Top 5 Mistakes Singers Make - Part 2: Practice Makes Permanent

As singers we fight a daily battle with our mind! We are always trying to do our best and work towards being better singers.

This gets tricky when we start to improve and our voices get stronger. This messes with your head because you no longer have to work as hard as you used to as singing becomes easier.

Like learning anything, you’ll improve as you practice, and its unnatural sometimes for certain things to feel easy.

Our first response with the singer brain is that if something feels really easy, we must be doing it wrong. Especially if it was really challenging to begin with.

This is where your approach to practice is really important as you can find yourself at a dangerous crossroad.

If you are a beginner singer and you are unaware that the voice is made of muscles that need to be trained and strengthened to create the sounds you want, you may think that pushing and reaching for a note will get you the result you want.

A lot of singers go for years just pushing at notes or using volume to reach a challenging point in a song. Over time the brain trains itself to accept that the pain, pinching and forcing is normal and that is what it feels like to sing challenging songs. This is WRONG and how you develop injuries from bad technique over time.

If you start with a correct foundation and use flexibility and movement through your range, you’ll be able to reach higher notes. They will be softer and weaker to start, but with the correct training you’ll build strength and stamina very safely and will be able to hit the notes with power and volume very quickly.

Practice Makes Permanent! Incorrect technique can very quickly get locked in place with regular incorrect practice.

Some indications that you may be doing it wrong are:

You save a certain song for the end of your set because it tires you out.

You have a scratch or a cough after working on a certain song or note.

You have to get loud to hit a note or line in a song.

Your voice feels tight and tired after singing.

You have trouble speaking or singing the day after using your voice.

If you are experiencing any of this you need to work with someone who can show you how to get the same sonic results, tones, volume and power without using your instrument incorrectly.

It will also help for you to develop a closer relationship with your instrument and understand how it works and start to trust the flexibility and movement in your range.

Don’t grip and push big notes. Allow for space, flexibility and movement.

In a very short time, you’ll have more power, add more notes to your range and be singing with ease. Controlling your voice, does not mean Locking things in place or holding them down.

When things start to feel easier, don’t panic! It just means you are getting better!

Email me with any questions or follow @rockitvocalstudios on social for more tips!