In recording vocals we all aim to have our voice stand out and sound good.
This is not only important for us, but also important for our audience.
People listen to songs that they like and singer’s record songs that they like.
Have you ever wondered whether singers actually like the sound of their own voices?
I’m sure anyone that’s ever worked with a singer before in recording or live performance, has at one point wondered this.
In this post, I’m therefore going to discuss whether or not singers like their own voices because I’ve spent a lot of time engineering singer vocals.
With that said, do singers hate their own voice?
Not all singers necessarily hate their own voices.
Most singers judge their voice to a higher standard than they judge the voices of others. This makes them more alert and self aware which makes them their own biggest critic.
Why some singers hate their voice
Some singers don’t necessarily enjoy the sound of their own voice and it could be for a number of reasons.
I’m going to discuss some of these reasons below
One Opinion
All singers want to be told they sing well. That’s just a fact of life.
And one bad opinion about a singers voice could tear down a million compliments they’ve gotten.
Some singers hate their own voices because they once got bad feedback from a person they may or may not have held in high regard.
This can have a long term effect on their personal judgement of their own voice.
This is a psychological effect.
Lack of confidence
Confidence is a character trait that is cultivated by some and not others.
If you’re a person that generally lacks confidence you’ll find it difficult to hold yourself and your skills in high regard.
The effect of this can be a natural dislike of your own voice.
Confident singers however deem their own voices worthy and don’t have trouble liking their own voice.
They’re self aware just as anyone else but their self-awareness has confidence as a part of it.
This makes it easier for them to sing without second guessing their voice at every instance.
Comparison
Like the saying goes, comparison is the thief of all joy.
You set yourself up for failure when you compare yourself to others and start to hate yourself.
Of course some people are just better at singing than you are .
Most singers hate their own voices because they compare their voices to those of others.
This greatly diminishes confidence and the singer starts to form an inner resentment for their own voice.
Untrained singers
Singing is not really an easy skill to acquire.
Sometimes singers hate their own voice simply because it hasn’t been trained for singing.
There’s a difference in voice control ability between untrained singers and trained singers.
Self awareness
We are all self-aware to a certain extent.
We watch how we speak, how we dress etc. The fact is, we all concerned with what people think of us.
Singers may hate their voices because they’re self aware of their own voices and judge it in accordance with how they want to be perceived by others.
This makes them their own biggest critic.
How to stop hating your singing voice
Are you somebody that doesn’t like their own singing voice?
Don’t worry this part of the post will discuss how you can learn to love your voice more.
These are insights provided to me by various musicians and singers from different genres.
Practice often
Practicing your singing doesn’t only improve your singing but it teaches you how to physically sing with your body.
The more you practice your singing, the better you get at the craft.
You may hate your own singing voice right now but 3 to 5 months of continuous practice can make a difference.
As you practice you’ll start to notice improvements in your vocal control abilities and you’ll in turn get used to your voice.
This way, you’ll hate your voice less.
Record music often
Most people that are new to the world of recording music usually hate their voices in the first few sessions of recording.
The more you record however, the more you gain more confidence in your own voice.
Not every recording artist out there starts out liking how they sound.
So, record often.
Get feedback from somebody other than yourself
True feedback can change your perception about your voice.
You’re your own biggest critic and you’ll at every instance find something wrong with your singing.
A way to counteract this is by getting an honest opinion from another singer or musician.
This will allow you to know what needs fixing in your singing.
Your voice is not the problem, it’s only what you think of it and anyone can improve their singing voice through practice.
Cut yourself some slack
Singers like I already mentioned always hold themselves up to a high standard, which is great for building focus. However, it can also be detrimental to your psychology.
It’s good to hold yourself up to a high standard but it’s also wise to cut yourself some slack in the process.
Rome wasn’t built in a day!
Getting good at singing takes time and practice to adjust your voice to a desirable state.
So don’t beat yourself up too much.
Keep practicing and invest in singing lessons so you build your voice and overall singing skills.
