Speaking voice is much deeper the day after i practise singing ...

[Batsinthebelltower]

Anyone else getting this ? I am a total beginner to singing , although longterm instrumentalist .

Im warming upto some scales on keyboard before i do my takes , then having a good blast at it . The next day my voice is notably lower , or atleast has a much more consistent bass element . I have only been singing for 2 weeks and a friend , and my father also noticed the deeper bass sound , and i havent even told them id been singing.

Is this normal , and does anyone else have this effect ? I am guessing im just broadening my voice on whole , with these scale exercises and trying to project more ....

[Adoney]

Yes that is nothing to worry about. You will develop stamina eventually, and it won't be so noticeable the day after. Usually my voice is deeper after singing as well.

[Owen Korzec]

I personally haven't noticed this. What I've noticed at what most singers should notice is their voice gets brighter and lighter after a day of singing. and then the next day your voice should reset to its normal state. The fact that yours is different than normal a day after doesnt seem optimal, but as long as you're not going hoarse at least you're not damaging your voice.

[ronws]

I think it's the same process as any athletic endeavor. Warm-ups, then the central activity (running, singing, whatever-ing), then, the denoument. The human body, like that of any other creature, especially mammals, is about efficiency. So, when you don't need much stretch or activation of the vocal folds in speach, and you need more in singing and then you get it while singing, and then, later, speaking, your folds are still at "singer" level, if that makes sense.

Also, at least for myself, the vibration from singing will often clear sinuses and eustachian tubes. So, it sounds like I am hearing bass sounds in my head. But I have found that to be an auditory illusion. A recording of myself speaking after singing still sounds like a woman, though I am not a woman.

So, you ever notice after a good running session that your legs "feel" different, and it seems like you walk different, a little looser, maybe. Then, a day later, back to "normal"? I think it is something similar, if this is, indeed, happening to you.

[Felipe Carvalho]

Probably due to swelling. Swelling is a sign of recovery from trauma, blood flow is increased and the tissue is "under repair".

Not normal since you should not get alterations on your voice to begin with.

Vocal rest and dont sing until its normal.

[Singingnewbie]

It happens to me too, the more intense, powerfull the exercises/singing the more obvious the effect. I have a lot more power in middle range and it feels better, also i can vocalise easier. I havent done any serious workout lately but i remember it as something positive so Felipe your comment seems surprising to me but also i have really and i mean really bad memory. Will report when it happens again.

[Martin H]

If you can make a high soft note you'll be fine and don't have to worry about swellings. :)

[Felipe Carvalho]

If you are getting vocal alterations it means you abused your voice and in long term this can result in injury, so yes you have to worry about it. :)

[Martin H]

Felipe,

That's not correct. It's important to distinguish between:

- Laryngeal tissue fatigue (LTF)

- Laryngeal muscle fatigue (LMF)

And if you can produce high soft notes very easily then there's no indication of vocal trauma to the lamina propria (LTF).

I see this misunderstanding many times in the clinic.

[Adoney]

would have to agree it's only fatigue, nothing to worry about. Any intense singing will cause it.

[Batsinthebelltower]

Hey guys thanks for the info - i am leaning towards the fatigue explanation ; although it doesnt feel fatigued , maybe i shouldve been more specific , it is deeper in a good way and i can feel it vibrate in my chest a bit more - im not complaining ! Its a hell of a lot better than my voice 2 weeks ago ! Back to singing some scales tonight ! Hopefully i dont endup communicating with whales and other subsonic creatures , although thats more Adoneys territory ;)

[Adoney]

;)

[Felipe Carvalho]

Martin, its not the first time I see muscle fatigue being used as a justification either.

30 minutes to one hour of rest solves it. Its not a reason for vocal alterations.

But, be my guest and force it.

[Martin H]

Felipe,

Of course (LMF) is a reason for vocal alterations! All vocal fold coordinations are highly complex dynamics of muscle activity.

Do you have experience working with voice-rehabilitation?

[Owen Korzec]

Martin, how can a singer identify the difference between those and how should we respond to each one?

[Martin H]

Owen,

By doing high soft phonations as I described earlier. If you can do that there's no indication of vocal fold trauma. Both cases of LMF and LTF needs rest though. However, LMF is not necessarily a sign of abuse.

[Adoney]

Suppose you can never do soft high phonations...

[Martin H]

Adony,

Well, of course it's relative. But a little soft lullaby on a higher pitch is fine. When your vocal folds are swollen they can't vibrate as normally and you'll have to press and use a louder volume to get them to vibrate. So the soft part is the most important. Clinically it's also referred to as "inability to produce soft voice" (IPSV).

[MDEW]

Suppose you can never do soft high phonations...

You have said before that your natural singing voice is not the voice you use for singing, or for the videos that you post. You use your "Announcer" or "narrator" voice. You will never do soft high phonations like that. Your natural voice will do the soft high stuff if you let it.

[Felipe Carvalho]

No Martin. Just singing.

[Adoney]

You have said before that your natural singing voice is not the voice you use for singing, or for the videos that you post. You use your "Announcer" or "narrator" voice. You will never do soft high phonations like that. Your natural voice will do the soft high stuff if you let it.

Indeed. I look at it like something to lean on. When you over-sing and abuse your voice, the diaphragm takes all the damage instead of the throat. My speaking voice will be fine, but with uncontrollable hiccups that sometimes carry over the next day.

[Owen Korzec]

Martin, does that mean there is no way for a singer to tell the difference between the two?

[gno]

Adony,

Well, of course it's relative. But a little soft lullaby on a higher pitch is fine. When your vocal folds are swollen they can't vibrate as normally and you'll have to press and use a louder volume to get them to vibrate. So the soft part is the most important. Clinically it's also referred to as "inability to produce soft voice" (IPSV).

Martin - a couple of questions:

Is the ability to sing in falsetto a good enough test?

Which muscles are more likely to get fatigued? Vocalis? IRs? The folds themselves aren't really muscles are they?

When I used to get a bad cold it would be sometimes difficult to sing falsetto. Is this the Vocalis getting inflamed or the folds themselves?

[Danielformica]

It doesn't matter if it's one or the other.. If your voice gets tired and you have a hard time singing even happy birthday at a low low volume, higher pitch, the muscles and tissues that create the instrument as a whole are not allowing it to vibrate efficiently therefore you can rest for a bit or a week or exercise the voice slowly with a clear tone pitch by pitch not forcing an issue to arise. If after a a period of time things do not smooth out meaning a week or 2 go to a qualified specialist(ent) have them take a look and give you a proper diagnosis.

Allergies, reflux can cause the apparatus to function improperly as well but you can slowly get it back. If you take your time. I personally had numerous times in my career where I was freaking out that I couldn't get my voice where I needed it for a gig or gigs. I would get through them, freak out go to the dr. For him to say "your cords are fine your a little swollen in there blah blah. It's probably allergies or reflux. Then I would have a frustrating week or two and then be back to normal.

Don't read into something that's not there give it a rest then if that fails see someone qualified.

Now who is singing out there?;)

[ronws]

I think Martin is onto something. When I injured myself, at first, it was just rest and speak only when spoken to (hard to avoid in construction work.) Then, soft, almost falsetto descending slides. Once I could do those, my fine control came back. I have since avoided injury by avoiding the stupid, idiotic thing I was doing that got me injured. That really helped a lot.

Martin rules. \m/