Thinking to much when singing

[Jarom]

I have noticed when singing I often focus to much on technique and over do things. My vowels are over modified, my vocals are way to compressed, im supporting way to much, overall I just end up strained all over my body. so, oddly enough when I don't focus on technique my voice feels allot more free, but not free enough. So, I have to slightly think about technique but be careful not to think to much.

does this happen to anyone else?

[Khassera]

"When you practice, don't sing. When you sing, don't practice." - Daniel Formica

I first heard something along these lines from Jaime Vendera, who said that every time you do your exercises do them diligently and focus on getting them right, not making a pretty sound (wherever applicable). Then once you're through them remember to do at least a phrase or two of singing since it will ingrain the technique learned from the drills, but you need to not focus on the technique while you sing. Just sing.

And I'd like to add, even though it should be pretty obvious, that when you sing, sing like you're on Wembley stadium and people are orgasming to hear you sing. That is, sing like a super rockstar! :D

[Robert Lunte]

Good advise here... however, ... when you practice... most certainly DO make it sound "pretty" and powerful... if you don't, your not practicing well. A vocal workout can be beautiful if you understand that at the basic, linear level of training workouts... its mostly about sound color and making the formant ring. When that happens, it is beautiful and powerful. If your not trying to do that in your training as well as your singing, your not giving your practicing time all that you can.

Below, one of approximately 45 video demonstrations that come with "The Four Pillars of Singing". Notice the multiple cams cut-aways... a vocal workout can be beautiful, powerful and artistic, and as students, you should strive to make them so. Focus on your craft...

Head Voice Training : Onsets & Octave Sirens Train High Performance Voices!

[Owen Korzec]

Jarom,

when you perform, you cannot afford to think about technique more than maybe half of the time, and the less, the better. Try putting the majority of your focus on conveying emotion and if that causes you to fail, you are simply not ready to perform the song yet - keep practicing. and when you do practice, DO think about technique.

The issue is, if thinking about technique makes you sing worse, then the technique or the way you're interpreting it is probably incorrect. That is probably the most likely issue and the only thing that solves it is more time and practice learning correct technique.

[VideoHere]

it's analogous to a great actor.

did you thoroughly memorize the script? you've got it down? you know your lines well?

now comes the time to infuse those lines with life and emotion and color.

it's storytelling time...genuine, honest, and real.

[VideoHere]

it's analogous to a great actor.

did you thoroughly memorize the script? you've got it down? you know your lines well?

now comes the time to infuse those lines with life and emotion and color.

it's storytelling time...genuine, honest, and real. excellent video below:

[Owen Korzec]

it's analogous to a great actor.

did you thoroughly memorize the script? you've got it down? you know your lines well?

now comes the time to infuse those lines with life and emotion and color.

it's storytelling time...genuine, honest, and real. excellent video below:

Great video!

[gno]

I have noticed when singing I often focus to much on technique and over do things. My vowels are over modified, my vocals are way to compressed, im supporting way to much, overall I just end up strained all over my body. so, oddly enough when I don't focus on technique my voice feels allot more free, but not free enough. So, I have to slightly think about technique but be careful not to think to much.

does this happen to anyone else?

Yes this is normal, at first. If you've ever tried to learn golf, it is the same thing. There are so many variables that have to be in place to swing the club correctly that it is very easy to become overwhelmed and thinking about too many things at the same time.

It is important to concentrate on one thing at a time, and that is what a teacher should guide you through. For example a teacher may focus solely on breathing at first. Then they may focus on normal vowels in the easy part of your range (so you don't need vowel mods), trying to alieviate excess tensions that you may be producing (everyone is different). Once all that is working and you are singing with clear vowels and tension free in an easy range, you may start to go higher and experiment with vowel mods. Learning vowel mods can produce tensions so you want to build a good basis of singing before doing that.

It is a process for sure. And you have to start with the basics and so you have something to build upon, step by step.

[ronws]

Yes this is normal, at first. If you've ever tried to learn golf, it is the same thing. There are so many variables that have to be in place to swing the club correctly that it is very easy to become overwhelmed and thinking about too many things at the same time.

It is important to concentrate on one thing at a time, and that is what a teacher should guide you through. For example a teacher may focus solely on breathing at first. Then they may focus on normal vowels in the easy part of your range (so you don't need vowel mods), trying to alieviate excess tensions that you may be producing (everyone is different). Once all that is working and you are singing with clear vowels and tension free in an easy range, you may start to go higher and experiment with vowel mods. Learning vowel mods can produce tensions so you want to build a good basis of singing before doing that.

It is a process for sure. And you have to start with the basics and so you have something to build upon, step by step.

This is the best analogy, so far. It's all odd at first. Time and practice resolve this disjointed sensation.

[Khassera]

What really, really fixed a lot of my problems for me was Per Bristow's video on how to "believe" your singing or something. It's really… Uhh… Deep. Yeah, that's probably a nice way to put it. He did a vid on rock vocals also, that was a much better video imho. Less yadda, more "here's how."

Also, Daniel Formica's video, can't remember which one, where he talks about how much air you really need to make cords the size of a dime vibrate. That totally reconfigured my thinking and made me blow a lot less air without cutting the air off. Since many vocal problems stem from bad support, I'd start with watching that.

[Felipe Carvalho]

Practice the song correctly until what you need to do is overlearned, then you will be able to focus on the song and the audience, which is what matters.

Technique resulting in tension does not make much sense to me.

It's true that what matters is the song, and if you must use some tensions to get the right result, then do it. But then it should be the opposite, letting go of technique and using a bit of tension in order to serve the song.

[VideoHere]

jarom,

this whole tension thing can be as confusing as falsetto and head voice.

depending on the song, the infinite combinations of vowels and consonants, your own particular voice, better yet, your own particular physiological makeup you might need to manage tension and sing with tension...but the thing is there's good tension and bad tension.

you are not going to sing tension free a lot of times...just as you're not going to sing technically correct all the time.

you might be the type of singer who plays it safer than another guy who teeters on the edge of his range.

you might of type of singer who's more of a "fly by the seat of his pants."

that approach may not be technically correct, but may produce some incredible singing.

there are so many factors that come into play.....a lot are in the mind of the singer.

i just thought of another thing to keep in mind...you are only going to absorb so much technique...you still are going to have other "ongoing vocal issues" you and every other singer in the world has to deal with.

you try to get better for the rest of your life.

[Clint Torres]

jarom,

this whole tension thing can be as confusing as falsetto and head voice.

depending on the song, the infinite combinations of vowels and consonants, your own particular voice, better yet, your own particular physiological makeup you might need to manage tension and sing with tension...but the thing is there's good tension and bad tension.

Maybe unnecessary tension is a better way of putting it ?

[Felipe Carvalho]

This is the context:

overall I just end up strained all over my body

And technique should not be causing it.

[VideoHere]

it's really important for a beginner in particular to accept and understand there will be some degree of tension.

they need to know this, otherwise they might seek to remove it to such a degree that the voice doesn't get engaged.