Why does someone who makes their living with their voice (singers) smoke? Doesn't it affect your singing and the ability to sustain notes?
You would think so, but more singers smoke now than ever!The list goes on and on. Some of the most famous voices on the planet inhale! Cigarettes, Vape, and Weed! Throw in the blunts too…Rihanna likes it all. Tobacco, Weed, AND cigars.Adele has a love/hate relationship with cigarettes. Supposedly she recently kicked the habit due to its effect on her voice. It wouldn’t surprise me if she started up again. She has been smoking since her teens.Smokers are in danger of having the vocal chords becoming irritated and dry from exposure to smoke. This leads to improper vocal chord vibration and function. It degrades lung function which affects the voice by decreasing the airflow through the vocal chords.Smoking causes derangements to the vocal folds. It causes inflammation which can give it a raspy sound, and can cause polyp formations, which weakens the voice. I smoked when I was Seventeen, but had to quit to sing lead in the band. It was an easy decision! Quit smoking and get paid for singing, or continue to smoke and you won’t.Unfortunately, some of the greatest singers ever recorded smoked. Some for all or most of their careers. These guys could sing a little. I don’t believe Freddy Mercury was a ‘heavy’ smoker, but Frank smoked well into the latter stages of his life.And of course, smoking causes Cancer. More importantly, Lung Cancer! Can you name which one these Four Lads died of Lung Cancer? Was it smoking related? Not sure, I’ll bet it didn’t help.I don’t know why people with a singing career smoke. Especially when they have so much to lose from it. For me, it was trying to look cool, and act like an adult. But I figured it out very quickly. I had to. My father died of lung cancer when I was 10. May he R.I.P.
After smoking cigarettes for 15 years, could my singing voice return to normal after quitting? I used to have a 3 and 1/2 octave range (belting), but can only cover just under 3 octaves now. Only F2-D5.
Both previous answers are right on, but I wanted to add that you could probably see great improvement if you took breathing therapy (ENT could prescribe) and really worked on exercises to super strengthen your diaphragm. In addition, when you are belting, you have to make sure that you are properly relaxing all of your facial, neck and shoulder muscles to open your breathing passages and take pressure off of your vocal chords. There are lots of exercises that are not included in standard classical teaching approaches to accomplish this. The place you actually focus your voice will actually help as well. If you have quit smoking now, I want to congratulate you!! I’ve had many friends kick the habit and they are so happy. However, I realize that it’s a very hard thing to do and wish you the best of luck in that and your vocal endeavors!
If I started smoking weed at 12 years old and didn't stop until 18, how screwed is my brain?
Completely.Listen to Afroman: "Because I got high."Study it. The uncensored lyrics are at http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/a...Now suggest you notice something. The affect, i.e., the state of mind and mood of the singer. Life totally ruined, it would seem. But not upset. Happy, joking, laughing.That is actually the positive side of marijuana. Yes, there is another side, but people who use marijuana are often self-medicating for psychological issues that could lead to suicide or worse (such as harming others.)Let me get serious. If there was brain damage, it's done. I have heard of some recent research that neurons can, in fact, regrow. From knowing some long-time users, I doubt that you have suffered major damage, but suppose you did If there is nothing you can do about it, well, La da da da da da da da da. Keep that in mind.The sane question for you, for the rest of your life, will not be "how was I damaged," but "what is possible for me now?"I don't advise intelligence testing, unless you would have fun with it. It won't make anything better. If you identify treatments that could enhance brain function, great. From my point of view, most people are functioning at far, far lower than potential, and this has nothing to do with numbers of brain cells, it has to do with how we think, and the garbage we fill our heads with, such asOMG! I smoked too much pot! That's why I lost that joblost that girlfriendam not going anywherejust get by from day to daylock my car keys in the carcan't afford a car at alland don't know my ass from a hole in the ground.Yeah. It was the dope, that's it! And, hey, I can't do anything about that!Hey, what's on the tube? See any good porn lately?La da da da da da da da da.So ... what's your choice? You can go for life, and there is no clear limit to what is possible for anyone with enough brain cells and body left to write the question here, or you can drift and blame everything on the past.It's up to you. If you choose life, there will then be many questions, and you will find answers. All the best!
Will quitting smoking repair some of the damage to my voice?
Smoking damages your whole breathing system and as a result you end up with raspy voice. This damage occurs because smoking dries out your throat, hot smoke further damages it and toxic chemicals finish the job. Your nose is a very important organ. You use it to filter the air and to give air time to warm up during winter and in case it‘s needed – it can help to cool it as well. I never tried it and I assume you do not smoke through your nose. You inhale hot and poorly filtered smoke and as it passes through your vocal cords it dries and irritates them. This is like a welcome mat for any disease that is looking for a nice place to stay. Dryness and irritation of the vocal cords also causes their inflammation and harsh cigarette smoke causes vocal cord nodules, polyps. This gives you that low pitched voice and hoarseness that everyone desires, especially if you are a woman. This damage is caused not only by the smoke directly. You have a valve that keeps your stomach juice where it belongs – in your stomach. Exposure to the smoke makes this valve weaker and thus promotes acid reflux.Can smokers voice be reversed depends on the damage you inflicted. Inflammation and diseases can be treated but if the damage is too grave you will be left with that hoarse, raspy, breathy voice. This is why it is important to quit now. Even if it is too late for your voice it is never too late for other organs.Raspy and Hoarse Smokers Voice
Does smoking make you sing better?
So I've been reading and am get missed things. I'm a hard rock vocalist.I have taken a total of 6 year of music lessons. I sing well. I smoke 2 or 3 cigs a day. I seem to sing smoother, and have better range after i smoke. So does it help or not. I reading a lot of different things. Some people say it helps and some say it makes it worse. I mean Aaron lewis from staind and shaun morgan from seether both say it makes them sing better?
Why has my voice been weak & quiet since I quit smoking cigarettes?
Of course, you HAVE to quit with the smoking. Good thing you've done that! Obviously you'll be in better shape in the long run. Smoking damages your vocal cords if you keep doing it. JUST DON'T SMOKE! I never have! And everything is fine! You'll be too!
Singing: Does smoking make your sound raspy?
Smoking cigarettes never made my voice raspy. What it DID accomplish was:- It took away my ability to sing high notes.- It messed up my pitch and tonal accuracy. I was doing everything during singing that should have kept my tone even and strong yet my tone would waver/falter beyond my control.- Smoking had a HUGE impact on my ability to hold a note, my projection, and stamina. My voice was weaker and I got winded. I would take what felt like as deep a breath as I used to while singing and the results were, again, not the desired effect and, again, beyond my control. Try as I might, I couldn't control my voice the way I had been able to before. And this is saying a lot because aside from singing, I also used to play trumpet - first chair. So I really knew how to breathe, project, hold a note, etc.I quit smoking a year ago. Very shortly after I had stopped, I noticed a profound difference - I was getting back everything mentioned above that was lost to smoking.With smoking cigarettes comes annoying/gross phlegm, addiction, a financial drain, sinus problems, bad breath, nicotine stains on teeth, yellowing teeth, it dries out the skin, ages you harshly, carcinogens = cancerous, etc. Not a good idea to take it up.I smoked for 5 years (not counting 2 years before 18 when I infrequently was able to bum cigs from people). Quit when I was 22. It's not worth it to start up such a terrible habit. Believe me, I know. Part of my thinking for starting smoking was largely that I wanted a rougher voice like Joan Jett. Turned out carbonated drinks was what actually helped me develop a more gravelly sound. I don't drink soda anymore, but sparkling water sometimes. Basically I found that something which coats the throat is actually a lot more effective and beneficial to developing a rougher sound than cigarettes ever were. Drying out your throat will only damage it and cause you to cough. My husband can sing EXACTLY like Axl Rose and he grabs a handful of honey packets from the gas station before we go out to karaoke. It's more about kind of squeezing the lower neck muscles or something to make the raspier, rougher sound. I don't really know how to describe it.
Will smoking weed affect my singing voice?
DON'T LISTEN TO ANY OF THESE PEOPLE. Most people who rag on weed have never tried it. I know that from experience, I used to dismiss every pot smoker as a hardcore druggie when I was in high school... I, myself am a singer, and I smoke weed. When I do, I find that it opens up my throat (which is why you can take bigger hits when you're already high), and so I can hit higher and lower notes... And all you people who think it's so bad, really need to stop judging the people who smoke, because really, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. Now, I'm not saying it's not without it's negative effects (everything on the planet is unless you do it in moderation)... So do it in moderation, obviously. It's at least better than cigarettes and/or alcohol... And dude...kill you? Wow. Just, no.
Do I have vocal nodules or some other permanent issue?
I am an 18 year old boy and used to sing at home all the time. I had never gotten vocal training or sang professionally. I just sang for fun at home, sometimes without even realizing. I would constantly "scream" trying to hit high notes and that had been going on for a while but now I can't even sing because my throat feels scratchy. My speaking voice get tired easily as well and when I try to talk with a deep voice it hurts and might crack. Are these symptoms of vocal nodules? Do I have to see a doctor? If yes, what kind of doctor?