03 Hydration

In this lesson, we’ll talk about:

Why hydration is important
What happens when the voice gets dehydrated
The best food/drinks for optimal hydration
The best time to drink before going on stage
Things that dehydrate the voice (things to avoid!)

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Responses

Chris Tee December 31, 2020

“Seriously. Drink it now.” Lol. Wow, the list of irritants is really eye-opening. I’ve been taking an antihistamine before I sing cuz my allergies have been so bad lately. Interesting that it will also dry your throat at the same time though. I’m gonna be peeing like a racehorse now just to compensate with even more water intake! 🙂

Charmaine Brown January 2, 2021

Haha! Yeah the struggle is real. Drink that water!

ysabelsay October 23, 2020

Hi Charmaine! Can you recommend any specific type/brand of humidifier to use at night?

Charmaine Brown October 24, 2020

I don’t have a specific brand to recommend—just look on Amazon for something that has a lot of great reviews!

1. ysabelsay October 24, 2020
  
  Would a warm steam vaporiser be just as good for this purpose? My singing teacher recommended for me to get the vicks warm steam vaporiser. Would that serve the same function as a humidifier?
  
  It’s this one:
  https://www.bigw.com.au/product/vicks-warm-steam-vaporiser/p/858131/
  
  1. Charmaine Brown October 29, 2020
    
    Yes I do think this would work well! Just don’t put Vicks in it!

Braveheartgal July 11, 2020

Hi Charmaine! This might sound like a weird question, but I have serious issues with my jaw locking and popping. I used to never sleep with my mouth open, but now I have it open all night. so when I wake up in the morning, both my throat and mouth are so so so dry and irritating. will using a humidifier help with this? how can I get my jaw to stop popping? I had to have 3 dental implants put in 4 months ago… long story… but I was hoping that after that, my bite would improve and stop the locking? i can’t get a mouth guard yet until I get my perm crowns on. anyway, do you have any advice? so far, it has not affected my voice at all. not sure about my throat, but I have had issues with acid reflux in the past that would make my throat feel like it’s closing. also, i had an illness a while back that affected my bronchial tubes which causes my throat to close up if water goes down the wrong way so much so that i will not be able to breathe like an asthma attack but not asthma so I have to try and NOT cough. it’s quite scary when it happens. I also had a surgery to fix my knee where they had to intubate me because I had a temporary case of sleep apnea that has since gone away, and the intubation seemed to slightly affect my throat as well. so far… NONE of this, thank God, has not affected my voice, but going forward, I want to make sure I take care of myself! any tips or advice on the above?

Charmaine Brown July 12, 2020

For sure! Sorry to hear you’ve had these challenges! I have had issues with my jaw in the past as well and chiropractic and massage therapy have helped a lot. A humidifier would probably help with the dryness at night. Waking up with a dry/irritated throat could also be related to silent acid reflux that’s happening in the night—I would recommend doing a full analysis of foods that you may be sensitive to, and don’t eat for 3-4 hours before bed.

mnhung May 6, 2020

I have kind of a ridiculous question but — I have always had this tendency to choke on water. Like it happens almost everyday, and my mom is the same way. We won’t even be talking while we’re drinking water or drinking water quickly. It just happens. But this really affects my singing voice as it’s happened to me before I lead worship and I feel like I have to cough really hard and/or keep coughing throughout the set. Do you have any tips on healthy ways to clear the throat when that happens? Sorry for this ridiculous question, but it’s something that keeps happening to me!

Charmaine Brown May 8, 2020

Nothing is a ridiculous question! Hmmm… I haven’t come across this before—but I can totally imagine how frustrating that would be! It happens to me once in awhile, so I know what you’re talking about… and I haven’t discovered a way to get rid of it immediately… unfortunately. But what often does help is making a “G” sound, like “GUH GUH GUH”—it helps the vocal cords find the closure they need again, because the choking often gets them “off the tracks”, if you will. I would try to hydrate WAY before you sing, and stay away from water before and during a set!

1. mnhung May 9, 2020
  
  Thank you Charmaine! The water in the throat is just when I choke on water and can’t clear it out all the way haha.
  Interesting! I always thought I needed water on hand while singing a set even if I hydrate the hour beforehand because sometimes my throat itself gets dry. If I hydrate the 20 minutes in advance that you suggested, how long before it wears off and I need to hydrate again? Thank you!
  
  1. Charmaine Brown May 9, 2020
    
    Everyone’s body is different, but I definitely think you’ll be ok without drinking water for a whole worship set (even if it’s a long set), if you’ve been hydrating lots for a couple hours before you sing, and lots the day before as well.
    
    1. mnhung May 9, 2020
      
      Thank you!!!
mnhung May 6, 2020

I’m doing a vocal workout, and it just keeps feeling like there is water in the way that I can’t get rid of no matter how much I cough and clear my throat, and it affects my ability to hit some of the notes. Haha sorry about this ridiculous question again, thanks Charmaine!

1. Charmaine Brown May 8, 2020
  
  Hmmm… the “water in the way”… not sure what that would be, but perhaps excess mucus… does it happen every time you do a workout? Or just after eating or drinking?

Rick Warman March 27, 2018

Thank you… Good coffee is why I get up in the morning. Lol

Charmaine March 27, 2018

Haha! Agreed (sitting here drinking my coffee…). 🙂

03 Hydration

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