Singing and coughing

[bottlenecker]

I just went to a solo acoustic gig last night with a cough. The cough is a tickle in my throat that makes it hard to talk without coughing. It's been there a couple weeks now, since I got over a cold that was not the thing we can't talk about, according to tests.
I didn't know if I would be able to sing, I just decided to try and see what happened. What happened was I sang ten songs without a single cough. No problems during the set.
Afterwards, I couldn't even say the model of my guitar (to answer a question) without coughing.

 

[dented]

Inflamed that throat did ya? Lozenges, tea, cough syrup....something to reduce inflammation of your own choosing.

 

[Killing Floor]

Hey, Tom. I’m a huge fan!

 

[bottlenecker]

Inflamed that throat did ya? Lozenges, tea, cough syrup....something to reduce inflammation of your own choosing.

So far the only thing that stopped the cough was singing full volume at a gig. I might have to start singing loudly in conversations.

 

[blowtorch]

I just went to a solo acoustic gig last night

i'd give you hell for not pimping your gig on social mediduh (maybe you did though and I missed it, anyway), except I was oncall last night anyway, and thus pretty much subject to house arrest

anyway, glad it worked out

 

[nojazzhere]

I just went to a solo acoustic gig last night with a cough. The cough is a tickle in my throat that makes it hard to talk without coughing. It's been there a couple weeks now, since I got over a cold that was not the thing we can't talk about, according to tests.
I didn't know if I would be able to sing, I just decided to try and see what happened. What happened was I sang ten songs without a single cough. No problems during the set.
Afterwards, I couldn't even say the model of my guitar (to answer a question) without coughing.

I rarely have trouble singing through a sore throat, but one time in the early 1970's, we were playing an officer's club on a military base. I had a sore throat, and was spraying Chloraseptic like crazy. As the gig went on, my voice got weaker and weaker. (I sang 90% of our songs) Eventually, about midway through the third of four sets, it went out completely.....full blown laryngitis.....couldn't even squeak. My bassist and organist had to try and cover.
From that time, I was more careful about singing with a sore throat, although it couldn't be avoided entirely.

 

[bottlenecker]

i'd give you hell for not pimping your gig on social mediduh (maybe you did though and I missed it, anyway), except I was oncall last night anyway, and thus pretty much subject to house arrest

anyway, glad it worked out

I did. IG seems to work, but FB seems to only show people stuff the day after a gig. Next one is oct 7 at the harmony, with the (almost) full band.

 

[bottlenecker]

I rarely have trouble singing through a sore throat, but one time in the early 1970's, we were playing an officer's club on a military base. I had a sore throat, and was spraying Chloraseptic like crazy. As the gig went on, my voice got weaker and weaker. (I sang 90% of our songs) Eventually, about midway through the third of four sets, it went out completely.....full blown laryngitis.....couldn't even squeak. My bassist and organist had to try and cover.
From that time, I was more careful about singing with a sore throat, although it couldn't be avoided entirely.

The weird thing is my throat isn't that sore. My voice is fine, when I can get it out. It's just this cough reflex I can't suppress when I talk or quietly practice singing. I don't know if it's volume or just psychology of playing a gig.

 

[blowtorch]

I did. IG seems to work, but FB seems to only show people stuff the day after a gig. Next one is oct 7 at the harmony, with the (almost) full band.

Ahh. I don't IG.
and yeah FB blows, for sure
See you at the Harmony next Friday!
That's like, the one longstanding local venue I've never performed at myself

I take that back. I did, once. Man that was a LONG time ago, seriously like 20+ years back
I don't know if you remember Kevin Fayte and Rocket 8, but it was with him. He was a member of The Blowtorches for a few months, maybe while we were still Jebediah Gumbo.
My fave tune of his:

 

[uriah1]

I don’t sing but a singer I had once swore by honey lemon whiskey thing

 

[bottlenecker]

Ahh. I don't IG.
and yeah FB blows, for sure
See you at the Harmony next Friday!
That's like, the one longstanding local venue I've never performed at myself

I take that back. I did, once. Man that was a LONG time ago, seriously like 20+ years back
I don't know if you remember Kevin Fayte and Rocket 8, but it was with him. He was a member of The Blowtorches for a few months, maybe while we were still Jebediah Gumbo.
My fave tune of his:

Never heard of him. I think I last played there a little less than 20 years ago when I was in my stupid lugging a digital piano to the gig for two songs phase with scag 48, or as I prefer to remember them, Run GMC.

 

[blowtorch]

SCAG 48!!
I saw you guys a few times! haha Run GMC
Andy drummed for us for a very short time
I'm pretty sure I still have a busted up snare of his

 

[kuch]

When I start to get a cough, a shot of whisky is the 1st remedy....

 

[marshman]

I have some sort of allergy pretty much all year, so I'm always a little scratchy of throat. Most of the time, light singing is prety easy, but any time I have a long verse or reeeeally gotta put some oomph into somethig, I have to lean away and have a quick cough (usually just a single cough) to clear way for the next line.

I did try to sing my way through a gig one night with bad post-nasal drip and pretty much sounded like a frog by the last set. We loaded in every song the drummer knew to get us through it.

 

[Milspec]

Sinatra swore by licorice tea before every performance. It supposedly clears the phlegm off the vocal cords and reduces inflammation.

 

[RetiredUnit1]

Whenever I'm in front of a bunch of people singing, it's like I'm feeding off the energy of the crowd. But I think Bob said it best.....

 

[bottlenecker]

Sinatra swore by licorice tea before every performance. It supposedly clears the phlegm off the vocal cords and reduces inflammation.

My wife made me a cup of licorice root tea before the gig, and it felt nice on my throat, but the cough didn't stop until I stepped up to the mic.
The cough reflex was so bad tonight I couldn't read my kid a whole book, but I was able to sing them a song before bed. I also tried singing conversationally around the house and it worked, but was too ridiculous to continue.

 

[Milspec]

My wife made me a cup of licorice root tea before the gig, and it felt nice on my throat, but the cough didn't stop until I stepped up to the mic.
The cough reflex was so bad tonight I couldn't read my kid a whole book, but I was able to sing them a song before bed. I also tried singing conversationally around the house and it worked, but was too ridiculous to continue.

That sounds frustrating. I had a non-stop coughing fit this morning while grocery shopping. I was over in the freezer section and just started coughing out of the blue. Every couple of seconds, more coughs. Then I noticed a freon smell like I used to smell vacating old A/C units back in the '80's. Once I left the freezer section, the cough ended....refrigerant must have been leaking from one of the units.

It does seem odd that you don't have the problem in front of the mic? Maybe adrenaline controlled the coughing?

 

[bottlenecker]

That sounds frustrating. I had a non-stop coughing fit this morning while grocery shopping. I was over in the freezer section and just started coughing out of the blue. Every couple of seconds, more coughs. Then I noticed a freon smell like I used to smell vacating old A/C units back in the '80's. Once I left the freezer section, the cough ended....refrigerant must have been leaking from one of the units.

It does seem odd that you don't have the problem in front of the mic? Maybe adrenaline controlled the coughing?

No adrenaline. I'm pretty relaxed when I play, and this was a low key gig. It could just be the focus maybe. Or magic. I've been able to sing since then too, but I have to project. Maybe the air is moving different through my throat when I'm projecting.

 

[schmee]

Opposite for me: I dont cough except when singing, then certain vibrations/certain notes just give me a tickle in the throat and I have to clear my throat or cough.