What Good Singing Really Is: About Voice Cracks
We’ve all been there. Just singing like normal, and all of a sudden our voice cracks. How embarrassing! Or is it?
If you remember anything from this article, let it be this: voice cracks happen to everyone sometimes, and it’s completely normal.
However, there are ways to make sure they don’t happen very often. In this article, we will explore why the voice cracks and what to do about it.
Thinking voice cracks never happen to professional singers? Think again! Watch this video to see how much of the material you listen to is edited. If Alicia Key’s voice can crack, so can yours, and that’s okay!
This Happens When Your Voice Cracks
The voice can crack for a number of different reasons, but generally speaking, what you hear and experience is a result of your muscles not being completely coordinated. Instead of being stable and predictable, your vocal folds stop resisting the air pressure for a second, creating a high-pitched sound.
This can happen when you sing with too much muscle mass and your chest voice muscles (TA) are too engaged. Instead of giving way nice and gently to the head voice muscles (CT) that stretch out your vocal folds to create higher pitches, the vocal folds can’t resist the pressure any longer and just let go.
Your voice can crack even if you sing with good technique. It’s just like any other muscle coordination in your body. If you’re tired, dehydrated, or not focused, your vocal fold coordination can suffer. Just like your hands might drop something when you’re not completely focused and alert.
What Causes Voice Cracks?
Your voice cracking is very likely not your fault, and therefore not something you should feel ashamed of. Here are some reasons why your voice might crack while singing:
Muscle coordination imbalances when going from chest voice to head voice. Can be trained through the Exercise Toolbox included in our singing membership
Puberty. Can happen to both boys and girls. But since boys’ larynxes and vocal folds grow fast during puberty, and the vocal fold on one side might grow faster than the other, voice cracks happen more often to boys as they learn to navigate their new voice
Dehydration. We need to drink plenty of water so the vocal folds can be flexible and easy to control (doesn’t happen directly as we swallow, the whole system needs to be hydrated!)
Laryngitis, meaning inflammation in the larynx. Can be caused by an infection or over-using or misusing the voice, among other things
Nerves can also cause voice cracks, because our muscles tend to tense up when we feel stressed. So try not to think about voice cracks, because it could actually trigger them!
Listen to our podcast episode about dealing with nerves!
How Do I Eliminate Voice Cracks?
Instead of focusing on reducing the voice cracks, we suggest you think about the causes instead, so that you can solve any underlying problem.
The voice cracks are a symptom of something else. If you suspect that your voice cracks because of poor vocal technique, booking a singing lesson is a good first step. Signing up for our membership is also an affordable way to get access to vocal training tools that can help your technique.
Besides working on your vocal technique, thinking about how you use your voice in your everyday life is always helpful. Avoid shouting and using your voice in a way that makes it tired or even hoarse. Make sure to drink plenty of water and reduce your stress-levels so that you can deal with nerves when performing or singing with other people.
Try this next time your voice cracks: ignore it, or laugh about it and move on. Don’t let it stop you from singing!
