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does anyone know if cold water is bad for the throat? like say just before you sing should you drink any cold water.. and also in the long run (say if you drink cold water everyday) will it make your throat lousier..?

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Drinking cold water long-term won't make your voice "lousier". The whole idea behind singing is to have your vocal cords and surrounding muscles as loose as possible while singing. Hydration is a huge part of healthy vocal cords, so drink as much water as you can (hot, cold, or otherwise).

It's just recommended that if you get thirsty either just before or while singing that you drink room-temperature water.

The reason for this is because when muscles get cold they contract. Contracted muscles = tension. Therefore drinking cold water before or while singing causes your vocal cords to tense up and cause a "lousy" sound.

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does it mean that before we sing its best not to drink? – Pacerier Jun 10 '11 at 6:27
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@Pacerier. no, I think he tries to say that drinking COLD water isn't good for your vocal cords. – Markus Schwalbe Jun 10 '11 at 8:57
+1 for advocating room temp (rather than cold) water and explaining why. – Mich Sampson Jun 10 '11 at 10:23
Why no up-votes for the question? I thought it was legitimate and interesting. – balentaw Jun 10 '11 at 19:45
Would this imply warm water is even better than room temperature? – Svish Aug 2 '11 at 14:18
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