As a voiceover artist, you dread hearing those icky mouth noises in your audio recordings. Often stem from a dry mouth.
To be able to prevent those unwanted clickity clack noises means the difference between a good read that exists and a good read that can be used for post-production. When you deliver a clean read, it will save you time in your auditions and on your jobs.
For that reason, aside from the infamous advice of taking a bite into a green apple, to getting yourself the Izotope RX Elements to help get rid of the mouth noises, I’ve been collecting a list of remedies to have handy when the need arises.
Below you’ll find 10 tips for when your mouth gets dry.
For those who find themselves producing too much saliva…
Try putting a pinch of coffee grind and put it under your tongue and let it absorb the excess saliva.
Caveat: I have not tried them all yet. The ones with * means I have tried.
1. Eat Raw Spinach*
Similar to the green apples, it has the same PH range as saliva and the malic acid helps break down the phlegm
2. Drink Warm Water with Lemon and Honey*
Honey helps smooth and soothe your throat and creates a protective cushion. The acidity in the lemon helps get rid of any phlegm hanging around.
3. Drink Apple Juice*
The apple pH helps with breaking down the access phlegm.
The sour acidic taste of green apples in particular stimulates saliva production in your mouth, which moistens and cleans the mouth.
Tip: When drinking any liquids during your recording session. Take a sip. Swish it around your mouth then swallow. Sometimes when there is too much intake of the liquid all at once, it causes even more wet mouth noises.
4. Dry Mouth Spray*
This is so handy to have. I have the Biotene and it works great. Other voice over artists have also recommended the Rite Aid brand.
5. Drink Apple Cider Vinegar*
An ancient remedy that has a ton of health benefits and can also help with your vocal chords. Mix 1 -2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, the raw unpasteurized kind with water or fruit juice. My recipe includes a tablespoon of apple cider, a teaspoon of honey, a teaspoon of cinnamon and mix it with some warm water.
6. Brush Your Teeth*
When your mouth feels refreshed, your voice will sound fresh. This is one of my favorite go to’s if I’m working from my home studio.
7. Take Slippery Elm or Marshmallow Root
These two herbal remedies are known to relieve sore throat and to treat dry mouth to keep the moisture in. Take it in the form of lozenges or tea.
8. Breathe*
Your nerves can get the best of you at times. So take a moment and reduce your stress by taking a few deep diaphragmatic breaths from your belly.
It will relax you.
Got time? Do some OM chanting before your auditions or sessions. This simple vocal exercise helps with loosening the muscles around your mouth while calming your mind. your voices.
Also, check out this video by a fellow Katelyn Dawn who shares 3 Breathing Exercises to help you strengthen your your breath control as a voiceover artist.
9. Pay Attention*
Get into the habit of listening to yourself enunciate, how you form words and talk into a microphone. Yes, this will feel tedious at first but you’ll get used to it. For me, this is a work in progress.
In the long run, I know building upon this skill will save me a ton of work.
10. Get a Good Night Rest*
We all need a certain amount of sleep to recharge our bodies, and this includes our voice! When you are sleep deprived, people can easily tell. Your voice will sound hoarse and dull.
You’ll lack the energy to breathe properly to help you use your voice. To make it worse, when you are tired you may reach for a cup of coffee or two to wake you up.
The problem.
Too much caffeine can dehydrate your vocal cords. It’s true. And when this happens It may cause more vocal strain.
To avoid this, restrain from drinking too much coffee and get enough sleep.
Over to you. If you’ve to got a tip to share how to get rid of icky mouth noises, share below!
Photo by: Arwin Neil Baichoo, Eggbank, Heather Barnes, Tijana Drndarski
