted by Ghidorah at 5:43 PM on November 1

As a tour guide, it was unhealthy, but eating greasy chips during lunch got me through the end of the day. We all did it, and I have no idea why it worked, but it did.

It's also important to breathe through your diaphragm. Practice sucking in through a straw and into your stomach to get used to working those muscles.
posted by itsonreserve at 8:03 PM on November 1

Look online for a substance known as friar's balsam. It tends to cure laryngitis pretty quickly. In my experience, within 24 hours if I start drinking it right when the throat issues start.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:32 AM on November 2

Thanks everyone. I'm going to need to put some of these tips to use soon, so I'll report back.

Since coffee and tea seem to be bad, is there something caffeinated that anyone recommends? I'm not the same without a good dose of coffee (or tea) in the morning.

Also, read this post.
posted by miss lynnster at 8:28 PM on November 1

Wow, I don't know how I missed that one, but there's very useful stuff in there too.
posted by Simon Barclay at 4:48 PM on November 2