• Having trouble speaking clearly and with confidence?
• Are people having trouble understanding you?
• How to Heal a Hoarse and Tired Voice For Musicians, Vocalists, Entertainers, Anyone!

1. Breathe deeply (preferably from the diaphragm)
2. Open and relax the throat
3. Open and move your mouth
4. Speak with inflection and projection
5. Use facial expression with eye contact
6. Use good posture

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How to Heal a Hoarse and Tired Voice
For Musicians, Vocalists, Entertainers, Anyone!

• Avoid or limit talking and singing if you have a cold or upper respiratory infection.
• Give yourself vocal naps each day where you don't talk for 2-3 hours straight. This is a huge help to your little chords. VOCAL REST IS BIG!
• Drink plenty of water even if you don't feel like it. Have it with you always.
• While you are performing or speaking for long periods of time, drink plain water. Added lemon is questionable because citrus can cause saliva buildup on your trachea and chords. Lukewarm water is the best.
• Avoid caffeine, pop and alcohol, especially before or during a performance. They tend to dry you out along with your throat.
• If you have acid reflux, keep your diet low-acid, take medicine for it, and keep your head and neck slightly elevated at night when you lay and sleep.
• Keep your diet healthy with lots of fruits and vegetables along with protein. This will give you energy for your performance. Try not to eat a meal one hour before your performance. Any time before that is okay. Avoid or reduce the amount of sweets and chocolate. These are bad for your chords also. A few snacks are okay before or between performances. Non-citrus fruits are good (i.e. grapes, melons, cherries). Healthy crackers, lean pieces of chicken or beef, low-spice cheeses such as Swiss, provolone, and mild cheddar are good. Other milk products produce saliva on your chords. The skimmer the milk product, the better.
• Avoid dusty, smoky areas as much as possible. If you can't avoid it in a club, take breaks outside. Be away from it as much as possible. Do you have a set-up crew? That would be helpful.
• Use a humidifier in the winter. However, if your place is dried out from air conditioning you may want to use one in the summer also.
• Get plenty of rest and relaxation. This will relax the muscles in your larynx. Massage your neck, jaws, and shoulders.
• Be careful what a voice coach may tell you. Sometimes they don't have enough knowledge about vocal care and what causes vocal damage. All chords are fragile.
• Sing and speak in your natural pitch range.
• Refrain from screaming, yelling and extensive laughing.
• Speak and sing from the diaphragm, not from the throat. This way your chords can rest and you will get optimum air to move your chords. This will help clear up hoarseness and improve your singing voice.

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