If you’re a voice artist, then you’re probably familiar with the term “vocal fry.” But what is it, exactly? Vocal fry is a speech pattern that is characterized by a low, creaky voice. It’s often used at the end of sentences, and it can make your voice sound fatigued or even bored.
While vocal fry is perfectly natural and doesn’t pose any health risks, it can be problematic for voice artists like us. That’s because vocal fry can make your voice sound less engaging and even unprofessional. If you’re recording a video or audio clip for work, for example, you want your audience to be focused on your message — and not your vocal fry.
So how do you avoid vocal fry? In this blog post, we’ll give you some tips on how to avoid this common speech pattern.
1. Take a break often when speaking.
If you’re going to be talking for an extended period of time—say, more than 15 minutes—it’s important to take breaks every few minutes. This will help prevent your vocal cords from getting tired, which can lead to vocal fry.
2. Drink plenty of water.
Drinking water is cruicial for preventing vocal fry. That’s because dehydration can lead to an inflammation of the vocal cords, which makes it more likely that you’ll start speaking with a creaky voice.
3. Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke.
Smoking is irritating to the vocal cords and makes them more susceptible to inflammation. If you can’t avoid being around smokers, try to stay away from them as much as possible and drink lots of water to keep your instrument hydrated.
4. Practice proper breathing techniques.
Breathing from your diaphragm—instead of taking shallow breaths from your chest—will help improve the quality of your voice and prevent vocal fry. To practice diaphragmatic breathing, put one hand on your stomach and take deep breaths so that your hand rises and falls with each breath.
Vocal fry is a very common speech pattern that can make your voice sound less professional as it normally is. However, there are things you can do to avoid it! By taking breaks often when speaking, you should be drinking plenty of water, avoid smoking and secondhand smoke, and practicing proper breathing techniques, you can help prevent vocal fry from affecting your voice quality and the quality of your recording.