In detail, How does smoking affect your singing?

[AngusYoung413]

Ive heard things about how smoking is bad for your voice, but I basically want to know exactly which ways it affects your voice and etc. I have been smoking for about a half a year and want to get vocal lessons soon. So anyone who knows what they're talking about(i.e Merkaba) please help. Thanks.

[moaner]

The hot gases kill the cells there, the dead cilia give you horrible mucus problems, you'll be shorter of breath so be unable to hold longer notes/screams, and the tar that coats your lungs will probably coat your 'chords to.

[ThePinkPanther]

/thread

[BassMan182]

thing is, facts aside, there are some great vocalists that have been smokers. the way I see it is if you want a technically near-to-perfect-as-possible voice, don't smoke. but don't worry about it too much.

[kriswrite]

Smoking irritates the vocal cords, making them swell. Any swelling of the vocal cords leads to a much higher risk of damaging the voice with nodes (nodules), which can permanently alter your voice, or even take away sections of your range.

In addition, smoking affects your lungs, and makes breathing more shallow. This leads to bad breath control, which may encourage you to ty to control your air flow from the throat. This excess tension in the throat may lead to swollen vocal cords.

I hope this helps,
Kristina
http://voicestudio.kristinaseleshanko.com

[xgretschx]

Yeh if your seriouse about singing and dont want to screw your voice you seriously need to stop.

[Aus_rock_god]

I've been smoking since I was 12, and I'm a singer. The biggest problem with smoking and your voice (I feel) is your lung capacity. I can hold a note continuosly for 33 seconds before running out of breath, whereas the other really good singers I know can hold one for over a minute.
When you smoke, hold the smoke in your cheeks before inhaling, it will stop the heat from the smoke damaging your vocal chords.

[Akira]

If you smoke you have bigger problems than your singing to worry about, things liek dieing.

Probably a good example of what smoking can do is that dude who raps in The Transplants. He might partially have a naturally raspy voice, but his smoking cannot help.

[Aus_rock_god]

Dieing doesn't worry me dude. Not having a smoke availible does.

[real_low_mind]

Don't smoke if you're into opera. But look at the 99% of rock singers who smoke & they're fine.

[SonorKen]

Smoking affects several physiological body functions that can severely hurt your voice.

Cigarrette smoke is an irritant. Every time you smoke you irritate your vocal cords and anything else the smoke comes in contact with. The vocal chords take the brunt of the injury because they are the first, narrow body part that the heated gas come in contact with. When your vocal chords become irritated edema/swelling forms on them and actually makes them heavier. When this happens the pitch of your voice will become lower. Your vocal chords, and I use your because I am talking about each person as an individual, are not designed to be used at this pitch and you can possibly damage them.

Smoking also increases the chances of gastric reflux. You may have it and not even realize it as beart burn is not always a sign and symptom of gastric reflux. While you are sleeping you can have this acid, very small amounts, come up your esophogus and damage your vocal chords. When you wake up and have a coughing fit or are awoke gasping for air due to mucous in your airway this could be a side effect of gastric reflux.

Other things to look forward to damaging your body from smoking is COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). This manifests itself usually as Emphysema or Bronchitis. There is so much information on these 2 diseases that Im not going into it, you can look that up on webmd.com. Basically when you have COPD your lung elacticity is diminshed and you are more likely to become ill. Now, this will not only hurt you, but your band as well because they will be cancelling shows when you are too sick to sing.

All in all if your serious about singing you should quit smoking. Besides that, its nasty.

[LivingDeadBoy]

In other words, smoke if u feel like it, it won't damage it that much. just don't chain smoke and drink cold water after smoking.

[SonorKen]

No, in other words don't smoke at all, it is HORRIBLE for you.

[Jeckyll]

John from goo goo dolls smokes.....

He sounds good.

but its still not the best for you.

[AngusYoung413]

Thanks everyone, youve really completely answered my questions. Wow.

[Merkaba]

...Come on dude...

/thread
My hero!

[10571z]

I have been smoking for about a half a year

quit dude.... youll regret smoking when your old a coughing and ur lungs are full of tar and u strugge to breathe and you smell like a ****ing ash tray and you have to carry around 2 bottels of air.........it would be worth it....... sorry for my comment but smoking is just personally the stupidest thing in the world

[PDOGG]

Ok man, here's the deal. The no-bull****-this-isnt-an-opinion deal.
I personally smoke. I also sing lead in my band. I am a baritone but I can go into tenor range(I can go maybe a couple notes over Cheseter bennington's highest recorded, and I can go alot lower than anything i've heard from him). Over the last year I have honed myself into a singer that my band is very proud of to have as a frontman. My singing consists of soft melodic little crooning, aggressively presented yet controlled singing, and some falsetto and chest screams for good measure here and there. I vocalize every day, I work out my "scratching" ability used for my aggressive pitched vocals to endure my voice, I do scales, and I sing alot of Tool songs to keep my song-singing ability intact aswell. Smoking hasnt hurt me one bit, but HERES THE THING. I don't smoke a whole lot. Maybe a pack a week. By smoking standards thats not a whole lot.
So what it comes down to is this:
1.)Keep it to as much a minimun as possible. Also, take smaller drags, but hold the exhale awehile so you dont get rusty on breathing.
2.)Vocalize ALOT. Smoking isn't gonna hurt you much if your voice is in peak shape all the time, so keep it that way.
3.)Keep in mind, your voice may or may not be able to handle it. Go take your lessons and see how it goes, it's dependent on you. good luck.