Best Ways to Safely Clear Your Voice & Throat for Singing

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A complete guide to keeping your throat clear for singing

Co-authored by Tanisha Hall and Aimee Payne, MFA

Last Updated: September 18, 2024 Fact Checked

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• Safe Ways to Clear Your Voice for Singing
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• What to Avoid to Keep Your Voice Clear
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• FAQs about Clearing Your Throat
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• Q&A

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As a singer, it’s important to take care of your voice, even when it comes to something as simple as clearing your throat. Singers clear their voices in a way that removes mucus while protecting their vocal cords from damage. We spoke with Voice and Speech Coach Amy Chapman and Vocal Coach Tanisha Hall to learn how to care for your voice to keep your sound full, pure, and tuneful. This article covers how to clear your voice safely to protect your vocal health.

How Singers Clear Their Voices

1. Swallow your saliva instead of clearing your throat with an “ahem.”
2. Keep your body hydrated by sipping water.
3. Hum or gently laugh to loosen mucus from your throat.
4. Clear your voice with a gentle, breathy cough.
5. Breathe in steam or use a humidifier to moisturize your vocal folds.
6. Manage exposure to allergens with an air purifier.
7. Treat acid reflux by avoiding spicy foods and eating a healthy diet.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Safe Ways to Clear Your Voice for Singing

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1. 1
   Swallow the saliva in your mouth to clear phlegm from your throat. To perform a dry swallow, close your lips and swallow the saliva in your mouth. Dry swallowing moves the vocal cords around and helps dislodge the mucus causing the problem.

   • The more you clear your throat, the more you feel like you need to clear it again. That’s a cycle you don’t want to get stuck in!
   • This strategy is quick enough to perform shortly before singing.
   • If dry swallowing doesn’t work for you, try lightly panting, then closing your mouth and swallowing to get the same result.
2. 2
   Sip water throughout the day, especially before you sing. Water helps lubricate your throat, and the motion of drinking helps remove mucus from your larynx (or voice box). Drinking water also keeps you hydrated to help prevent mucus from accumulating on your vocal cords in the first place. Drink room temperature water for 2 hours before you sing. This lubricates your vocal cords and prevents irritation to keep your voice performance-ready.

   • The more you clear your throat, the more you feel like you need to clear it again. That’s a cycle you don’t want to get stuck in!
   • Drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated also helps thin mucus and keep your sinus cavities clear. Clogged sinuses affect the quality of your voice.
   • Avoid drinking very cold water, which tightens your vocal cords. Additionally, if water is too hot, it may cause extra mucus build-up. Hall recommends, “The best way to clear mucus before singing is to drink some water at a body temperature of about 100 degrees.”
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3. 3
   Always do vocal warmups and cooldowns. Warming up your singing voice protects your vocal cords. Hall says, “The best way to clear your throat is by doing a gentle warm-up.” Humming, lip trills, and singing scales are all great ways to warm up before you start to sing. After you practice or perform, take 2-3 minutes to cool down again with humming or quiet singing. Give your voice a rest if you’ve been talking or singing for an extended period.

   • Use good posture as you rehearse and perform.
   • Don’t try to talk over loud ambient noise. Avoid shouting or screaming.
4. 4
   Hum to loosen phlegm when you have the urge to clear your throat. In a pinch, it helps to gently vibrate your vocal cords whenever you have the urge to clear your throat. Try humming lightly or even quietly laughing to distract yourself, and gently use your vocal cords. It may help vibrate away mucus and remove the desire to clear your throat, which is distracting when you start to sing. Using your voice gently also helps warm it up to sing.

   • If the need to clear your throat continues for a long period of time or worsens, have it evaluated by a doctor. If you have an underlying cause, the problem may become chronic and damage your voice permanently.
   EXPERT TIP

   

   Amy Chapman, MA

   Voice & Speech Coach

   Amy Chapman MA, CCC-SLP is a Vocal Therapist and Singing Voice Specialist. Amy is a licensed and board-certified speech & language pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping professionals improve and optimize their voice. Amy has lectured on voice optimization, speech, vocal health, and voice rehabilitation at universities across California, including UCLA, USC, Chapman University, Cal Poly Pomona, CSUF, CSULA. Amy is trained in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT, and is a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association.

   

   Amy Chapman, MA
   Voice & Speech Coach

   Did You Know? When your voice is clear, your vocal cords are touching or adducting. When your voice is breathy, your vocal cords are a little bit more apart. To make your voice more clear, restrict the amount of air you're blowing out, which helps bring your cords together. Your posture, the position of your mouth, and your vocal track all affect the clarity of your voice, as well.
5. 5
   Use a gentle, breathy cough to clear your throat. Instead of making a harsh sound when you feel mucus on your vocal cords, take in a deep breath. Hold it for a count of 5, then release it with a sharp but silent exhale. The movement of air through your vocal cords shakes the mucus off naturally. The urge to clear your throat usually goes away within a few minutes.
6. 6
   Take a shower or breathe in steam to moisten your throat. Inhaling steam soothes irritated vocal folds. It also helps moisturize your throat and vocal cords. Breathe in steam through your nose for 3-5 minutes 2-3 times a day, especially when your voice feels scratchy. The easiest way to breathe steam is in the shower, but running hot water into a sink also works.

   • Try boiling water on the stove and pouring it into the sink. Don’t breathe in steam standing over a hot stove, though.
   • Run a washcloth under hot water. Wring the washcloth out and then hold it over your mouth and nose and breathe deeply until the washcloth cools.
7. 7
   Use a humidifier to prevent dry air and an air filter to reduce allergens. If you’re a singer, pay attention to the air quality in your home. Low humidity – especially in the colder months – dries out your vocal folds and makes your throat feel hoarse. Use a humidifier to keep the humidity in your home between 30% and 50%.

   • Allergens also cause mucus to build in your sinuses and throat. Use an air purifier with a HEPA filter or regularly change the filter on your HVAC system.
   • There’s no consensus about what type of humidifier is the best to use. Just make sure to clean your humidifier regularly to prevent mold from growing inside the tank.
8. 8
   Manage any acid reflux or silent reflux to protect your voice. Everyone has acid reflux from time to time from bending over or lying down too soon after eating. Chapman recommends taking an antacid to help reduce occasional acid reflux. When it happens more than occasionally, it may cause further damage that affects the quality of your voice. Talk to your doctor if you experience acid reflux for longer than 2 weeks.

   • If you are feeling hoarse or feel like you have frequent heartburn, see a doctor so they can diagnose and treat acid reflux and minimize damage to your vocal cords.
   • Acid reflux is when acid from the stomach flows into the esophagus and sometimes spills onto your larynx, causing hoarseness and possible damage.
9. 9
   Gargle to soothe throat irritation. Many believe that gargling removes mucus from your vocal cords. While the vibration may help knock some mucus loose, gargling is most helpful for soothing irritation at the top of your throat. Stir ½ teaspoon (3 g) of salt or baking soda into 8 fluid ounces (240 mL) of warm water. Take a mouthful of the solution and tilt your head back. Exhale through your throat to produce “bubbles” in the salt water to gargle for about 30 seconds.

   • Adding honey helps mask the taste and soothe irritation.
   • Don’t gargle with mouthwash. The alcohol in commercial mouthwashes damages your mucus membranes, which allows bacteria to cause infection.
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Section 2 of 3:

What to Avoid to Keep Your Voice Clear

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1. 1
   Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages before you sing. Caffeine dehydrates your body, which leads to unnecessary friction and irritation of the throat and vocal cords. If you do drink a caffeinated beverage, make sure to drink at least as much water to help your body stay hydrated and keep your voice clear.

   • Some voice clinicians recommend avoiding caffeine entirely. However, research shows that there’s not enough evidence to back giving up your morning cup of coffee entirely.
   • It’s best to switch to water about 2 hours before singing to keep your vocal folds properly hydrated.
2. 2
   Limit your consumption of alcohol to avoid dryness. Alcohol irritates and dries out your larynx and vocal cords. Because alcohol causes irritation, drinking causes excess mucus production, which makes clearing your voice more difficult. Doctors recommend you drink one extra glass of water for every alcoholic or caffeinated beverage you consume.
3. 3
   Avoid spicy foods and dairy that produce phlegm and irritate vocal folds. Eating a diet high in processed sugar, fried food, and fats increases and thickens mucus in your throat. Spicy foods and dairy products cause excess acid in the stomach, which may lead to acid reflux. Eating spicy food in moderation as part of a healthy diet is fine. Just make sure to avoid it for a few hours before singing.

   • Dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt also increase mucus production which makes you clear your throat more.
   • Try to avoid singing after a big meal. The food in your stomach presses down on your diaphragm, making it more difficult to get the breath support to maintain your tone.
   • Beware of eating on an empty stomach, which causes weakness or mental fog.
   • Small meals spaced throughout the day will help keep you fueled without affecting your voice.
4. 4
   Beware of medications that dry out your throat. Many cold and allergy medications cause dehydration, leading to a dry, hoarse throat. If you have a cold or allergies and take these medications for relief, drink extra water to keep your body hydrated, and your vocal folds moisturized.

   • Throat lozenges also help soothe your throat when you aren’t feeling well. Avoid products with menthol and eucalyptus, which dry your throat. Instead, choose lozenges containing pectin or glycerin.
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Section 3 of 3:

FAQs about Clearing Your Throat

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1. 1
   How do you tell if your vocal cords need clearing? Your voice feels weak and uncontrolled, or you may be pushing harder than usual to reach notes. Your voice sounds thick and congested. You’re coughing a lot or feeling the urge to clear your throat.
2. 2
   What causes mucus on the vocal cords? Common causes of excess mucus (or catarrh) on your vocal cords are infection, allergies, dehydration, and post-nasal drip. However, acid reflux, nasal polyps, or thyroid issues also damage your vocal cords, which causes a buildup of mucus.

   • Treating any underlying conditions often helps decrease mucus production.
3. 3
   How do you know if your vocal cords are damaged? Symptoms of vocal cord damage are a raspy, low, or breathy voice, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, and coughing. Have your doctor evaluate a change in your voice that lasts for longer than 2 weeks.
4. 4
   How are a singer’s vocal cords different? While the basic anatomy of a singer’s vocal cords and larynx are the same as anyone else, differences develop over time due to how a singer uses their anatomy. In a trained singer, the structures above the vocal folds are often retracted to the sides, while a normal person’s structures may squeeze together when they strain to sing.

   • There are some general color variations in singers’ vocal folds. High sopranos might have thin, white, almost bluish vocal folds. The vocal folds of lower voices may be white and more opaque. In the lowest male voices, the folds may be slightly pink.
   • Small blood vessels are often visible on the vocal folds of a long-term professional singer because they require a better blood supply than the average person.
5. 5
   Why can’t I stop clearing my throat? Clearing your throat doesn’t remove the mucus; it simply moves it to the side. So, a few minutes later, it feels like there’s more mucus. Hall says, “You should never do the ‘aha, aha.’ The clearing your throat action slams your vocal cords together. And by slamming your vocal cords together, you create trauma. When you create trauma, the body is going to send more mucus there to relieve the trauma.”

   • If you stay well-hydrated, your mucus thins and lubricates your vocal cords without you even noticing.
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• Question

  What do singers drink before they sing?

  

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  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

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  Good old water is your best option for hydrating and soothing your throat. For extra soothing power, drink it room-temperature or slightly warm. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, add a hint of lemon juice or drink a warm, gentle herbal tea.

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• Question

  Why does my voice crack when I sing?

  

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  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

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  If the muscles in your throat aren’t warmed up before you sing, it can cause your voice to crack, especially if you’re pushing your vocal limits. You can prevent this by doing vocal warmups and spending a lot of time practicing particular notes or pitch changes.

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  What food can make your voice beautiful?

  

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  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

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  There’s no one food that can dramatically change or improve your singing voice. However, you can get yourself into the best condition before singing by staying hydrated and eating a balanced, energizing meal. Drink plenty of water before singing, and eat healthy foods like lean proteins (such as tofu or chicken breast), fresh fruits and vegetables, and complex carbs like whole grain bread or brown rice. Avoid junk food, which could make you feel unwell, or spicy foods that might irritate your throat.

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