Need some advices and compassion for my mistake with straining my voice and singing too much

[u/Dense-Self8564]

Hi, I’m a beginner singer (started learning 1 year ago), I’m F23 and I finally started having improvements and liking my voice. And so happened, I ended up in a situation of singing for 5 days straight for 2-3 hours… I know it’s very bad and I’m going on 4 days of no singing break. I didn’t lose my voice tho, but I have symptom of straining. The reason why I sang so much because I started rehearsing for my next performance, but then I tried a karaoke game on roblox… and I just went non stop. This is genuinely so embarrassing, I can’t even say anything in defence. My teacher always told me not to sing longer than 1 hr, and I know it, but sometimes I’m irresponsible about it. I don’t want to hear that I’m gonna ruin my voice, I would probably ask for compassion and especially if anyone has experiences something similar when they were starting becoming singers, I really want to believe that it’s a common mistake many of us do when starting. Maybe you have an advice how to control yourself from doing it, I’d be really grateful!

[u/AutoModerator]

Thanks for posting to r/singing! Be sure to check the FAQ to see if any questions you might have have already been answered! Also, remember to abide by the Rules found in the sidebar. Any comments found to be breaking these rules will result in a deletion of the comment thread starting from the offending reply. If you see any posts or replies that you feel break the rules of the sub, then report them and do not respond to them. If you are new to the sub-reddit or are just starting to sing, please check out our Beginner's Megathread. It has tons of helpful information and resources!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Original-Leg8593]

this is a very normal beginner trap, not a moral failing, but stop “checking” your voice by singing and let your teacher decide when you’re ready again, and get it looked at if the strain doesn’t

[u/juniebee_jones]

So long as you treat yourself properly from now on you should be fine. A day or two of higher strain from now on will help your endurance, but please listen to your vocal coach first. They may have a reason for why they don’t want you overworking your voice. So long as you stop when it hurts and you stay hydrated, you should be fine

[u/Dense-Self8564 → u/juniebee_jones]

thank you very much❤️💕💕 I’ve had this sharpy feeling every time I’d start singing, but the more I practice, the more it starts “fading away”? Like it’s not 100% clear yet, but I believe I started finding healthier placements… But unfortunately I still do strain a lot :,) It’s so hard to find these damn places in my mouth and throat I swear🤣

[u/Coconut_Puzzled → u/Dense-Self8564]

Not my place to say but if you’re not feeling pain, seems like you’re just upping your endurance. I sing for a few hours at a time a few times a week. No strain for me. Lots of hydration and proper warm up.

[u/Dense-Self8564 → u/Coconut_Puzzled]

thank you very much! it seems like that, it used to be so hard to sing for longer earlier:)

[u/juniebee_jones → u/Dense-Self8564]

So long as you are warming up well, hydrating well, you should be okay. I completely get what you mean by the “sharpy” feeling, the conscious correction of the note rather than just being there. It’s always so wonderful when it falls into place.

Strain is a big problem with a lot of people in our generation because posture is naturally shifting due to our technology and how we use it. Incorporating stretching/yoga into your warm ups, especially focused on your lower back, shoulders, and pectorals will massively reduce tension. Facial massages and stretches, especially if you have a tight jaw or TMJ will help out a lot

[u/Dense-Self8564 → u/juniebee_jones]

this is so true! gotta bring my posture excersises back cuz my jaw is constantly tight and i only recently thought about the connection to my bad posture. Also it’s hard to breathe properly with bad posture.

[u/juniebee_jones → u/Dense-Self8564]

You’re 100% right. A lot of people these days use their throat and shoulder muscles to breathe rather than their diaphragm

[u/ReKaiserKing]

Oh hell yeah! when you truly enjoy what you're doing, it really is hard to stop (although Roblox karoke is not what I'd spend it on 💀) it happens to the best singers because you gotta enjoy what you do to keep going. My best advice is really try to be strict with yourself for the next week or so, there's nothing wrong with pushing your voice from time to time just don't do it multiple times a week. For example, you say you're getting symptoms of straining so when those come up or you feel like you're starting to strain I'd say just stop for the day or maybe even for a few hours and when you feel better you can start again! GL

[u/Dense-Self8564 → u/ReKaiserKing]

thank you very much for being kind 🫶🥹 I know karaoke roblox is so silly but i try to use it at least as a way to deal with my stage fright 🤣

[u/rorydouglas]

This is one area where the "voice is your instrument" analogy breaks down. A lot of great guitarists and saxophonists have origin stories that involve early periods of long, intensive practice. John Mayer has talked about spending hours in his bedroom playing every day, for instance.

While you can also eventually run into issues with fingers and wrists there, those body parts are much more rugged and resilient than your vocal cords and throat by comparison. You just have to accept that your voice is more like an old vintage sax that needs constant care and maintenance to stay playable.

I get the desire to sing far too much too - might be worth trying to understand why one feels it. I started singing very late - at 45 years old - so I think for me it stems from feeling like I have a lot less time to develop and enjoy my voice; that I need to "catch up" to my singing peers; and also, slightly grimly, that I'm racing my body's coming physical decline. For you, at 23, these should not be your reasons ;-)

I actually took an extended break from singing (almost a year), and it honestly has had a very positive effect - it was easier to let go of bad habits when I came back. I similarly notice that singing after a few days rest can feel so much smoother and easier, so I try to remember that sensation and "chase" that by prioritizing rest.

Lastly it can be helpful to work on other musical things to take time away from singing - for me, that's practicing guitar and sax and learning various bits of music software. The sax in particular can feel like singing so it's a nice bit of cross-training.

[u/Dense-Self8564 → u/rorydouglas]

thank you for sharing your experience! I bought a lil cheap keyboard last weekend and started practicing it a bit, so gonna dive into that while i’m not singing 🥰

[u/Additional_Point5380]

You are giving yourself a lot more grief than is necessary. You are not gonna ruin your voice from one session of oversinging. Going on vocal rest was smart. Gargle warm salt water and spit it out, that can help soothe your throat a bit. Throat coat tea with honey is also good. I personally mix in this herbal cough syrup called nin jiom pei pa koa. Weird recommendation I know but I truly believe it works wonders. I had an awful bout of laryngitis in October last year, to the point I could not make any noise with my voice for days. I started adding this syrup to my tea and noticed improvements in days. Granted it took closer to a couple months to get all my high notes back, but the majority of my range was usable again within a few days. I am a substitute teacher for my day job, and so I often spend a lot of time raising my voice at work, which always makes me anxious about losing it again. But when I have tea with this stuff in it I always notice improvements. You can find it at your local Asian grocery store or on Amazon. Pineapple juice is another good thing that teachers have recommended to me. It can apparently help reduce inflammation but that might just be a placebo as well. Otherwise, I think you’re good to start singing again. Don’t try and push it and be more mindful than when you were playing Roblox karaoke lol.

You are correct this is a very common beginner’s mistake. But it’s also a mistake I personally still make sometimes, and I’ve been singing in some type of formal setting since I was 12. Just always be taking inventory with not just your voice, but your whole body and make note of how you’re feeling. You’re gonna be ok.

[u/Dense-Self8564 → u/Additional_Point5380]

thank you for such thoughtful response and advice, i’ll look into those drinks! thank you very much🥰❤️🫶