Does anyone else have this problem?

Basically, my voice is fine at the start of the day (and for most of it).  However, I know it's a bit lower by the evening - plus I'm sure I get used to talking to people that know me and don't try as hard.  It's never been a problem and I haven't been called sir on the phone or otherwise in over 10 years, but I still get self-conscious about it.

I even saw a ENT the other week due to a sore throat and he said my muscles were a bit lopsided near my vocal cords, so perhaps I am straining myself.  Not sure why it took over a decade though...

Even when I am not practicing, my voice can become raspy at the end of the day.

It is sort of funny, as a teen I had sort of a high, whiny voice for a male-bodied person.  So I consciously practiced lowering it.  Part of the issue is that I have no obvious Adams Apple.  Practicing to make it low made me raspy too!

I can't catch a break.   

Yeah I never really had an adam's apple, either - it was small and high in my throat.  I still had it cut down a tiny bit once years ago...voice was never changed due to that at least.  I do perpetually have a sore throat on one side now for months and months, but the doctor's examined and said it looks fine.  Not sure how it can 'look fine' but have pain, though.

You may need to see specialist speech therapist. I've been seeing one at an ENT hospital to strengthen my singing voice. In the first session I had my vocal cords examined with an endoscope and it was discovered that I was not using my vocal cords correctly and that I was using too much tension to speak.

Quote from: Tesla on April 12, 2013, 11:44:54 AM
You may need to see specialist speech therapist. I've been seeing one at an ENT hospital to strengthen my singing voice. In the first session I had my vocal cords examined with an endoscope and it was discovered that I was not using my vocal cords correctly and that I was using too much tension to speak.

Thanks, Tesla.

Yeah I saw a ENT the other week and he said he was referring me to a speech therapist to check out those sort of things.  It's been weeks though, and usually NHS referrals are faster (at least you find out you've been referred and then wait).  I'm sure I'm using a good amount of tension, at least it feels tense in there when I speak.  By the end of the day (if I have lots of meetings or workshops) I do notice I have problems speaking at a low volume, too.

Denjin, I saw Gary Wood at the ENT hospital in Gray's Inn Road, London. I did mention your problem to him. I also found I get tired at the end of the day. I've been using incorrect muscle tension for 16 years, but I've never been sir'd too.

Just curious:  how do you define using incorrect muscle tension when speaking?

I find myself becoming self conscious when speaking in quite rooms nowadays.  I never did before coming to these forums a few months ago.

Quote from: AusBelle on April 13, 2013, 08:49:26 PM
Just curious:  how do you define using incorrect muscle tension when speaking?

I find myself becoming self conscious when speaking in quite rooms nowadays.  I never did before coming to these forums a few months ago.

If there's too much tension in the muscles, you may find it difficult to easily produce quiet sounds from static.

I was keeping the tension constantly high in anticipation of speaking, which is tiring. Also, the Bernoulli effect should be employed more to produce sound instead of forcing vocal cords together.  Search "Voice training and therapy with a semi-occluded vocal tract", which helps make speaking/singing feel effortless.

Yes, Susan's is a blessing and curse.

Interesting.  Thanks.

I might have been tensing in certain situations, like a quite room.  After getting into the conversation though, the self consciousness aspect goes away and it's all good.