3 Obstacles To Great Singing

1 – IMITATING YOUR FAVORITE SINGER – doing this inextricably leads to trying too hard and becoming easily frustrated. Just like you can’t look exactly like someone else (even if you wear make up, do your hair and copy their mannerisms) you can’t sing exactly like someone else (even if you stylize your voice, use tension and change your vocal approach). THE SOLUTION is to understand that you are a unique individual who has a unique voice. You can’t sound like your favorite singer in the same way your favorite singer can’t sound like you. Be fair. Be yourself.

2 – SINGING WITH A VERY TIGHT BODY – the most common reason for not developing our true potential as singers is because when we start to sing we get overly tense. The big muscles (arms, shoulders, chest, stomach, back, legs) are usually tense… these can easily be released through stretching and movement. We want to release these because they are interconnected with the small muscles that surround the larynx. Our tiny vocal folds just don’t work well when surrounded by tight muscles. A bit trickier to release are the subtler tensions in the neck, tongue, jaw, mouth, lips, face and throat. If these muscles aren’t released, it will be pretty difficult to sing with nuance. THE SOLUTION is to release the body, neck, jaw, tongue and throat muscles as much as possible.

3 – NOT BEING DEVELOPED ENOUGH – until you are trained to the point where your vocal folds are flexible, strong and coordinated, you will not discover your full vocal potential. Again, there is no way to develop the tiny muscles within the larynx until you release extraneous tensions. When you consistently vocalize with a released body, the vocal folds will be getting the bulk of the development. This is why it is vital to find ways to overcome the unnecessary tightness in your throat and body. When you first do this, you may not be happy with how you sound. This is because when you release your habitual tensions, you may crack, sound weak, thin, off-pitch, shaky and uncoordinated. Most beginners are afraid of allowing this exposure to happen – and this is why many people never learn to sing really well. THE SOLUTION is to vocalize with a released vocal tract and to allow the tiny muscles and ligaments within the larynx to work independently as they gradually develop. Until we allow this, we won’t really grow. A teacher can be vital in aiding you with this process.