Phlegm in throat - singers
Sun, 19 Sept 2010, 10:03 pmSLE6 posts in thread
Phlegm in throat - singers
Sun, 19 Sept 2010, 10:03 pmAny advice/suggestions please for the that phlegm in throat sensation that makes you want to clear your throat (in the middle of a song!) for singers?
My daughter is suffering bad allergies (time of the year) and gets congested and hay fever symptoms and gets this thing in her throat - she feels there is something stuck there and it affects her vocals and she's always doing that little "hem" cough thing...
Nothing from the chemist has helped... I plan to take her to a naturopath next but thought I'd check if others have this problem and have found a cure...
thanks!
She's Normal
Mon, 20 Sept 2010, 07:29 amWalter Plinge
Most people get this sensation of phlegm in the throat when they are nervous, it's just due to a little unnecessary, but perfectly understandable tension. Actual phlegm can be cleared without vocalising, indeed it's NOT good to do the "hem" cough thing. Do the action, but without sound, so that only air is blasted through, and the vocal folds don't actually touch. This takes a little practice, but it's worth the effort of practising it.
The best trick is to learn how to live with the sensation, learn to accept that it is an illusion, and that even if there is a little phlegm there, if you support your voice soundly it won't make a blind bit of difference to your sound.
The naturopath may help with phlegm reducing stuff, but she'd be better served by seeing a good vocal coach.