If you go to bed straight after a big singing day/evening, then find yourself waking up the next day with a tired throat, husky voice, and take a long time to warm up…doing a vocal cool down might be the tool that’s missing from your kit.
(3-minute read time)
Photo by Phil Goodwin on Unsplash
WHY YOU SHOULD COOL DOWN
Restoring your vocal musculature to a place of rest following periods of focussed workload sounds like common sense – an obvious bookend to partner the warm-up process.
But it requires intentional planning and prioritisation to incorporate into your vocal health care plan, especially after the euphoria of a group rehearsal or live performance.
Top Tip
Attach it onto another activity that you always do when you get home.
That might make it easier to settle into a routine.
BENEFITS
Straight away you will:
- Find it easier to produce voice the next day.
- Reduce the effects of vocal fatigue.
- Minimise risk of muscles becoming “fixed” during high vocal load
- Maintain vocal flexibility
- Reduce muscle tissue temperature and prevent blood pooling
- Reduce lactic acid levels in muscle tissue
WHAT A COOL DOWN LOOKS LIKE
A simple way to begin thinking about cooling down is to plan it as a warm-up ordered in reverse. The main difference is your won’t need as many exercises and you will quickly move to a more relaxed state.
Cool down characteristics:
- Gentle, easy, quiet
- Maximum 5-10 minutes
- Descending patterns and slides
- Lip trills, straw phonation (bubbles)
Top Tip
Before bed, try a 5-minute steam inhalation and face massage with tongue/jaw stretches.
SAMPLES
This blog aims to be super practical, so let’s continue with some handy lists.
FOR USE AFTER A LONG REHEARSAL
- Straw bubble descending octave slides
- Lip trills on perfect 5th descending slides
- Yah descending 5th sighs (lower in range)
- Sustained OO long tones
MINI COOL DOWN
For use after a mid-level workload (Mark Meylan)
- Sustain a comfortable low hum for a minute
- Follow with a minute’s silence
- Sustain another minute of silence
- Finish with another minute of gentle, low humming
AFTER STRAINED SINGING
- Descending slides on ng – working from the top of your range downwards, like you are gradually bringing it in to land
- Lip trills on descending perfect 5ths – slide as much as possible
- Humming – inhale slowly through your nose, pick a single note just above your speaking pitch and hum at soft volume for as long as your breath allows
- Straw bubbles – repeat the humming exercise on straw bubbles
- Steam for 5 minutes
- Vocal rest for 12 hours
WHAT TO DO IF YOU WENT TOO FAR
Compare vocal fold swelling to a sprained ankle. Change your demands of the voice until the swelling goes down and its functional capacity returns.
- Monitor the quality of your vocal tone separate from the sensation of throat discomfort – learn to identify when it is altered
- Change your vocal demands for a couple of days and give the voice a chance to rest
- Use mental practice while you recover
- Accept the pace of recovery – you might have injured it quickly, but it will be rehabilitated slowly
- Gentle straw bubbling, steaming and gargling – do one of these every 2-3 hours for 2-5 minutes
- Learn more about your vocal health and how to care for it
WHAT TO DO IF YOU REALLY HURT YOUR VOICE
- If your vocal changes persist for more than two weeks, you will need to get it examined by an ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT).
- Talk to your vocal coach for advice on going to your GP and getting a referral to an ENT who has experience with voices.
- Develop a program of reduced vocal use with your vocal coach while you wait for the ENT appointment.
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SOURCES
Leborgne, W.D. & Rosenberg, M. (2014) The Vocal Athlete. Plural Publishing, San Diego.
Robinson, D.K. Voice Essentials “Vocal cool downs”
https://youtu.be/nE1tj2XCzXw?si=oJf6jj4ABKpE_I_k
Scearce, L. (2016). Manual of Singing Voice Rehabilitation, A Practical Approach to Vocal Health and Wellness. Plural Publishing, San Diego.
Shewell, C. (2009). Voice Work: Art and Science in Changing Voices. Wiley-Blackwell, UK.
Wilson, P.H. (2010). The Singing Voice: An Owner’s Manual (2nd Ed.). Lazy O’Rhinus Press, Sydney