Mucous. All vocalists Read!

[Merkaba]

mucus is the looking glass. your measuring stick, your bubble level, your window into the truth.

The vocal cords are considered mucous membranes. They are relatively thin and are constantly coated in a layer of mucus. this protects them and keeps them moist enough to be flexible vibrate properly. when you sing the demand is far greater than normal everyday activity. when you scream it is a hundred-fold. everytime they vibrate they heat up. due to friction. over time this causes a need for more and thicker mucus because the cords are drier. the extra mucus is sent to provide a thicker than normal protection because the situation isnt normal(yet). so now the cords dont vibrate as well because of the extra mucous. so you think you have to push harder to get good tone. but you dont. you just have to get rid of the mucus. but most people dont know that so they push harder. now what. more friction, more damage, more mucus sent to protect this. now less tone. so you push harder. see the cycle? the next thing you know youre ruined. most people dont stretch and warm down so overnight the cords cover up even more and swell more in an attempt to heal. so the next day is a day that should be carefully tread.
Things that attribute to mucus: This is not a judgemental thing, it is the truth.
1. diet. People are lactose intolerant for a reason. We werent made to suck the nipples of bovine animals! Only baby bovine animals were, duh. Dairy has a few factors that make it harsh on the digestive track, which logo for elmer's glue? I do! What does a cow have to do with glue?(other than the glue being manufactured by a dairy company) You can't digest it well, but beef and dairy is a multi-billion dollar industry so many will tell you that you need it. Hell, I'd tell ya that you need it if I was in the industry!

Meat just cant be digested well by the human body. Especially beef. Think about any thing thats more tough or coarse? can you do it? This means more acid to TRY to break it down some which results in more irritation, thus more need for mucus. Mix a meat,which needs an acidic ph level to digest with a startch(which everyone usually does, which needs a more base ph to digest) and you get a cancelling out affect which means nothing gets digested well, which results in more of a rotting mass, which in turn irritates and triggers more mucus. Meat takes alot of time in the digestive tract. sometimes 2 days to pass through. up to seven. this makes your body produce more mucus in general to coat your digestive areas and it comes as a body wide percentage. The throat is part of that tract. This is why people with asthma a breathing ailments are oftentimes told to cut back on dairy.

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables of course is good. not just because they have natural forms of vitamins and minerals, but also because they contain lots of water. people dont think about nutrition when it comes to vocal. but if you were trying to increase your chest muscles and make them stronger you would. the muscles in your larynx are muscles. and they, along with everything in your body gets rebuilt not with stuff from outerspace or magic, but from what you eat. bottom line. Plenty of water is the only drink that has a direct affect on your cords. some teas and tricks help to coat the throat, which gives you smoother airflow, more comfortable. but when you drink your epiglottis closes your airway , so you dont get anything down your windpipe, remember? so nothing you drink touches any part of your vocal triggers. so just stay hydrated with lots of water, and 100% juices if you need some taste. if youre hydrated the cords can stay moist and protected longer, so the protective mucus doesnt get worn away, rendering your cords swelling and producing more thicker mucous. remember you have to digest it though. so it takes about 20 minutes for a drink to be distributed through your body. When your water level starts to drop, one of the first places your body looks to for extra water is your throat area. this is why they always say that if you wait til youre thirsty to drink, youre already dehydrated. (said alot in fitness and sports). combine this with singing and number two and three and youre headed for a battle.


2. caffeine and alcohol. both are diuretics. meaning they make you lose water. anyone that drinks alcohol knows this. you piss it away. and some of it comes from your throat. caffeine uses more water in the body and causes you to become dehydrated as well. i wont speak much on these. moderation is the key. one drink isnt gonna break you, but its still affecting you.
3. smoking. enough said. if you really must smoke, it is imperative that you try to cool the smoke some first. smoke slower and hold the smoke in your mouth for a second to allow it to cool, before you breath it in. of course you would want to use smaller puffs as well. and dont hot box and rush a cig. nothing worse for your cords than a quick smoke.
3a . coughing. its like beating your cords with a bat. everytime. the pressure of closing your cords together builds up in the lungs and this is what fires out the cough causing particles. or attempts to. now if you ever develop a smoking cough it is because the cilia hairs that line your airways have been burned away. now there is nothing to trap a lot of random mucus and particles. so all you can do is caugh it up, instead of the cilia working it up.
4. pot is worse because it doesnt have a filter, which means its way hotter, and more resin comes through and just basically gangbangs your cords. its like the damage of 10 cigarettes.
5. if you get a cold, remember that most medicines and decongestants have caffeine in it. plus they decongest by thinning the mucous. this can over thin the mucus in your cords leaving them dry. the last time i took some medicine for a cold my voice was terrible. i could sing when i was sick, but as soon as i started taking the medicine it fuked me up. pseudo ephedrine is the common ingredient that is basically a form of caffeine. be weary of anything ending in "drine"

how to clear mucus? Drink water. it thins it out if you have too much, yet helps you keep enough to protect. your body is always trying to balance. the vocal tract is the window that lets you see it trying to balance. you need a little mucus, but not too much. its a balancing act. . and do warm ups and exercises. do lots of moderate push. for me when i go up in range it starts to pop up cause the cords are thinner. a little extra push and rasp helps to get it moving too, after i've warmed up enough. and dont try to clear your throat. if you need to. hum a bit first, then try to clear your throat sofly while continuing the sound from the humm, not the usual ahem. i have technique i use that is like this h thing. kinda like the usual ahemm.. its more like...mmmmhhhhhhhm, done at different octaves. low, mid, high. Doing lots of EE's helps to vibrate it away too becuase, again, E is the only vowel that makes the cords some completely closed and seal during its vibrational pattern. which is also reason to be more careful with the sound of EE. it creates more pressure because it closes your cords completely during the soundwave. Sing away the mucus is my top advice. You just have to remember youre going to be vocalizing more, not singing. In other words, your push, tone and clarity will have to be sacrificed until youre loosened up.

and dont forget that many of us have drainage problems or nasal problems that might affect mucous generation, usually making it thicker and more abundant.

The funny thing is that I eat meat and I love cheese. The point is that I know it affects me, so I can be smart, and moderate.

So i hope this gives you something to think about. Its not that a drink of coffee, or meatloaf, or adrink or two is gonna ruin your career, but it does affect your voice. So it is good to know so that you can know why you need to be moderate with the bad things you can do to your vocal cords and or body. Cause you can get yourself into a downward spiral one night. You see how easy it could be. The next thing you know you could have some damages and or setbacks at best. just be mindful of your body and what youre doing with it. happy vocalizing.

[BassMan182]

cheers :)

[i'm_soooo_emo]

the bit i read was gud, but it dragged on so i stopped reading

[Merkaba]

the bit i read was gud, but it dragged on so i stopped reading

its supposed to drag on. it wasnt intended to be charged as good or palletable, but to be information to help out alot of people that are asking vocal questions and are interested in growing vocally and or screaming. as i have done in a few other posts. which appears by your post count and join date that youre not aware of. :thumb:

[Harmonisation]

Thanks for that dude. I appreciated it immensly :thumb:

[Trigger_003]

Good stuff, man... my dad had told me most of that anyway, but still - it's good to know that someone else says the same thing :lol:

That stuff is like, impossible to write much shorter. It's good though, so if you're serious about singing and skipped parts, I say go back and read it.

[Ninjerk]

Aren't meats good to an extent? You said something about the muscles in the throat, but aren't muscles primarily rebuilt using proteins? If so, do animal proteins have any added benefit over proteins derived from, say, peanuts or beans?

[Merkaba]

Aren't meats good to an extent? You said something about the muscles in the throat, but aren't muscles primarily rebuilt using proteins? If so, do animal proteins have any added benefit over proteins derived from, say, peanuts or beans?

well, to be truthful , no. meat in anyform is bad for you. anything you get from meat you can get from plants, because that meat animal ate nothing but plants. but thats another story. yes, nuts, beans, and meatless meat products, egg whites. thats where i get my protein from. and im 215, pretty cut. but thats also another story. however, i know its not realistic to totally do away with meat for vocal reasons. but just to answer your question. proteins are made of amino acids. you can get all but about four of them from your food. protein is just a bunch of amino acids chained together. so there is no benefit between the two. but when eating meat, you cant digest it well , especially with a starch, like most people eat with meat. so that means that you get less absorption actually. so if anything, eating a meat based protein is less of an advantage then beans, nuts, soy products, etc. i dont know everything, but i know a ton about 1. Fitness 2. spirituality 3. a good bit about voice. ask me about guitars, cars,woodwork...just about anything else and i'll take the backseat.

[GuitarComet]

Boy, what great information!
I'm not a lead singer, but I didn't know that.
This old dog just learned a new trick!

[Puzzle]

nice, cheers. I had no idea about beef's affect on vocal chords.

[kriswrite]

Milk products are far more likely to affect the vocal folds than meat. In fact, if you think your mucus problem is food related, cut dairy first. In addition, people with acid reflux (which can be quite damaging to the vocal folds) often are cured completely if they go on a high-protein, low carb diet.

Kristina
www.geocities.com/kristinasvocalstudio

[Merkaba]

yea, im just anti beef. it should either be organic or outlawed all the stuff they do to it. it affects your cords cause it affects your whole body. But yea, cow milk is designed for an animal with four stomachs. so thats all we need to know about dairy. (though i still love cheese)

[Pizza in a Cup]

Meat is easier to digest than vegetables. You want proof? Vegetables are high in fibre, which is impossible to digest. In fact, the reason apes evolved into humans was because they started eating meat, so they didn't need as big a digestive system and more resources could be sent to the brain, eventually meaning humans had a huge brain.

[jam9383]

I was waiting for someone to call him out on the meat thing, if you have ethical issues with meat thats ok but dont try to mold the truth for a certain agenda

[Merkaba]

Meat is easier to digest than vegetables. You want proof? Vegetables are high in fibre, which is impossible to digest. In fact, the reason apes evolved into humans was because they started eating meat, so they didn't need as big a digestive system and more resources could be sent to the brain, eventually meaning humans had a huge brain.
So why is it that by age fifty its estimated that the average human male has 10 pounds of undigested meat in their digestive tract? A very easily proven scientific study with the onset of colonics nowadays.

So the reason why apes evolved into humans was because they started eating meat? :lol: That would go in the pit thread, seriously. Thats a religious statement.

Apes also peel their fruit before they eat it. If you eat an apple it is out of your stomach in less than an hour. Eat a hunk of steak and it sits in your stomach for at least four, and more depending on if you eat it with a starch which most people do.

If its so much easier to digest, and THE reason why apes evolved to humans,then you should be able to eat a ton of it. So just eat a ton of it and put fruit and vegetables second and see what happens as you progress through life. Its your choice.

I was waiting for someone to call him out on the meat thing, if you have ethical issues with meat thats ok but dont try to mold the truth for a certain agendaWhy didnt you do it?
Did you read the last paragraph?
What did I say that makes it an ethical issue? Did I say I never eat meat? Did I say that I dont like the killing of animals to eat, or that I'm a member of PETA? Do your research! Are you going to say the same thing about ephedrine? about dairy? Radiated chemical laden food(most beef). Ask any voice teacher and they will tell you the same thing about dairy and ephedrine, and coffee, and alcohol! Am I trying to mold you into a nonsmoking agenda if I tell you to not smoke if you want healthy vocal cords?!

As I say, do your research! When you eat a meat it takes an acidic stomach to break down the substance because first, if you think about it, it is the toughest, most coarse, chewy, heaviest "food" you will ever put in your body. And due to that alone, and the make up of it, Cell membranes for one, sinew, fat, and high protein content(which is also not optimal) your body will have no choice if it wants to break it down. The stomach is not a smoldering cauldron of acid as most people think. So, Guess what, to digest a starch or sugar you need the opposite, a base ph. So when you eat the too together, tada!...You start to cancel yourself out and your stomach heads toward neutrality, so neither get digested well. So what happens when something isnt digested well? It sits...and ferments...and you burp, and burp, and then this half fermented mass passes into the small intestines and ferments more and undigested protein in the intestines leads to more gas, so you fart and think its just normal farting all day. This is all why a high greasy diet can lead to indigestion and acid reflux/gerd. So as this mass of fermented poison passes through your stomach and etc, your body produces mucus in order to protect itself from it and to slide it out faster so it doesnt stay in you as long, and your body increases mucus in all of its mucous membranes. Just like . This is why body builders and the like have to eat so much protein from meat and whey, because you only digest a fraction of it. And even in a vegetarian diet if you mix high fat or protein foods like nuts and avocados with sugars, starches or fruit you get the same thing. chew/breathe hot peppers and your nose runs, your eyes water. What do you think your stomach does when you ingest it? ...protection

So what about all that is ethics? I share what wisdom I have about what affects the vocal cords. And if you trash the body youre trashing the cords as well. A cup of milk will have an affect on your body, whether you can perceive it or not. So I give data. Its up to the user what they want to do with it.

I've stated repeatedly that I smoke on occasion and eat meat on occasion. But judging by your join date you both either switched user names or you're just being hastey, ignorant noobs. Good day. I'll let someone else say it....teh what?

[Righteous Cole]

I've read that hot decaffeinated drinks like green tea and chai tea are good, or at least not bad. Where do these types of drinks fall in line with good or bad. Also, is every kind of meat bad for vocalists, say like fish? And another thing is I read that cough drops, on a limited basis, are good throat relaxers and soothers. Any comments?

[Merkaba]

I'm must like this....first and foremost the body shouldnt need any outside influence whatsoever. Thats my usual ultimate angle. So technically as far as I'm concerned work to get to where you dont need anything. What if you ran out of tea, or lozenges or whatever before a show?...then it might affect your confidence. Or like I tell people when they ask me about fitness supplements and things. Would you take them forever or what will happen when you stop? Ya know? So first that would be my ultimate advice. Take care of your body, with good nutritional habits and your cords will fall into line.

Drinks sometimes help with the feel of the back of the throat so the air doesnt aggrivate it as much. But anything you drink doesnt contact any of the vocal mechanisms or else you'd be choking! So I just say not to even worry about it. I mean I like a warm cup of tea sometimes maybe just to mellow out or get that vibe, but I dont see it affecting my vocals directly.

And as far as meat...well its like I said...its not like if you eat a steak your vocals will suck...just know what goes on. But you better believe if...no, WHEN I go on tour I will be limiting how much meat I eat, especially combined with a starch. But I will eat meat and I'm sure I'll smoke and drink some too. But dairy will probably never see me. Its just a matter of knowing the reality and that way you can be aware of it, and try to practice some moderation. FIsh is by far the best meat. I mean if you take some flounder and rub it in your fingers it will fall apart. Try that with a steak.

And again...why would you want to get into the practice of taking something to relax you? Be able to do it yourself. Again, theress not much that can reach your vocal apparatus without you choking. Jamie venderra had mentioned a mist that he came across but I dont know the name of it. ONly a mist could be breathed in and cross the vocal path and vocal cords and affect them directly. If youre really interested I can see If i can find out what it was. I dont know of anything that can relax the throat besides technique. And if there were something, it would probably relax your cords as well which wouldnt be good.

Concentrate more on good nutrition, cutting sugary and starchy foods and drinks and working on good technique. Welcome to the board and be sure to read through my whole voicehelp hotline if youre serious about vocals. YOu'll answer alot of questions.

[Flik]

im quite glad you braught this up!

recently ive become ever so annoyed with a heavy mucus buildup at the top and back of my throat.

firstly i have to admit, breads and dairy foods are quite big in my diet. But that's because as someone whos trying to gain weight (muscle wise) these are most conveniant to be eating for me at the moment. (im talking brown bread, milk and cheese mainly).

what can i do to stop this buildup? also, my throat isnt sore (soar.. however you spell it) but i'm sure that your throat hole at the back of your mouth shouldn't be about as big as somewhere between a 1 penny and 2 penny peice should it?

is it simple or should i really be going to a doctor? its just because of work and college im very short of time you see :)

[Knifeboy]

I think you're great at writing Merkaba.. I read alot about stuff like this, even though I really don't sing. And the way you write it is very easy to understand, people with no prior knowledge can read it and still get what you're saying... If you this is dry and longwinded, go look at any book about vocals and vocal chords.. You'll change your mind.

[Merkaba]

im quite glad you braught this up!

recently ive become ever so annoyed with a heavy mucus buildup at the top and back of my throat.

firstly i have to admit, breads and dairy foods are quite big in my diet. But that's because as someone whos trying to gain weight (muscle wise) these are most conveniant to be eating for me at the moment. (im talking brown bread, milk and cheese mainly).

what can i do to stop this buildup? also, my throat isnt sore (soar.. however you spell it) but i'm sure that your throat hole at the back of your mouth shouldn't be about as big as somewhere between a 1 penny and 2 penny peice should it?

is it simple or should i really be going to a doctor? its just because of work and college im very short of time you see :)
Well dude..I dont know if it will be directly your root cause, but any vocal teacher will tell you to avoid dairy. I know its a muscle builders mainstay in many wheys (pun intended). I'm a certifiied personal trainer as well. And I studied it in college. I'm a big conversationalist on music/vocals, fitness, and spirituality. Other than that you wont see me talking alot. I would suggest you try to cut the dairy. I would say try to cut it all...abruptly to see if it will help you, that way you'll know whether or not it was the dairy. Theres just so many studies on milk. But as i like to say....we dont drink any other animals milk...who made cow milk so great? Its not a natural food for grown humans and contains alot of hormones and the protein casein which is also used on glue manufacturing(remember the elmers glue bottle with the cow on it)...and it does the same thing in your digestive tract. I say try soy milk. It has an acquired taste but I got used to it quickly. To me Silk soy milk is one of the best tasting to buy. I get the Enhanced with omega fats in it and plus soy is just good for you. And it has about 8 grams of protein per serving I do believe. And I use spiriutein if I do a protein shake. Its way expensive but is loaded with good nutrients and doesnt weigh heavy on your stomach and just feels way better to ingest. I would say when you can, try to do good food combining. Try not to mix sugars with proteins, or sugars with fats. And eat the simpler stuff first...such as sweets and breads....then fruits, then veggies, then proteins last. Not always fun but it might help. keep us posted. I mean i actually dont eat this way all the time..but I do eat this way. The point is that I know it and when I can and feel like it I will ahere to it. But i mean lately...I've been craving hotdogs...so....I might get some. But I dont eat that every day.



I think you're great at writing Merkaba.. I read alot about stuff like this, even though I really don't sing. And the way you write it is very easy to understand, people with no prior knowledge can read it and still get what you're saying... If you this is dry and longwinded, go look at any book about vocals and vocal chords.. You'll change your mind.

Thanks knife. Yea, If I do say so myself I seem to have picked up a good knack of being able to communicate in ways that are matter of factly...kinda so that its easier to relate to the principals by ananlogy of other things. But I dont know much about much. So you wont see me writing alot about politics or car engines. But what I know about, if its good, I like to share it.

[Flik]

of course, soy milk.. didn't think of that.

thank god you didn't mention bread as bad - thats a biiiig part of my eating.

[Merkaba]

hehe. Well bread isnt the best for you. I eat alot. I'm a starch whore. But as far as mucus nah, it doesnt affect you much. But it will lend to increasing your water take, which leads to deydration. And if you eat it with a high protein foot then youre back into that again. Technically....if its not fruit and vegetables and legumes I could probably write you a book on why its bad for you. But I think we reall all know that. The more fruits and vegetables you eat the better off you are as far as I'm concerned. But yea...I would say cut the dairy if you can and see what happens. I would steer clear of that more than anything else.

[XxRoycexX]

wow thanks alot for that info. I learned quite a bit from this thread!!

[Tiger]

My voice has gone away for the past week, which is awful because Im trying to record and sing some melody lines to send to my vocalist in Seattle, but I havent been able to hit anything high at all. So no recording.

Im not sick, my diet hasnt changed, nothings different other than my voice just going totally dead. Wonder whats up?

[scrowler]

nice article, cheers

[musicNEVERdies]

is sport drink good for you?BTW nice article you got there Merkaba

[Merkaba]

is sport drink good for you?BTW nice article you got there Merkaba
Thanks guys.
Sport drinks..such as gatorade, powerade? Its probably better than 99 percent of many other things. But, it still usually has fructose syrup in it. I've seen a few that have dextrose or better sugars in them. I would avoid artificial sweetners.

I havent seen many drinks that you couldnt duplicate by eating a banana or orange with some water instead. But in general...I wouldnt really worry about them as far as voice goes. Way way better than soda and 10% juices or flavored "fruit" drinks.

[Surgicalgod]

My voice has gone away for the past week, which is awful because Im trying to record and sing some melody lines to send to my vocalist in Seattle, but I havent been able to hit anything high at all. So no recording.

Im not sick, my diet hasnt changed, nothings different other than my voice just going totally dead. Wonder whats up?

Tired vocal cords maybe? Did you abuse your voice in this past week (screamed or shouted mindlessly)? I'm no vocal teacher, but this is what usually happens to me if my vocal cords are tired. To solve this, I usually cut back on talking, and start doing some light vocal exercises (warmups and warmdowns) and the problem goes away in 2/3 days.

Nice one, Merkaba...question though, I can't possibly stop eating meat so I was wondering what's a "safe" amount to eat per month.

[musicNEVERdies]

alright thx then.Oh about the meat thing I want to know too cuz its hard for me to not eat meat.

[MyFriendOfMisery]

Meat is easier to digest than vegetables. You want proof? Vegetables are high in fibre, which is impossible to digest. In fact, the reason apes evolved into humans was because they started eating meat, so they didn't need as big a digestive system and more resources could be sent to the brain, eventually meaning humans had a huge brain.
Apes eat meat. I watched a gang of chimps hunt down several smaller monkeys and then later hunt down another chimp and kill it. Its amazing what you see on PBS.

[Bub]

Merkaba, you're a fountain of knowledge.
Ever thought of compiling all these gems you've written over your time here onto a website or something?

[crazysockmanface]

Good info. Ive been trying outdifferent techniques, and ive found that guzzling milk, and drinking strait up apple juice helps keep my throat balanced. It also allows for easier, deeper screams (zao type stuff). Thanks for giving me some insight

[Peg Dizzler]

Man, great info. I learned a decent amount of this from that Rock n Roll guide, of course. :thumb: But that pushed me to start eating better sometime last year (I'm already exclusively a water drinker though :D ). I kind of wanted to get a diet book to learn more about this. And how meats affect you and stuff.

Like for awhile now, I've mostly been eating fruits, vegetables, soup, sandwiches, and salads. I sure feel healthy! Also, is chicken bad for you?

[Mispeled]

Very helpful and well written.

I'm curious, is there anything in tap water (or bottled) that could be bad for your vocal chords? Because my sister (who isn't a music major or anything but has taken some music classes at her college) never drinks unfiltered tap water.

[Screamin_Demon_Auz]

Chicken is good for you as long as it isn't fried.

[Ashez]

What if you smoked the weed through a bong filled with chilled water?

[the_only_singer]

ahahaha, I love how this thread got bumped back up for a weed question.

Technically it won't be AS bad for you, but lets face it. Inhaling smoke is just bad for you no matter what temperature it is or how filtered it may be. And since you hold weed smoke in longer that will still affect it more than cigarette smoke will.

[Merkaba]

ahahaha, I love how this thread got bumped back up for a weed question.

Technically it won't be AS bad for you, but lets face it. Inhaling smoke is just bad for you no matter what temperature it is or how filtered it may be. And since you hold weed smoke in longer that will still affect it more than cigarette smoke will.

I know, right? :lol:

Anything that lowers the temp and filters it is BETTER than hotter and unfiltered.
And while there's not anything you could ever do to make particle inhalation good for you or your cords, any type of moderation is always of course better for you. :smoke: <---

[BobJoHankins]

and dont forget that many of us have drainage problems or nasal problems that might affect mucous generation, usually making it thicker and more abundant.


i have a problem with my nose, its harder for me to breathe and i'm what the call a "mouthbreather"
are you saying that will cause problems or special conditions?

really good writing by the way.

[i am the robots]

Thanks Merkaba, I was wondering why there was so much mucus build-up in my throat (and it was blocking things up and making it harder to scream!) today, and yet not so much yesterday.

Then reading this I realized I drank tons of water yesterday, whilest all I've drank today is tea, a lot of it.

I guess, long story short: I'm an idiot.

[SixStringKing]

What property is it in meat that makes it so hard to digest? I mean.. theoretically if you go through a good workout under an hour after you eat like your supposed to.. could it burn/shed much of the digestion process...? or is the actually substance itself not being able to break down at all.. (like the shell of corn)?

Cuz im just thinking.. if its the protein that makes it hard to digest.. one could simply eat meat.. and excersize so the body utilizes the protein.. Where as dairy is not a source of protein.