How do I get rid of throat tightness when singing? It’s the only time my throat feels tight, when I’m singing. When I feel it tighten and I stop singing, it still feels tight for a little while, before it goes away. How can I stop this from happening in my singing? Thanks for any help.
Hello Janet and thanks for the question!
Well, in short it’s a breath support problem. I’ll help you fix it.
“Throat tightness” or tension in the throat when singing is usually the result of overweighting the voice. And it’s a common issue, so don’t feel alone!
It certainly is true that we should not ever force the voice. If you are practicing singing and feel anything that is uncomfortable, this needs to be evaluated by her singing teacher in order to properly address your vocal technique and get you free of the problem.
It is not physically possible for a singer to hear himself or herself the way others hear us. The sound that comes back to your ears from your own voice is not identical to the sound that goes out to your audience. Yes, recordings can be helpful. They can also be deceptive. Recording is not an exact science. There are factors such as microphone placement and numerous other aspects of recording equipment that can cause significant differences in the sound of your voice.
When we are discussing vocal technique and the need to learn good vocal technique, it’s always best to work with an excellent private teacher, who has gotten to know your singing instrument and of course wants you to succeed. We very much need a trusted pair of expert ears such as this, to guide us. Your voice teacher or perhaps a professional vocal coach who has gotten to know your singing voice very well, are the most reliable people to trust for specific instruction and advice.
Now all of that is pretty broad and general. What I suspect is that you could benefit from a refresher on exactly how you’re breathing and what you’re doing to hold back breath pressure.
There is a post linked below, which you might want to read. I believe it could really help you out of this problem you’re describing.
However, nothing takes the place of a private voice teacher to work with you in the same room, face-to-face, not over the internet. I’ve helped singers find excellent voice teachers in their local areas, who will work with them privately. But we have this blog now, so you can have individual, highly customized help for your specific singing issues, communicated directly from me personally.
There is no one size fits all, when it comes to singing. Did you know that your voice print is just as unique as your fingerprint? So everyone’s vocal sound is totally unique.
Having said this, normal human anatomy is basically the same. So there are fundamentals of singing technique to be learned by everyone. People do learn differently and with studying singing, it is vital to have excellent communication between the teacher and the student. Sometimes you have to try a few different teachers before you know you have the right one. But when you find the right teacher, you will know it!
Here’s a link to a post that should hopefully shed some light:
https://singingandyou.com/breath-control/
The thing about this website is that you can get absolutely FREE advice and help for your singing from me, a retired opera singer. There is no charge. Tell me what’s going on with your singing and I will help you out as best I possibly can. Simple as that. Email me directly if you want: Gretchen@singingandyou.com.
Or post your question here if you prefer.
This goes for every singer of every style of music. If my advice ends up being of help to you, all I ask is that you spread the word about this blog. That’s it. Free help for your singing — period No charge to singers whatsoever — period.
You can send me a sound file of your singing and we’ll take it from there. I will listen very carefully and respond with a personalized lesson, just for you, to take your singing to the next level!
Let me know if I can be of service, please. All the best to you!
