June 2005 Table of Contents

Your Voice For God
Why Does My Voice Get Tired?

By Chris Beatty

As a choir director or worship leader you may often hear this question from one of your singers: "Why does my voice tire? Even at the end of a warm up I feel more fatigue than I know I should."

Voice fatigue is a major concern for many singers. Understanding why the voice fatigues, and what to do about it, is valuable information for any singer, choir director or producer.

Let's start by defining a tired voice as one that feels weak, fatigued, warn-out, or exhausted. Generally, it's the opposite of a fresh, strong, energetic and in-control voice.

When a singer says his or her voice is tired, they may actually be saying a number of things. They may be describing a vocal condition where the voice physically aches, is unresponsive and unable to do what it normally does. They may be describing the impact of moderate or extreme allergies or the side-effects of medications. Or, they may be defining general physical and/or emotional fatigue. It is not uncommon for a combination of these factors to come into play at the same time.

When your voice tires, begin by looking for obvious causes, and make some changes there. If that doesn't help, it may become necessary to expand the areas you are looking at. The most obvious causes of vocal fatigue are singing too much, too aggressively or in to high a range. Any athlete will wear out if the body is pushed beyond its ability to perform well. In sports, the result is muscle strains or joint injuries. For a singer, it is more likely to be some form of laryngitis. This swelling of the leading edges of the vocal folds can result in voice loss in a particular range, or the entire voice. If this happens to you, stop singing and speaking! With mild laryngitis the voice will often recover in several days, if you are able to do complete voice rest. Just to clarify, that means NO talking or singing. Write notes instead. In more severe situations, it may require a visit to an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) or laryngologist to see if there is vocal damage.

Assuming there is no permanent damage, combine voice rest with good hydration and breathing steam. This is very beneficial. As the voice returns do not push or strain it. Be sure to speak at a mild volume and in a normal speaking range. Do not whisper.

Whether or not obvious vocal abuse was the cause of your tired voice, you should also consider the following areas as they can promote or trigger tiredness in any voice:

1. Do you adequately warm up your voice before singing? Even before you get to a rehearsal you should be warmed up as many, if not most choir and worship team rehearsals don't have adequate time for a careful, thorough warm-up. As a vocal athlete, you owe it to your physical vocal mechanism to warm up the right way.
2. Do you hydrate adequately when singing or speaking all day? Singing and speaking is dehydrating and requires additional water in your system.
3. Do you go from a little singing to extreme amounts of singing around Easter or Christmas? Gradually increasing your singing, before that season hits, is safer for your voice.
4. Do you sometimes push the voice into a range, or in a style that you are really not comfortable with? That's risky. It makes more sense to maximize your vocal range through proper exercises. Then experiment with new styles and apply what you've learned to the songs you want to perform. If the voice isn't the only part of you that's tired, you may need to look at non-singing issues like lack of sleep or ongoing stress. These often lead to, or are compounded by emotional fatigue. For many who minister on Sundays, there is the added issue of never taking a day of rest. That Sabbath principle, instituted by God, can make the difference between vocal life and death. The voice is physical and is subject to your overall health.

Finally, if all of the above are in order, you may have some other medical issues such as allergies or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). GERD allows stomach acid to get to the vocal folds. Only a medical professional can deal with it properly

So, whether your tired voice is caused by singer-inflicted abuse, allergies, a one-time vocal strain or general fatigue, there are always ways to address and solve the problems. Often, it is a matter of common sense. Use the above list and see if you can solve the issues yourself and take advantage of over 100 vocal tips at www.vocalcoach.com/tips .

Chris Beatty has been teaching voice for 40 years. He and his wife have traveled throughout the United States, Canada and many foreign countries presenting their Vocal Coach Workshops. The 33 Vocal Coach Training Products available at www.vocalcoach.com continue to shape the singers of today and tomorrow. The Vocal Coach Voice Studio is in the Nashville area where Chris is also a music pastor.

For Vocal Coach
Chris Beatty

Christopher Beatty–Training the Singers of Today and Tomorrow! Workshop or product information:
Vocal Coach, P.O. Box 2144, Brentwood, TN 37024.
615-331-1080 / www.vocalcoach.com
chris@vocalcoach.com

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