My voice is being croaky and annoying!
@VivaLaDani13 (60827)
Perth, Australia
January 3, 2016 3:30pm CST
For the first time in a very long time, I've written a song and I've been trying to record it but my voice is being croaky. Like it could be fine for a couple of lines then it will just become croaky on the next couple of lines.
I've also noticed this when I talk. It can be fine for awhile then it will start to sound hoarse. It's not like I yell or talk a great deal in general so I don't know why it becomes so croaky.
When I was younger, when I was writing a lot and singing a lot, my voice wasn't croaky. Why is it croaky now? Because I haven't sung for awhile? I mean I sing when I listen to the radio but I'm only messing around then. But when I'm doing what I'm doing now, I'm trying to be more serious.
I'm not saying I am talented or even have a good voice but the way I am singing now is not as good as it was many years ago and it's seriously bugging me.
Is there a way to help a croaky voice?
11 people like this
13 responses
@ataboy (737)
• United States
4 Jan 16
yeah, lemon and honey works for me, @VivaLaDani13. But be careful. Warm up your voice for one, and days ahead of time is best. And it might be worth while having a doc look down your throat. It can't hurt, and they can usually do it without anything invasive, nothing that necessarily goes down your throat! If you even have a benign cyst on your vocal chords, which is not too uncommon, it can cause this. But more than likely it's just that you need to keep you're voice working every day! 
If I may ask, what type of musical genre is it that you are singing. 
If I may ask, what type of musical genre is it that you are singing. 2 people like this
@ataboy (737)
• United States
7 Jan 16
Really? I took you as more of the hardcore headbanging type, @VivaLaDani13! LOL! I'm sure most of the "normal" people here would be nothing short of delighted to hear your voice. (of course I can't say that for sure! Or else you might think I'm simply throwing blind flattery towards you.) Still I have a gut-feeling that you have a lovely voice!
And, not to scare you but my friend that is an amazing singer that I've played in bands with numerous times over the years had a weird feeling and sort of strained voice at one point. He had a polyp growing on one of his 'vocal chords'. It was easy to remote and was not anything malignant or anything like that. But it would have grown and probably required a much more elaborate surgery if he had procrastinated. Who knows if he would still even be able to sing today. So, while rare, it may be worth having someone have a looksee!
2 people like this
@VivaLaDani13 (60827)
• Perth, Australia
11 Jan 16
@ataboy haha nope not a head banger lol!
Well thank you. I'm just not that confident enough to share. I do have a video up on YouTube. I didn't put it up, some other person did and I don't know how to take it down but there is one of there. Might share it one day but for now I like to keep it hidden lol
Thank you for that story. It did worry me a bit but I think that's good because being scared can usually push someone to get checked out etc so thank you. You made some good points.
@VivaLaDani13 (60827)
• Perth, Australia
7 Jan 16
Never thought about going to the doctors about it before but you are right, wouldn't hurt to get it checked out.
I don't know which genre my singing would go under to be honest. Just slower type of songs. I have a quiet voice too. So nothing like heavy metal lol
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23236)
• Bangalore, India
8 May 16
That makes me curious about your voice. How does it sound? High pitch, low pitch, squeaky, whiny, nasally (ha ha) LOL Girly or a little manly?
(Shrug) Just got curious! 
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60827)
• Perth, Australia
8 May 16
lol I don't know how to describe it. If I ever get the courage to share a song, I will do that and then you can be the judge.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60827)
• Perth, Australia
4 Jun 16
@Daljinder LOL! Yeah Wesley sometimes mentions how I say things differently. Not just the accent but how I word things / sentences as well.
Makes me laugh the way you described it.
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23236)
• Bangalore, India
4 Jun 16
@VivaLaDani13 "Sounds like a child" *Scoff* Mine sound like a pre-teen! Yours is not like a child!
I found yours to be pleasant to the ears. Soft and welcoming. Shy too! Lovely!!!
Talking about accents, I noticed you skip "r" and "t". Like in "hear", you say "heay". In "met you", you say "mey-you". Oh one more thing, when you say "so" and "sorry", they almost sound like same.
Sorry! Kind of studying the accents. So, went to hear your voice recording again.
I just heard DE's voice too. 
I just heard DE's voice too. 1 person likes this
@mammots (3209)
• Philippines
3 Jan 16
I used to sing in a choir. We practised every week to prepare for our choir duty every fourth sunday of the month.Like you .. singing came easy for me then but now that i quit being a choir member i noticed my voice changing. Your vocal chords same as mine most probably need a little bit of exercise before trying once again to go into some serious singing.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60827)
• Perth, Australia
7 Jan 16
Thank you for all that information. I will have to practice every now and then to make it stronger. I gave up singing for a long time. I mean I sang every now and then when I listen to music but not like I used to years ago so yeah, you are right. Thank you. :)
1 person likes this
@mammots (3209)
• Philippines
9 Jan 16
@VivaLaDani13 You're most welcome! I hope you'll post here on mylot a video of yourself singing one of your original compositions. It would be a joy to watch it.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60827)
• Perth, Australia
11 Jan 16
@mammots I wish I had the confidence lol but if I ever do have the confidence I will post one but I am highly doubting it. 
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
11 Jan 16
i don't sing at all, but when my throat is scratchy, i put sliced fresh ginger in hot water then sip it when it has cooled down a little.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
11 Jan 16
@VivaLaDani13 because i don't like honey either, even though i know it has many health benefits.
hope ginger works for you. of course, it means don't drink other liquids for a while to let it work.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60827)
• Perth, Australia
11 Jan 16
@hereandthere Yeah honey is just gross to me. I'm not really a fan of ginger either to be honest but I would rather have that than honey!
Thank you! :)
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (122448)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Jan 16
You're not a smoker, are you?
Just like muscles, the vocal cords have to be stretched, conditioned and exercised, so you may just have to keep practicing for a couple of days to get your vocal cords used to singing again. And make sure to give your voice a rest as well! I would recommend honey or warm water with lemon to help sooth your vocal cords.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60827)
• Perth, Australia
11 Jan 16
@moffittjc I haven't been singing much since because I got a cold lol so that would probably explain why my throat was being sore that day at least lol Once I get better then I will start to practise every day or at least more often.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60827)
• Perth, Australia
12 Aug 18
@porwest You are right about that! I have been doing singing lessons this year and my teacher did stress that water is a big help! I don't have anything on this laptop actually but I'm pretty sure @Daljinder made a video of my singing. She will see this and hopefully she still has the link / video up to share with you. I don't even remember what it was I sang. But I do know she had / has a video somewhere.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60827)
• Perth, Australia
12 Aug 18
@porwest Thank you! Me too! My voice can still be croaky but learning how to warm up the vocal chords thanks to my singing teacher. 
1 person likes this
@porwest (95257)
• United States
12 Aug 18
@VivaLaDani13 I'll be looking for it. Hope your voice gets better.
1 person likes this
@zebra2222 (5268)
• United States
3 Jan 16
Sometimes age alone can change the way that you sing.
1 person likes this
@Orson_Kart (6928)
• United Kingdom
2 Mar 16
If all else fails, you could always join the frog chorus 
1 person likes this
@marlina (154130)
• Canada
4 Jan 16
Maybe you should have your esophagus checked by your doctor. I have a problem with my voice also and it is due to the above mentioned problem.
This afternoon, I was trying to sing with a video on YouTube and it was terrible. I used to have a very nice voice.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60827)
• Perth, Australia
7 Jan 16
I had never heard of the esophagus until I started reading these answers. So yeah wouldn't mind checking it out when I next go to the doctors. Thank you.
1 person likes this
@softbabe44 (5816)
• Vancouver, Washington
4 Jan 16
It's always a good thing to keep your esophagus checked warm water with lemon in it will help the hoarseness a lot.
1 person likes this
@softbabe44 (5816)
• Vancouver, Washington
8 Jan 16
@VivaLaDani13 That's good to try i really think you won't be disappointed.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60827)
• Perth, Australia
7 Jan 16
Thank you very much for your answer. Was going to buy some lemons today actually so I can try that.
Was going to buy some lemons today actually so I can try that.2 people like this
@VivaLaDani13 (60827)
• Perth, Australia
2 Mar 16
Thank you very much for your advice.
1 person likes this
