Getting sick can be tough on singers. Our voice is our main instrument and when we’re sick, and naturally, it doesn’t work at its best. It’s especially tough when we have important rehearsals or performances that we need to sing at. Regardless of how our health is, sometimes we need to be singing while sick. So, is it really ok to sing even if you’re not feeling well?
If you’re feeling really sick, you should rest and let your voice and body heal properly. Singing when you’re already not feeling well can irritate your vocal cords and delay your recovery time. If you have a mandatory audition, rehearsal, or gig – the show must go on! You can make it easy for yourself by drinking plenty of fluids, resting your voice properly and doing simple warmups.
To make sure your voice is taken care of, there are some factors that you need to consider if you decide to sing while feeling sick. In addition to this, you should think about how important the rehearsal or gig is to you, and work out an appropriate “game plan” to get you feeling good again.
How are you feeling?
The best way to determine if you should be singing while you’re sick is figure out exactly what symptoms you have and how serious it is. Typically, the adrenaline of being onstage and the energy from the audience will push you through your performance. You’ll only start to feel your symptoms again after you get on stage.
Personally, I’ve sung with a minor cough and cold for my shows before. Singing with a cough can be tough because it feels like your throat is itchy the entire time and holding in that cough can be a real pain.
A nice trick I use when I sing with a cough is whenever there is a music break I pull away from the mic and do a quick cough before going back into the song. It gives me a quick rest so I can feel a bit better finishing up the song.
If you’re experiencing any pain, especially in your throat, you should definitely see a doctor and take some vocal rest. Continually working your vocal cords while it’s at a weak point will slow down the recovery time while increasing the chance of damaging your voice long term.
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How important is it for you to sing?
As a singer, I understand it isn’t ideal missing out on any opportunities to perform. Whether it’s a paid performance or an audition for your next big break, missing these events can be tough.
Audition during a sick day
So the most important question you should ask yourself is: how important is this event to you? If it’s a one-time audition, a chance of a lifetime, go ahead and do it! I always believe taking that chance at 50% vocal health is better than not trying for it at all.
Rehearsal for an upcoming show
I think it depends on when the show is and how many rehearsals you have left. If you’re really sick and still have quite a few rehearsals left, maybe you can take a one day break and let your crew know.
But if it’s almost show time, and you need to attend. You can go to rehearsal but not force your voice. Take it easy on the high notes and don’t push yourself too much. It’ll allow you to get through the rehearsal while still preparing for your show.
Show day
Performing on-stage is one the best feelings in the world for singers. So missing out on a performance because you’re sick definitely makes it one difficult decision. Nobody wants to miss an important performance but you should consider if you’re even able to perform at all.
If you’re too sick and not even able to speak, going to the gig won’t help you in any way. When suffering from a throat inflammation, some singers take steroid shots or prednisone to reduce swelling – though there will be side effects if taken in large doses! Remember to always consult with a medical specialist when taking any form of quick-fix medication.
Recording sessions
Doing vocal recordings when you’re sick is one of the most difficult ones to pull off properly. Studio microphones are great these days. They’re extremely sensitive and any kind of detail to your voice, good or bad, can be picked up by the microphone. Not to mention, vocal recordings can require multiple takes for the song. So you’ll need to sing for quite a long time before being able to finish. So consider if it’s possible to change the recording to a later date.
How long do you have to sing for?
If you decide to go sing for the day, think about how many songs and how long you have to sing for. When sick, it’s really difficult to sing well for long periods of time. So if it’s only 1 or 2 songs, you could possibly pull it off. For rehearsals, recording sessions, and a full set, it’ll be more difficult to sing through them because those usually require more vocal time. Recording sessions will be extremely difficult due to the amount of takes you might have to do.
For rehearsals, you can think about lightly singing the songs or even humming to your band to provide a vocal guide for them.
What do singers take when they get sick?
If you’re sick, hydrating should be one of your top priorities so you can recover faster. In most cases, you can find good relief for your throat without running to your local pharmacy or doctor.
Gargle Salt Water
Gargling salt water can help with soothing a scratchy throat. The salt can help pull out the mucus on your swollen throat tissues and relieves discomfort. Just throw in a teaspoon of salt into a warm cup of water and gargle for about 30 seconds.
Throat Tea
Throat coat tea by Traditional Medicinals is one of the pillar teas for many singers. I love having this tea when my voice doesn’t feel great because it brings a nice warmth to my throat while soothing any discomfort that I have. This tea has a sweet, earthy taste to it with a hint of licorice. If that is not your cup of tea (pun intended), you can try their eucalyptus tea, which is also quite soothing and has a refreshing mint flavour!
Manuka Honey
Manuka honey is great for the throat because of it’s potent healing properties. A teaspoon of Manuka honey with hot water can help relieve sore throats and bacterial infections. If you can’t find Manuka honey, you can use regular honey that you find in the supermarket. Though do be careful with choosing your honey because many brands have added sugar which can create more phlegm in your throat.
Also, avoid using lemon in your honey water! The acidity in citrus fruits like lemon can aggravate and make sore throats feel even worse.
Lozenges
If you’re on-the-go and you find yourself needing quick relief for your throat, lozenges are a convenient way to provide temporary relief from any pain sensations. I like Vocalzone’s lozenges because it gives a gentle menthol numb when I have a sore throat.
How do you sing when you’re sick?
So you’ve decided to sing and there’s no way of cancelling or changing the date. Don’t worry. I’ve included some tips to help you get through your performance as smoothly as possible.
Preparation
Make sure you start your day with good rest from the night before. If you only felt symptoms on the morning of, rest your vocals for most of the day. As innocent as it may seem, talking a lot can slowly wear out your voice. By show time, you won’t have any voice left to sing!
During this time, hydrate your throat throughout the day, and don’t eat foods that might affect your singing. The steam from a hot shower can also help hydrate your throat. Use a throat steamer to help clear your clogged nose and hydrate your vocal cords.
Easy warmups
Because you’re not feeling well, you’ll have to take it easy on your warmups. Save your energy for the real thing when you get on stage. I would recommend you doing simple “hums” on your way to the venue and simple lip trills to get your vocals going. Remember: don’t exert yourself during warmups or else you won’t have anything left to give when you get on stage.
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Show time
So you’ve prepared yourself accurately throughout the day, and took it easy on your warmups.
Now you should be ready to perform on stage.
I personally think this part might be the easiest to handle because this is when your adrenaline starts kicking in. All you need to do is focus on your set and nothing else. The excitement and energy from the crowd will help you finish the set.
Depending on how many songs you have to sing for your set, you have to think strategically. If you have more than 1 song to sing, try changing the order of the songs to fit with your current condition. Spread apart the difficult songs so you have some easier ones for you to take a “break”.
If you can’t hit the high notes, don’t force it! Sometimes it’s better to change the note and sing a lower one to make it easier on yourself. You can even sing that part in falsetto if that part is appropriate for the song.
Judge how you feel and make these decisions before you get on stage. It’s better to play it safe and get through your set without any mishaps rather than taking chances with your notes and making big mistakes.
Also don’t forget to continue hydrating your throat during your set. Take some water on stage and drink a sip or two between every song. It’s a nice way to “reset” your body before tackling each song.
Post show maintenance
After your performance, you should try to get home and rest as soon as possible. I wouldn’t recommend staying and socializing after your show because you’ll be continually using your voice.
When you get home, you can continue to hydrate your throat. Use your throat steamer and take a nice hot shower. You could also add some eucalyptus oil to your bath water or shower washcloth to inhale and loosen any mucus in your chest before you wind down for bed.]
Your vocal cords will ‘thank you’ for that!
What should you do when your voice comes back?
Take it slow! I know you’ll be anxious to get back to normal practice and singing again. But I urge you to take it slow and not over work your voice. At this stage, your voice won’t be as strong as before so don’t overexert yourself yet!
Do some light warmups, hydrate and sing in a key that is completely comfortable for your voice. You can also do some useful breathing techniques to help regulate your body while getting back to normal.
The goal is to allow your voice and body to slowly adjust back to 100%!
Songs to sing when you’re sick
If you have a performance coming up and you find that you need to change your repertoire because you’re sick, here are a couple of male and female songs that you can sing to impress the audience without killing your voice!
Male Singers
Daniel Caesar – Get You ft. Kali Uchis
Daniel Caesar’s “Get You” is a great song to sing while being sick because the range for this song isn’t very big. The mood of this song relies mostly on the instruments and the groove of the song. If you have a stuffy nose, you can use it to your advantage by singing the song in a more “gruffed” way. It will create lots of texture in your vocals which the crowd will pleasantly be surprised. This song also has a great mood to it which depending on the crowd, will enjoy.
Ed Sheeran – The A Team
If you have a rough and scratchy voice, “The A Team” is a great song where you can use your rough voice to your advantage. When you listen closely to the song, Ed Sheeran sings it with a bit of roughness to it, especially the chorus parts. This song also doesn’t have a big range so it would be easier to handle in a live situation. If you’re planning to perform with a guitar, this song would work really well.
Female Singers
Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
If you’ve lost your voice and can only sing for a bit, Billy Eilish’s “Bad Guy” is a great song to do for your performance. For the entire song, it mostly requires more of a whisper, raspy voice. So there’s no need to try to belt and hit high notes. This song does however require you to move around the stage a bit to keep the performance interesting. So if you have the energy to move around but you only have a limited voice, this song is for you!
Adele – To Make You Feel My Love
Typically Adele’s songs are pretty difficult to sing but “Make You Feel My Love” is definitely one of her easier songs. The best part about her voice is that there so much texture that might not be able to replicate unless they were sick! Also this song doesn’t require any dancing or large movements, so it’s a great choice for those who don’t have much energy and just need to sing one song and finish. It’s also a very heartfelt song which can not only vocally impress your audience but also touch them emotionally.
My Final thoughts
Singing while sick is one of the toughest things for singers to get through. Listen to your body and feel what it tells you. If you’re really feeling unwell, skip a day, get some good rest and try again. We all get ill sometimes so don’t feel guilty if you have to miss a day. But if it’s a mandatory event, don’t forget to take all the necessary steps to prepare yourself so that you can get through your performance to the best of your ability.
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