No singer is safe from having their voice crack once in a while, it even happens to established successful singers, especially at live events. If your goal is to get rid of your voice cracking then you first should know why it is cracking up in the first place, and then to try and identify how you can fix it, luckily for you I have you covered with this article.
When singing high notes, the length of your vocal folds increases as the ligaments in your larynx stretch them. This stretching allows for the production of higher-pitched sounds. However, if the ligaments are not sufficiently strong or if they are stretched too far, the vocal folds may not vibrate properly, resulting in a voice crack or an unintentional break in your voice. This phenomenon occurs when the vocal folds momentarily lose control, causing a sudden shift in pitch or a brief disruption in the smoothness of your voice. Developing proper technique, including vocal warm-ups, breath control, and vocal exercises, can help strengthen the ligaments and improve overall vocal stability, reducing the likelihood of voice cracks during singing.
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If you are a singer you probably had your voice crack up a couple of times already. This is fairly common especially among beginner singers, although it is not only limited to them. The problem is that the voice tends to crack up at the worst times, like when singing high notes and even the shortest untimed pauses can be fairly noticeable. If your voice tends to crack up fairly often then just keep on reading as I will give you both the reasons and the solutions of your cracked voice.
A lot of singers are extremely terrified of cracking up while they are singing, if you are one of them then my recommendation is to not worry so much. Consider your voice cracks as part of your evolution as a singer, with proper breathing and singing technique the voice crack will eventually go away. Although in some cases there could be an underlying health issue that makes your voice crack up, if you do know that you have such a health issue then it is time to talk with your doctor.
Believe it or not but it is not the end of the world if your voice cracks once in a while as you are singing, there are even people that do intentionally voice crack. In some cases, your voice might crack up not due to improper breathing or singing technique but while you are singing certain notes, generally speaking, this tends to happen while you sing high notes but it can definitely happen also while you are singing lower notes.
In some cases where the singer wants to have a permanent higher voice, then cracking up is fairly normal for the first couple of weeks. If you want more information about how to get a permanent high voice then check out my recent article How to make your voice higher permanently ( Fast & Easy ).
Voice Cracks When Singing High Notes?
Voice cracks, or the sudden breaks or fluctuations in the voice, often occur when attempting to sing high notes. This can happen due to various reasons, such as improper breath support, tension in the throat muscles, or lack of vocal coordination. To address voice cracks, it’s crucial to focus on proper technique and vocal exercises that help develop control and strength in the vocal muscles. Building a strong foundation of breath support, maintaining relaxed throat muscles, and gradually expanding your vocal range through gradual and controlled practice can help minimize voice cracks.
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Why Does Your Voice Crack When Singing High Notes?
A lot of people blame one or two issues that might make their voice crack up, the truth is that there is a number of reasons why this can happen, anything from anatomical problems to even technical problems, generally speaking, it is usually a combination between several factors. While there are plenty of medical studies on why someone’s voice cracks up, the problem is that it seems to be an individual issue, while some things might be causing one person’s voice to crack up, the same issues will not affect another person.
- Voice cracks due to vocal cords: There are people whose voices crack due to their vocal cords, and the main reason is that they didn’t warm up their vocal cords.
- Voice cracks due to throat muscles: There are some muscles in your throat that do allow you to sing, if these are not well developed for singing or not sufficiently warmed up enough, the result might be cracks in the voice.
- Voice cracks due to bad breathing technique: The problem is not with breathing itself, but with how you as a singer actually control the airflow, simply put if you can not provide enough air to be able to sing the notes then your voice might crack up.
- Voice cracks due to singing high notes: One main reason which is probably even the reason why your voice is cracking up is that you do not know how to sing high notes. If you are having trouble singing higher notes and you find yourself cracking up fairly often then it is time to take a good look at the way you are singing the higher notes.
- Voice cracks due to stress: A lot of singers are extremely stressed when they sing in front of somebody, especially if they are at an audition, this nervousness could end up making your voice crack, although it could be worse as I have seen some singers starting to stutter or even forgetting the lyrics.
- Voice cracks due to low stamina: The body uses a lot of energy while singing, ever wondered why your heart is pumping so hard after singing just a couple of songs? The truth is that if you are not used to singing then you will not have the required stamina to sing, and this is what causes voice cracks in adults.
Warm Up Your Voice
If you want to know how to stop voice cracks when singing then by far the easiest way to do it is to warm up. I know that a lot of singers do not warm up properly before singing, doing lip rolls for 30 seconds isn’t a sufficient warm-up, you should do several warm-up exercises for around 10-15 minutes. The warm-ups should also be related to the song you are singing, as different warm-ups are better for different kinds of singing.
Warming up is especially important if you are planning to sing during the morning hours, as during the night the extra mucus formed on your vocal cords and throat will make it difficult to sing. There are some singers that do not consider warming up to be important if they sing during the evening hours as their vocal cords are already warmed up from all the talking that they have done that day, the truth is that your voice is warmed up for speaking and not for singing.
Bad Falsetto Singing
A lot of falsetto singers have a difficult time singing without cracking up once in a while. If you are a female falsetto singer then my recommendation is to check out my article before continuing How to sing falsetto female? ( In 8 Easy Steps ), just to make sure you are doing it correctly. Singers who can not properly sing high notes with their head voice, often rely on their falsetto voice, the problem is that most of them do not actually develop their falsetto voice and this is why their falsetto voice keeps cracking.
If you want to know how to sing falsetto without cracking, then the first thing to do is to observe yourself singing falsetto and to make sure that you are using falsetto correctly. If you are using falsetto sometimes, just as a backup plan when you can not hit the higher notes with your head voice then you probably can not sing falsetto correctly. Singers who are falsetto singers do not use their falsetto voice as a backup, simply put they focus on using their falsetto voice instead of their head voice.
Bad Breathing Technique
The truth is that you as a singer will have to come up with your own unique breathing technique while singing each song that you are singing. There is virtually no point in learning someone’s breathing technique because there are physical differences between everybody’s ability to breathe and the tempo in which they do it. Simply put you will have to find your own unique breathing method, while still keeping in mind some guidelines for a good breathing technique.
I will not go much in-depth about what kind of breathing technique will fix the voice cracks as I have already written an in-depth article about it, for more information check out my article Proper breathing technique for singing ( Top 12 Techniques ).
Not Knowing How To Sing High Notes
Odds are that your voice is cracking up while you are singing high notes, if this is the case then you will have to learn how to sing high notes correctly. While it is fairly normal to have your voice crack once in a while as you are singing high notes, but if the problem keeps persisting then it might be the fault of your high notes singing technique. Just keep in mind that not everybody’s voice is able to sing high notes properly, and you might be among them.
There is no point in trying to sing high notes if your vocal cords do not have the ability to produce these higher notes, no matter if you are using your head voice or if you are using your falsetto voice.
Not Taking Care Of Your Vocal Cords
A lot of singers think they are taking good care of their vocal cords, in fact, what they end up doing is to force their vocal cords with each song they are singing. You can not think of your vocal cords as muscles, once they start hurting that is an indication from your body that you are forcing your vocal cords and it is time to stop. Sometimes when you are not sufficiently warmed up and you are also forcing your vocal cords, not only your voice will sound cracked but you will notice that your voice squeaks when singing.
There is no magic trick when it comes to your vocal cords, just avoid forcing them too much and allow your body to get plenty of rest in order to repair the vocal cords, especially if they are hurting for a couple of days already.
Plan Your Singing
Yes, you heard it right you can actually fix your cracked voice by planning how you sing. This doesn’t mean that you need to make some elaborate plan on how you will sing each song, only do it for the tougher songs where your voice cracks up. My personal recommendation is to record yourself singing these tougher songs, this way it will be a lot easier to identify why and where your voice starts cracking up.
You should also use a timer so you know specifically when the toughest parts of the song come and you can prepare ahead of it. You will probably need to improvise the first couple of times as you might get rid of the cracking of your voice but the solution for it might have made your singing in general worse. Just keep on practicing and sooner or later you will find the sweet spot where you can sing naturally and your voice doesn’t crack up.
Weak Throat Muscles
The throat muscles let you sing as they directly affect the vocal cords. For beginner singers, it is fairly usual to have their voices crack from time to time, as these muscles are not developed yet. The bright side is that once these muscles are stronger and better developed that you will get rid of your voice cracks. The problem is that your throat muscles will probably hurt for the first couple of weeks, but this is normal, just like any other muscle on your body when you use it it will hurt once it starts growing.
Just do not confuse your throat muscles with your vocal cords, especially if they are hurting. If your vocal cords hurt while you are singing then you are forcing yourself too much, if your throat muscles hurt then this is fairly normal for a couple of days. If you do not know if your vocal cords or throat muscles hurt then simply look to the right and then to the left, if your muscles hurt then it is a pretty sure bet that your throat muscles hurt.
Key Takeaways
- Your voice cracks when singing high notes because you are either not warmed up or you can not sing the high notes properly. Generally speaking, it is normal for the voice to crack up once in a while, although with a good warm-up and by learning how to sing the high notes correctly you will be able to get rid of the voice cracks in a couple of weeks.
- One key takeaway is to focus on proper breath support and control. Adequate breath support helps stabilize the vocal cords and prevents them from straining, reducing the likelihood of voice cracks.
- Vocal warm-up exercises and regular vocal training can help strengthen the vocal cords and improve vocal control, allowing singers to navigate high notes more smoothly and reduce the occurrence of voice cracks
FAQ
How do I stop my voice from cracking on high notes?
To prevent voice cracking on high notes, it’s essential to engage proper breath support, warm up your vocal cords, and gradually build up your vocal range through consistent practice and vocal exercises specifically targeting high notes. Working with a vocal coach can also help you develop techniques to maintain control and stability while singing in higher registers.
How do you sing high notes smoothly?
Singing high notes smoothly requires proper breath control, relaxed throat muscles, and good vocal technique. Focus on maintaining a balanced airflow, using proper resonance placement, and gradually building up your vocal range through exercises that target agility and control in the higher registers.
What clears a cracked voice?
To clear a cracked voice, it’s important to identify the underlying cause. Resting your voice, staying hydrated, avoiding vocal strain, and practicing good vocal hygiene can help alleviate temporary hoarseness or vocal strain. If the issue persists or worsens, it’s recommended to consult with a qualified vocal professional or healthcare provider for further evaluation and guidance.
