Trouble with hoarseness

 I am having trouble with hoarseness.

I tend to have certain days where it just doesn't "click" and I have a hard time doing the basic vocal exercises. My voice can feel a little strained or hoarse. 

I'm trying to figure out what may be the issue with my technique. Can you please provide some possible solutions? 

Hi, Alex! We all have those days - trust me! For me, it's usually due to poor sleep, dehydration, or overuse the previous day. Lately, the drying effect of running a fan or AC also makes me hoarse.

Here's my live lesson on strain and vocal health if you're interested: https://youtu.be/s6HRdzfpT20

Thanks. I will take a look at this. 

Another question... typically after singing I find myself needing to clear my throat a lot with mucus. Is this due to poor technique or other biological factors? (allergies etc.) 

While I can't say for sure, it's very common to have mucus "kicked up" in the process of warming up and singing! To gently clear the throat, try either lip trills or gentle vocal fry for a minute or two. Of course, if there are underlying allergies causing excess mucus production (or thickening your mucus), then we'd want to address that first. 

I can't overstate how important hydration is! Plain water (either room temp or warm/hot), or water with lemon is my favorite for thinning out mucus and hydrating my throat. Singers also like hot tea with honey (especially Throat Coat tea). 

Another singer favorite is eating an apple before singing or recording to cut down on saliva/mucus - apparently green apples work well!

And last, avoid foods/drinks that cause excess mucus production or thicken your mucus. Dairy, sugar and spicy foods can all do that - so avoid them if they do affect you adversely!