3 Singing Mistakes That Are Killing Your Confidence
Today I’m going to be talking about the 3 Singing Mistakes that are killing your confidence!
Singing is nerve wracking for even top singers and for the average “Secret Singer” it can feel even worse. To get up in front of people to sing a song takes guts, preparation and some good singing skills! So, what are the singing mistakes you are making that are affecting your confidence?
When we get up to sing there is a tendency to try too hard. We stand up straight and steel ourselves for the performance and potential feedback. This approach can backfire because tension in the tummy area affects our breathing and tension in our faces affects the quality of our voices.
Your power when sing comes from your breath – if you think about it, singing is simply air vibrating. If you don’t have air – you can’t sing.
Think about a time when you got a fright or you were on edge, you will remember the feeling of tightness it causes. This feeling can kill your confidence because it affects your ability to breathe.
To really feel confident when you sing you need to learn to relax your tummy at the end of each phrase to allow air in. This has two benefits as you’ll feel more relaxed physically and also you’ll have more air to sing with so that will help you feel more confident.
Knowing a song well is essential for your confidence but singers often underestimate the time needed to prepare a song for a performance. Even if you know a song well on your own, sometimes the nerves of singing it in front of people will affect your voice and you may even forget parts that you thought you knew. And when you try to sing with a different accompaniment or without backing it feels very different and can be a lot harder too.
Don’t imagine that the words will automatically come to you on the day 🙂 Actually sitting down and learning the words and listening more to the melody will really help. Listen carefully to any difficult parts of your song and then record yourself singing it. Then be honest – How does it sound? Are you getting it right?
The time it takes to prepare a new song depends on your level of experience – I would usually take a few weeks on a song in order to know it really well. If you need help learning your song then some singing lessons would be a good idea too.
Self doubt can double your nerves and kill your confidence even when you’re staying fairly relaxed and you well prepared. We hear so much great music on TV, radio and social media – the singer is pitch perfect but it genuinely isn’t possible to replicate that in a live performance. In studio recording singer’s voices are fine tuned by professional production so its important you don’t compare yourself to them.
I believe that each person has something special to say through their singing. Even you. Each person has their own unique life experience, their own take on life, and a unique message that they have for the world. I love when an ordinary person sings a song that means something to them from the heart.
The reason popular singers are so loved is because they communicate through their songs and they connect emotionally with the people listening. So even if you’re not 100% happy with the quality of your voice put that aside when you’re singing for others and just communicate the meaning of the song.
If any of these singing mistakes are killing your confidence then sign up above to get my 5 Steps to Singing with Confidence Video Series