This is part of a series of blog posts derived from my book, The Five-Minute Singer. You can view video versions of most of this information in the free introductory series to the Five-Minute Singer vocal program.
 
If you haven’t yet read my article “What I Wish Singing Classes Near Me Taught about How Singing Works,” please read that before forging ahead. This article will make a lot more sense with that background information.

Assuming you’ve read that article, you understand the process of optimal singing and know what it looks, feels, and sounds like. I now want to introduce my singing rules. These rules are, in a way, my biggest tips on how to become a better singer because they arise again and again when I teach voice lessons near me. They kind of apply to life as well, and you may have heard some of them in other situations already.

1 of 4 Tips on How to Become a Better Singer: If It Hurts, Don’t Do It!

Imagine you’re running on a treadmill, and something is off. Your gait is wonky or you’re wearing the wrong shoes, and suddenly, your knee starts to hurt. Should you keep going? Well, if you do, you might end up with an injury.

Pain is one of the body’s defenses, signaling a potential problem. Pain when you sing means the same thing. It’s a warning that you are hurting yourself and need to stop. So, say it with me: singing should not hurt! Singing should not even be uncomfortable!

If singing hurts, feels uncomfortable, or even itches, you may be hurting yourself. Continuing without making adjustments can result in fatigue or, in the long term, vocal injury.

When teaching voice lessons near me or via my online voice course, I always reiterate that healthy singing doesn’t just sound good—it feels good too. So, as you practice, stop anything that hurts. That’s one of the tips on how to become a better singer that will make the biggest difference for you. Take a step back and figure out the source of the problem. If singing hurts all the time, my course will empower you to learn to sing without pain. However, to rule out an underlying medical condition or existing injury, I highly recommend you see an ear nose and throat (ENT) doctor before attempting to learn how to sing. My online singing course is not a substitute for medical advice.

This is part of a series of blog posts derived from my book, The Five-Minute Singer. You can view video versions of most of this information in the free introductory series to the Five-Minute Singer vocal program.

I think learning to sing starts with a basic knowledge of what’s happening in there in the first place. If more singing classes near me and afar taught this basic concept, people would probably be a lot less confused. Why? The big picture of singing is not at all intuitive. This is something I try hard to cover in my online singing program.

Here’s the scoop: the voice is basically a wind instrument. We breathe in, and the breath provides fuel for the sound. Because the muscles of breathing cause external movement localized primarily in the abdomen (below your chest), the effort of singing largely occurs in the abdomen as you inhale and regulate your airflow. You can see this in the bottom layer of this friendly singing skeleton.

Next, we have the middle layer. Most people know their vocal cords are located in the larynx, which sits in the throat. Therefore, people think they need to exert effort in this area, “reaching” or “pushing” to “hit” notes. Does any of this sound familiar? This is certainly what I used to do.

In truth, your vocal cords are tiny and protected inside the hard cartilage of the larynx. The movements of the vocal cords are miniscule. Many muscles intersect in this area, and you do have to engage some facial muscles to form words. But, as a general rule, keeping your chest through your lower jaw as loose and relaxed as possible reduces resistance and fatigue, promoting efficient singing. Annoyingly, this area—the middle area on our skeleton—includes a lot of body parts most people pressurize when singing. If you’ve seen a singer visibly straining when singing, you know what I’m talking about.

You’ll find the last piece of the puzzle, a small flap made of muscle and connective tissue called the soft palate, on the roof of the mouth. Lifting the soft palate prevents you from singing out of your nose, streamlining the vocal tract and, again, reducing resistance and fatigue. So, when you think about it, you’ve got layers of effort and relaxation: soft palate engaged, middle section relaxed, breathing muscles engaged. It is not at all intuitive.

Does this occur naturally when you sing? If you’re like most people, probably not. That's totally normal.