One issue that most singers run into is tension and strain in their throats. For some reason, we often tend to do things with more effort than is necessary. As a result, we may get tired and discouraged. We may even quit doing something that is supposed to give us joy.

In my experience as a singing teacher I can say that 80% of the problems my students encounter are resolved by learning to sing with relaxation; this entails learning a whole new way of placing the voice. This may be harder for experienced singers to learn than for beginners; it takes effort, courage, and trust in the teacher to change engrained bad habits.

How Can You Learn To Sing Without Tension?

One of the best ways I know to learn how to sing in a relaxed way is to practice long tones:

Pick a low note in your range that you can hit easily and sing any vowel (ee, ay, aah, oh, oo); hold the note long enough to give yourself time to gradually relax your throat more and more as you keep singing.

Experiment with how much you can relax and still be singing. If you relax too much, your voice will sound weak and “airy”.

Practice with different vowels and different notes; go up a half step at a time and repeat the same procedure.

As you hold your notes and relax, you might notice that your voice will wobble a little. This happens because you’re gradually releasing tension from your throat and relying more on your diaphragm for support (this is supposed to happen).

Try also to sing any warm-up exercise more softly. The need to push your voice out and sing loudly comes from the false concept that if you don’t push, your voice will not sound full. If you place your voice correctly, you should be able to sing very softly and still produce a full, resonant sound.