Why Does My Voice Crack When I Sing?

If you’re wondering what’s up with your singing voice cracking, you certainly aren’t alone. Many students of my Fort Wayne singing lessons ask me questions like, “Why does my voice crack when I sing?” when they are first starting out. And the truth is that most of us have experienced our singing voice cracking at one time or another. So, whether you’re preparing to learn to sing online or you just want to know what’s going on, here’s the scoop on why your voice makes these strange noises some time.
 
Why Does My Voice Crack When I Sing? The Top 6 Reasons

There are a lot of reasons for a singing voice cracking. The reasons below are listed roughly from least common to most common (in my opinion).
 
6. Vocal Health Issue

In some cases, a health issue can cause singing voice cracking. If you take my Fort Wayne singing lessons, you’ll quickly learn the importance of caring for the voice. Folks who misuse their voice (yelling, using it too much, using it incorrectly) or who have an underlying health condition (such as acid reflux or severe allergies), vocal cracking can be a sign of a bigger issue. This may also temporarily happen to you if you get sick with a cold or something similar. If you think you might need medical attention for this, please see a doctor!
 
5. Lack of Warming Up
The simplest reason for a singing voice cracking is just a lack of warming up. If you’ve ever woken up in the morning and noticed that your voice sounds kind of odd and “croaky,” you’ll know what I mean. Many singers find that vocal warmups, similar to stretching before exercise, helps to limber up the voice, increasing blood flow and allowing for a more comfortable singing experience.
 
4. Dehydration
This is related to reason 5. If you learn to sing online or in person, you’ll quickly realize most teachers want you to bring water to voice lessons. Vocal folds are made of mucous membranes (like the soft, wet stuff on the inside of your cheeks), and if they aren’t properly hydrated, they don’t work as well and can be prone to vocal cracking. This can be exacerbated by dry air caused by a fan or a dry climate. It’s also yet another reason why your voice sounds so weird in the morning after a long break from water. So drink lots of water and see if that helps!
 
3. Hormones
 
If you’re a biological male going through puberty, unfortunately, vocal cracking may just be part of your life for now. During puberty, this group experiences significant laryngeal growth, causing the voice to get lower quickly. Just like your arms and legs can feel awkward if you have a growth spurt, your voice needs some time to adjust to its new size. This can also happen to biological females, but in a less pronounced way. Trans men taking testosterone may have issues with this as well regardless of age. If you’re in any of these categories, try not to stress about it too much—the cracking is normal and nothing to be embarrassed about.
 
2. Chest to Head Voice Break
 
Have you ever heard yodeling? This is the rapid switching between chest and head voice. Most voice teachers agree that the voice has two main registers, and these registers are controlled by two different sets of muscles that move the vocal cords in different ways.
In my Fort Wayne singing lessons, one topic I focus on a lot is helping students learn to coordinate this area better, as the shift between chest and head voice is very awkward for many people. If you don’t have a good natural “mix,” or ability to combine and shift between these two registers, you may find yourself cracking as you move through this area of your voice. This can be improved with voice lessons.
 
1. Tension/Poor Vocal Technique

While everyone experiences their singing voice cracking occasionally, if your voice cracks a lot, it may be because you are engaging a lot of muscles in your face and next that are better off relaxing when you sing. If you tighten this area too much, it can cut off your ability to sing entirely. If you have a less pronounced issue with this, you might experience some strain or discomfort when singing, and your voice might crack. Again, this issue can be alleviated through voice lessons.
 
 
Stop Your Singing Voice Cracking with Fort Wayne Singing Lessons!
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I hope this article has answered the question, “Why does my voice crack when I sing?” Feel free to message me if you’re still confused about this topic. If you’d like to learn to stop the cracking once and for all, I’d encourage you to sign up for my Fort Wayne singing lessons. You can learn to sing online with me as well through my online singing lessons. Take action now—your smooth, crack-free voice will thank you!