Problems with swallowing while singing?

Question

I was wondering if anyone know any exercises or tips when it comes to swallowing while singing? I love to sing and I'm not especially nervous when I'm going to perform, but for some reason I feel like I always need to swallow, and that effects my performance. It annoys me very much, because when I try to sing without swallowing every second, my voice kind of stops. It also happens just when I'm about to start a song. I swallow like ten times right before I sing. It annoys me so much.

Does anyone have a similar "problem"?

Answer 1

Let it be. Differences define artists. And your problem can become a good thing.

1. Personal problems require personal solutions. Dizzy Gillespie twisted his trumpet to hear better. Wayne Krantz developed a fantastic new rhythmical concept to avoid sounding like Pat Metheny. Wes Montgomery used its thumb to play the guitar because his other fingers were used to hold it. If you have a big problem, try different approaches to solving it. Maybe that can help you create a unique identity. In that case, you don't want to solve it.

2. Why is that bad? Most of us wouldn't have noticed it, but you pay a lot of attention to it. In this case, you DO want to solve it. Unless you are sick, that is, you drool all day, it is just a psychological issue and will not be solved until you face it, that is, you do yourself the right questions and get the deepest answers. You can seek for qualified advice.

But for experience, I would say that psychologically healthy (normalized, standardised) people do horrible music. I prefer being crazy and different. So, in your case, I would just develop a way to avoid transferring the swallowing sound, using the mic, effects, positions, breathing, and leave the drooling be. Paradoxically, it will probably go away. Mental issues leave when they can't bother anymore. But personal problems come back with different masks.

Answer 2

Is it possible that this is a bit of a "tick" you've developed over the years?

For some reason I always feel to need to swallow right before I lift weights. I have no clue why that started, but now I have to consciously stop myself if I sense that urge to swallow. It feels uncomfortable at first, but that's because I'm actively replacing an ingrained habit.

Similarly, sometimes I blink way too much when I read. Once again, it's just a little quirk I developed (I think while studying for PhD exams...) that I have to actively fight against now.

So perhaps just your awareness of it is the first step towards suppressing this urge, and with time you'll replace this habit with a more standard one of not swallowing right before you sing?

Or, another option: is it possible related to drymouth?