Smoke is no joke
Smoking is harsh on your voice, there is no getting around it. If you care about the preservation of your voice and you like the way you sound now, don’t do it.
Some people smoke to effect the quality of their sound, and smoking will do that. It tends to make you sound huskier and over time it lowers your singing range. So certain rockers, basses and altos do receive these benifits. But what is also does is shorten your breathing capacity. As a result you do not have as much stamina when holding out notes or even creating volume because the breath is weaker and the lungs are all messed up inside.
I had a rocker voice student once, he was a really nice guy, in a band, hip etc… Some weeks he would come in for his lesson and his voice would be wrecked- just ugly sounding with shallow breathing as well. Other times, he would come in with some real potential; a clearer sound, more power, and the ability to sustain notes longer. I kept asking him if he was smoking cigarettes at bars or after his shows and he always denied it. I was perplexed and frusterated as his teacher. Making headway one weak and nothing the next. Finally one day I thought to ask him a different question during a bad voice day. “Have you been smoking anything other than cigarettes?” (Who knew I needed to clarify this…)
Turns out, the guy smoked pot pretty regulary but never thought to tell me. Thought cigarettes were the only problem causer. As you can imagine, smoking pot is extremely harsh on the voice and lungs. It actually is much worse since there are no filters when you inhale it.
-I am not making a judgment call on marajuana here. Rather, I am addressing the voice- because that is what I am concerned about as a voice teacher. Inhaling any type of smoke is hard if not harsh on your voice. Pot being much worse then cigarettes.
If you are looking to keep your voice healthy and clear, stay away from the inhale of any kind :).
Tags: cigarettes and smoking
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