10 Signs “Vocal Technique” is the Missing Ingredient in Your Singing

1. You can hear the right pitch, yet notes often come out sharp or flat regardless.

I have a very strong ear. When it comes to recalling exact pitches without assistance from an instrument, I have near-perfect pitch. I always excelled in music theory aural exams and got challenging choir parts after the first listen. My ear has always helped me sing vocal runs, ad lib, and sight sing fairly well.

YET I’d hear my voice recorded and realize it was PITCHY! What? How can someone have such a strong ear, yet produce vocal tones that are slightly flat or sharp here and there. Here’s what I learned: those little pitch inconsistencies had nothing to do with my ear, and everything to do with the way I was producing the tone.

You may be the same way. You can be tremendously talented with a brilliant ear, yet struggle with less-than-stellar pitch execution. The good news is, hard work beats talent. The better news is, hard work and talent working together can make a singer unstoppable. The best news? Taking some time to re-approach the way you produce a tone can change EVERYTHING about this problem for you!

2. You can tell the difference between a bright, dark, full, and thin tone. But you can’t seem to deliberately vary those qualities in your own voice.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to simply sing. I want to sing expressively and artistically. To do this, I have to have control of the “tone color” I create. I have to listen to the music and decide how bright, full, or delicate I want to sound in that moment. I have to singing intentionally.

Singing this way feels like I’m an artist blending colors to the exact shade I want to create. Without vocal technique, though, you simply don’t have many colors to choose from. But with technique, you learn how to change the type of tone you create from moment to moment, and song to song.

3. Sometimes, you hit a “wall” in your range and just can’t sing past a certain point.

I wish I could tell you how many new students I’ve worked with that report this problem. I venture to guess that more than 70% of untrained singers experience this problem in one way or another. So you’re in good company!

This is one of my most favorite transformations to take part in, because the change is so dramatic to discover that there’s been another octave or TWO hiding in your range all along.

What’s really cool is that all I do is teach the singer basic, foundational vocal techniques (in the simple and approachable way I always do) and watch their “wall” problem dissolve away.

And then those techniques continue to serve

them in every other area of singing as well.

4. You feel like you need to “save your air” so you don’t run out of air mid-phrase.

Most people in my personal life love to remind me that they don’t know anything about singing. They tell me I’d think they're terrible if I really heard them sing. (They’re wrong, by the way. I love all voices so much!) They’re intimidated. They think singing is complicated, and that they can’t do it. It’s topics like this one that contribute to their overwhelm.

Singers — amateurs and professionals alike — take a process as simple as EXHALING and make it complicated! I do love vocal technique; it’s why I created a whole course designed to teach it to you!

But I have no interest in making vocal technique complicated. And I promise you this: Once you let me demystify vocal technique for you, you’ll never burden yourself with silly concerns like this one again.

Can we all just breathe a little now? Inhale. Exhale… See? You’re not going to run out of air. On to point #5…

5. In order to sing louder, you have to push harder and tire your voice out.

I hope I have the privilege of delivering my vocal technique course to you and welcoming you into the Jenny Clair Music community. But even if I don’t, DO NOT leave this post without hearing me out on this first: Your voice is absolutely precious and priceless. Sweet friend, don’t you EVER push harder and tire your voice out on account of singing louder (or for any other reason, for that matter).

I know the temptation is real! I am a loud singer, yet I still feel this pressure to over-sing at times. I have to remind myself how much I value my vocal health and remember that I don’t have to prove myself to anybody when I’m singing. The only person I need to be is ME, and no one really cares what decibel level I produce anyway.

With that said, I wasn’t always a loud singer. The voice teacher of my youth used to BEG me to sing loud enough for her to hear me on the other side of a small room! And over the years, I have learned how to produce a full, rich, and strong sound WITHOUT pushing or tiring myself out. It’s life-giving to me as a singer…and oh-so-much fun! I don’t keep any secrets or tricks to myself, so join me in the fun and experience that freeing joy for yourself.

6. In certain parts of your range, you have little control over your volume. You may have two options in these areas: small and childlike, or belty and intense.

Music is moody (as is life, amirite?). I don’t know about you, but two modes of singing simply isn’t enough for me. I want ALL the freedom, in EVERY part of my vocal range!

This problem is very similar to #3 (remember the “wall” in your range?). The same result is true here. I give the singer vocal technique, and the vocal freedom just comes naturally after that.

And best of all, it’s not like one vocal technique solves just ONE problem… And then you still need ten other tricks to solve your ten other problems. No, it’s more like 1 Peter 4:8 “…love covers a multitude of sins.” Vocal technique covers a multitude of problems. Many problems? One solution!

7. There is no gentle, predictable, or controlled way for you to approach your highest and lowest notes. All you can do is cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Amateur singers tend to assume this is just fact. But pause for a second and imagine that you could have control and freedom even at the extremities of your range?

Freedom throughout your whole vocal range? Yep, that’s what I’m promising.

8. Besides looking nice on stage, you’re not sure how your posture is relevant to your singing.

I’ll never forget singing a duet with my mama when I was a little girl. I was in elementary school, and we were singing together for “special music” on Sunday morning. I had already been singing solos for a few years by then, and she had never sung a solo like that before. In nervousness, she kept rolling her ankle to the side throughout the song. (Love you, mom)

This kind of fidgeting is a normal temptation when we’re nervous, and mistakes are an important part of our story! There’s no shame in learning through trial-and-error like this. So here’s what my mom didn’t know about posture: your power comes from your stance. If you want to feel confidence, power, and peace when you sing, it starts with your feet.

This is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to posture. So posture has everything to do with your vocal technique…and the overall sound you create when you sing.

9. You hear a shaky quality in your singing but aren’t sure why. You long for a full and smooth tone in your voice.

While we’re on the topic of nervousness, let me just say I think nervousness gets a bad wrap. We’re too busy making nervousness the enemy to recognize that it’s telling us everything we need to know about our singing.

In fact, I dare say that nervousness is not the real reason your voice sounds shaky. I address the solution to this problem very directly in my vocal technique course.

Here’s what I can tell you in a simple way right now: When you’re nervous, your breathing probably changes. Your breathing starts a chain reaction that determines how you handle pressure.

I’m not talking about theoretical “pressure.” I mean literal air pressure! Internal and external air pressure have to come into balance in order for you to have the full, smooth tone you long for. Developing vocal technique helps you naturally manage air pressure well and gives you that silky, strong sound you want.

10. You do your best to “breathe in your belly,” but something about it just doesn’t feel right or do-able for you.

“Breathe in your belly” may be the first thing you thought about when you read ‘vocal technique’ in this article’s title. You’re not wrong! Breathing in your belly is great. But I’ve found that many singers have little understanding about how to properly implement this traditional advice.

If I do say so myself, my approach to breathing is consistently received well by my students. The way we breathe determines everything about the way we sing. So if you’re ready to abandon a cloudy understanding about breath technique and find confidence in the way you breathe and sing, I can’t wait to see you in Module 1 of my vocal technique course.

Let’s find your vocal freedom together, shall we?

If you're already in my vocal technique course, Singer Set Free, I can't wait to share Module 1 with you, where you'll learn how to Command the Stage with Good Posture! But first, check out the welcome video and your practice checklist (both in the welcome section). This will help you get your head in the game before I start teaching you about posture in Module 1.

If you have NOT joined Singer Set Free yet, click here to purchase the course and get access to everything you need to know about releasing your BEST. VOICE. YET. I'll see you there!

Hey, I'm Jenny. I songwrite, perform, and teach. I help singers break through vocal barriers, rock auditions, and become one-take vocalists. I love making great singing easier and more attainable than you thought it could be. This blog is my place to dig into vocal technique and unpack what it takes to connect and communicate honestly with an audience.

Everything about my musicianship and teaching is outside-the-box, instinctive, and fun. That's what makes this such a great place to hang out. I invite you to stay a while, check out my music, and see how this blog can impact your vocal skills and refresh your love for performing.