3 Singing Myths That Hold Your Voice Hostage

Three Singing Myths That Hold You Back

Believing these myths, these thoughts, you are doing the exact opposite of allowing the natural flow of singing!

Wouldn’t you love it if you could think your way to vocal power and freedom?

Actually, you can.

You just need to get rid of your myths. A myth is a belief that has no basis in fact.

Believing your personal myths over a long period of time causes ineffective singing habits to take up residence in your body.

Those habits become so ingrained in your singing you probably don’t have any conscious recognition of them.

So to find out what your myths are, I ask you: whaddya believe about your singing?

Myth #1: Singing is difficult

This myth implies singing is not natural and therefore, you have to struggle to sing – physically struggle, manipulate, calculate. That’s so much work! How will you ever communicate the meaning of a song when you are caught up in the struggle?

Training your voice is a life-long journey that requires study and practice. It’s a wonderful journey! However if you see the process as “difficult” you will not learn or grow your singing skills – you will be fighting against your own natural instrument.

A trained voice does not need to sound trained, just healthy, strong and free.

Recently a private student of mine was struggling with her song. She stopped singing and as I was about to give her a redirect she said, “Wait a minute I know what to do.” She sang the phrase again and out came this amazing sound! I asked her what she had done, she said, “I just remembered that it’s easy.”

Two days later the same thing happened. The thought, “Singing is easy,” caused the opposite reaction in their instruments than the thought, “Singing is hard.”

Myth #2: I can’t sing high notes

 High notes are called ‘high’ because they vibrate higher in the body. What are they higher than? The last note you sang? Higher than you usually sing? Or are they high just because you think they’re high?

Your thought is, “Poop, here comes the high note. Gotta’ ramp up and give it a running start.” This thought results in physical force in your singing process.

When you force your voice the muscular tension actually constricts the flow of breath and sound that is necessary for the voice to resonate, or to sing freely. This means you are doing the exact opposite of the natural flow. Instead of shoving and reaching to the pitch, speak on the pitch, then use ease of the speech to sing the phrase.

Myth #3: Inhaling means I should draw as much air as possible into my lungs

Myth! Overfilling the lungs is detrimental. You don’t need full lungs, you need breathing that creates efficient use of the breath.

Think of your inhale as opening your instrument – unhinge the jaw and feel as though you are opening to your bottom. This way, you draw breath into your lungs naturally.

No strain, no struggle – just a simple opening to release jaw tension, open the upper resonators and activate the lower abdominal and back muscles.

Your exhale can be thought of as a release of breath and sound. Think of holding a butterfly in your hands and then releasing it.

You provide the escape route for the butterfly to leave just as the breath and sound must leave your body.

You have already activated the powerful breathing muscles you need with your opening inhale.

Three Steps to rid your singing of damaging myths – right now

Once you begin to figure out your personal singing myths you can replace them with healthy thoughts and habits to free your singing. Here is how:

1. Discover the myths you believe about your singing

2. Write down the thought (myth):

Singing is difficult

3. Cross it out immediately and write a truth to replace the myth:

Singing is difficult

Singing is simple and natural.

This process is liberating. Do it and feel the freedom!

#singlikeyouspeak

BIO

Singer-songwriter, musical theater singer, pop singer, or shower singer, this post has the keys you need to become a better singer. For video training on singing myths, visit https://youtu.be/mTP7uxK1u_Q For online voice lessons use the Sing Like You Speak Academy. For private lessons contact Sally

Sally Morgan, NYC voice trainer, wrote the book on contemporary vocal technique — literally. Sing Like You Speak™ is specifically designed to restore the effortless vocal production that is natural to the human instrument making your singing powerful, joyful and free. Sally has been successfully teaching people how to sing for more than 35 years.

Sally has helped her clients heal vocal damage, expand vocal range, land a Broadway show, record their original music and tour internationally without vocal fatigue or strain. Besides teaching workshops Sally teaches private voice lessons and has developed online singing lessons – Sing Like You Speak™ Academy.

“This is the most genius singing technique of all time. Absolutely amazing! You made singing seem so simple and fun without strain and extra vocal things that we don’t have to do for a natural healthy vocal rage. Genius!!!” 8J

You can see and hear some of Sally’s clients on Broadway stages, Off-Broadway, in Musical Theater – Regional, on Major Label Recordings, the Conan O’Brian show, A Prairie Home Companion and in Federal Courts, the PA House of Representatives, and the U.S. Senate.

Sally teaches singing voice lessons in NYC and worldwide on Skype. Online voice lessons