Hi there,
I'm a beginner - even though I've been singing for years. The only time I sing is when I'm alone in the car. I've recently decided that I am going to put more effort into my singing by doing research and following the instructions of professionals.
Here's the problem I'm having:
When I'm in the car singing, I sing with the radio (already a bad thing). On top of that, I have to sing loudly to hear myself over the highway noise and the radio.
Now, I believe that my technique is more or less proper. I sing from my diaphragm so the notes sound pretty good. But, after about 15 minutes of singing, my voice starts to crack. It cracks right in the middle of my range. It's not the kind of cracking that comes and goes either. It's very consistent and I can do it on command - as if I'm yodelling all of a sudden.
Why does this happen and how can I get rid of it? All of those pros that belt it out for an entire set seem to be able to control it. Why can't I?
Thanks!
Amina
well, i don't think those are optimal conditions under which to sing. i think warming up at a quieter level is probably a good idea, so you can work on controlling the notes at any volume, instead of just forcing the notes until you strain your vocal cords. you also don't want to get dehydrated.
I guess I should mention that it happens after a proper warm up when I'm at home too. It just happens quicker in the car I think.
Here's what happens. When I first start singing, everything is great. No cracking.
It happens after a while of singing. If I keep my larynx low, there's no cracking. But if I bring it up even a little bit, there's a crack immediately. If I bring it all the way up, it sounds like I've lost my voice - but if I just talk, I sound normal.
It gets progressively hard to sing as I keep going because I have to be more and more careful about keeping my larynx low. The threshold for mistake gets so much lower the longer I sing.
But when I first begin singing, the sound with a high larynx is fine - it's just a little throaty.
.....
Nope... that's not it either. Wow. It's hard to describe what's happening. It's not really my larynx, or maybe it is. I'm not sure. The bottom line is that if I start singing in a throaty voice after singing for a while, it sounds so horrible. And, if I sing in a deeper voice, it cracks and tries to revert to the throaty voice.
I get something similar if I sing really loudly for a while. You're probebly pushing things too far and it probebly isn't doing you any good either. Are you happy with how you sound when you tone things down a bit?
Well, it happens when I'm singing at a normal volume too. It just happens slower. I'd have to sing really quietly for it not to happen.
Just keep practising and be careful not to do anything that feels painful or uncomfortable. I have a feeling that your vocal chords are getting tired. They should hopefully get stronger in time. It's either that or you're damaging them through poor technique.
