How to Know If You Are Singing from Your Throat

Do you often find you’re sore after a recording session or performance? Perhaps your vocals are sounding pinched too.

These are ways to know if you’re singing from your throat – how it feels during and after a session and by the sound you make when you sing. And it’s down to an incorrect vocal technique, that can become an ingrained habit.

Find out how to resolve this issue and improve your vocals, by reading this article.

How to know if you are singing from your throat

Does your throat feel closed and constricted when you sing? It could be you’re singing from the wrong place

The more at ease your throat is when singing, the more open it’ll feel. Allowing vocal release will steer you away from singing on your throat.

We have muscles that travel down the back of the throat that become stiff and tighten up when we are, for example, nervous for a singing exam.

These strong muscles are called ‘constrictors’ and help us swallow. But we don’t want them constricting when we’re singing; they need to be chilled out.

You may also be able to hear if you’re singing on your throat. The sound will be tinny, pinched, or harsh. So listen closely to your recordings.

Why do I sing from my throat?

The throat is extremely busy as we sing. Therefore there’s a risk we rely on it more than we should. Keeping it happy and healthy is greatly important. Even though you don’t want to sing from your throat, the notes still travel through and it’s also home to the soft palate, which should raise on higher notes and lift your tone.

Singing from the throat can feel easier, as it involves less effort than singing lower down in the diaphragm. Even some of the world’s top singers display bad habits -such as singing on the throat – from time to time.

Is it bad to sing from your throat?

Singing from your throat isn’t recommended. The number one location you should be practising vocalising from is your diaphragm. Focusing on this will provide a clearer and stronger sound. It will also ensure you maintain good vocal health practice.

Over time, singing from your throat can lead to a hoarse and raspy sound from where the throat has grown tired of being tight. With the right steps, this will become much easier, allowing those strong vocals to grow.

How to stop singing from your throat

As a performer, learning how to stop singing from your throat can be a challenge, particularly if it’s an ingrained habit. But it is something that can be readily solved with a few simple exercises and lifestyle changes. From keeping your throat clean to learning how to relax, building up the diaphragm and breathing lower down in your body, there’s much you can do to strengthen your vocal sound.

How to not sing from your throat

The first step to stop singing from your throat is to know how to use the vocalist’s ultimate utensil – the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle that’s shaped like a dome. It sits just below the heart and takes air in and out of the lungs with a flexing and contracting motion. This movement is similar to what a balloon would do if you were to repeatedly blow into it and let a little out. When singing, you should breathe deeper than usual to keep the diaphragm super flat.

The flatter your diaphragm sits, the better control you’ll achieve of your breath as you sing out your most favourite ballads. You’ll also be able to add exciting dynamics and expression to your vocal practice too.

This also means you can control how much air you lose as you sing, and at what speed. Aim for it to travel across the vocal cords and glide across the soft palate, blossoming into a striking vocal riff.

Take a deep breath and don’t let that breath stop and swirl within your throat and chest. If you can make sure it hits low down in your stomach, you’ll be singing from your diaphragm and not your throat.

How to avoid singing from the throat

In the same way that an athlete will train for a marathon, you can strengthen and train the muscles you use to sing. This will make your vocals more energised, instead of relying on your throat.

Posture is an important foundation for this. Stand straight and tall, with your hands sitting at your sides and feet just a shoulder-width apart. This will have your diaphragm feeling nice and spacious, ready for some hard work during vocal practice.

Try this before you begin singing…

Stand with your shoulder blades resting back and your knees relaxed, you are off to a flying start.
Take a deep inhale. Your belly should push forward as if you were blowing up a beach ball.
As you exhale, you’ll feel your stomach deflate.
Repeat this exercise 15 times to get the diaphragm feeling ready and raring to go, avoiding pushing those vocals from the throat.

How do I stop my throat from hurting when I sing?

Keeping your throat cleansed and healthy should be a priority if you are a budding singer. You can do this by carrying out warm-ups. Drinking herbal infusions or warm honey and ginger can help too. Gargling salt water can be helpful if you have a virus or claggy throat.

How to sing and not hurt your throat

Here are some additional ways that you can avoid vocal strain and hurting your throat.

Don’t sing beyond your range. Stick to songs within comfortable reach. Use exercises to gradually ease more notes into your repertoire.
Avoid yelling and screaming, this can damage your voice.
Use amplification and ensure it’s turned up high enough. If you don’t have a loud voice, pushing it too hard to project without proper technique is counterproductive. Choose a good quality mic, turn it up and sing at a level that’s achievable.

How to relax your throat when singing

Relaxing your throat will help prevent singing through your throat.

One way to help the throat relax is by placing your finger on your Adam’s apple (if you’re a guy). Your vocal cords are tucked behind here.

Repeat some small yawns, which releases the tension in the throat. Whilst doing this allow the muscles at the back of your throat to relax.

With every repeating yawn, try to release a big sigh saying “ahhhhh” on a note that feels comfortable.

Try this five times and your throat should feel much more relaxed, making way for nicely projected vocals.

Following the advice in this article will preserve your voice. But it will also improve your sound enormously. This is why it’s important to put in the work and get your vocal technique on form, before booking a recording session. If you’re still struggling to stop singing from your throat – or are unsure if it’s something you’re doing at all – it’s worth investing in some singing lessons to find out. An experienced coach will be able to identify it instantly and show you how to rectify this bad habit.