How to Tell if You Sing Overly Bright
Whether someone sounds appealing is subjective. Some people prefer the warmer sounds of a bass, while others lean towards the brighter sound of a soprano. Unlike favoring one sound over another, overly bright singing doesn’t deal with preferences alone. A too bright voice is not only unpleasant to listen to; it indicates unhealthy or inefficient singing. Reasons you may sound excessively bright vary.
Listed below are some causes that help identify those with the problem.
Mouth is Spread or ‘Smiles’ When You Sing: Correct singing includes a vertically long mouth as demonstrated when yawning, which helps create a warm timbre. Many teachers ask students to sing with a smile. Rather than spreading the lips, teachers actually want students to lift their cheeks as they sing. You may also hear the adage, “smile with your eyes,” which indicates the orbicularis oculi muscles around the eyes used to lift the cheeks. Lifting them creates space for the sound waves of the vocal cords to resonate, helping the voice project outward. Smiling with the corners of the mouth, on the other hand, has the opposite effect. It dampens sound and causes an overly bright tone quality.
Physical Tension: Any kind of physical tension also creates a sound that is excessively bright. However, those with chronic pain can still sing well by monitoring whether pain worsens while singing. With practice, they may even be able to release tension while vocalizing and slowly apply that level of relaxation into their daily routine.
Throat pain while singing is particularly important to monitor, as it may indicate the vocal cords themselves are over used.
Trying Too Hard: Along with physical tension, overanxious singers are more likely to sing too bright. Not only can overzealous vocalizing lead to physical tension, but trying too hard can also cause a student to take instructions to the extreme. For instance, if a teacher asks a student to sing louder, then they may sing with enough force to cause vocal damage.
Singing Too Loud: Singers should be heard, but not to the point that it injures the voice. The vocal cords flap together while singing; and in an attempt to project loudly, some amateur singers slap their vocal cords aggressively together. The sound is effectively louder but damaging. Instead, singers may focus sound into the mask of the face or open the back of the throat for added volume. Even so, not everyone’s body is made to be a notoriously loud Wagnerian opera star. Every singer has their own limit as to how loudly they can sing healthily.
Singing Sharp: Brighter tones are also higher. If you think you sing in-tune but are told you sing sharp, then your problem may be an overly bright tone quality. This is particularly true when the tone is sharper with physical tension, often noticeable when singing high notes. Another indicator is if you sing consistently above pitch throughout an entire song.
When There Is No Tension: When a voice sounds overly bright with no physical tension or spread lips, it may just be naturally brilliant. Most listeners will find it pleasant to listen to, but not worth paying to hear. To achieve a more coordinated tone, practice good vocal technique to add warmth to the voice. Lifting the soft palate during singing is especially important for those with a naturally brilliant tone quality.
A Warning -- You Do Not Hear Yourself As You Sound: You hear yourself differently than others do, because your voice is created inside you. You may sound excessively bright to others, even when your voice sounds warm to you. Find discerning friends to listen to your tone quality or record yourself singing. Even a bad recording will give you a better idea of how you truly sound.
Listed below are some causes that help identify those with the problem.
Mouth is Spread or ‘Smiles’ When You Sing: Correct singing includes a vertically long mouth as demonstrated when yawning, which helps create a warm timbre. Many teachers ask students to sing with a smile. Rather than spreading the lips, teachers actually want students to lift their cheeks as they sing. You may also hear the adage, “smile with your eyes,” which indicates the orbicularis oculi muscles around the eyes used to lift the cheeks. Lifting them creates space for the sound waves of the vocal cords to resonate, helping the voice project outward. Smiling with the corners of the mouth, on the other hand, has the opposite effect. It dampens sound and causes an overly bright tone quality.
Physical Tension: Any kind of physical tension also creates a sound that is excessively bright. However, those with chronic pain can still sing well by monitoring whether pain worsens while singing. With practice, they may even be able to release tension while vocalizing and slowly apply that level of relaxation into their daily routine.
Throat pain while singing is particularly important to monitor, as it may indicate the vocal cords themselves are over used.
Trying Too Hard: Along with physical tension, overanxious singers are more likely to sing too bright. Not only can overzealous vocalizing lead to physical tension, but trying too hard can also cause a student to take instructions to the extreme. For instance, if a teacher asks a student to sing louder, then they may sing with enough force to cause vocal damage.
Singing Too Loud: Singers should be heard, but not to the point that it injures the voice. The vocal cords flap together while singing; and in an attempt to project loudly, some amateur singers slap their vocal cords aggressively together. The sound is effectively louder but damaging. Instead, singers may focus sound into the mask of the face or open the back of the throat for added volume. Even so, not everyone’s body is made to be a notoriously loud Wagnerian opera star. Every singer has their own limit as to how loudly they can sing healthily.
Singing Sharp: Brighter tones are also higher. If you think you sing in-tune but are told you sing sharp, then your problem may be an overly bright tone quality. This is particularly true when the tone is sharper with physical tension, often noticeable when singing high notes. Another indicator is if you sing consistently above pitch throughout an entire song.
When There Is No Tension: When a voice sounds overly bright with no physical tension or spread lips, it may just be naturally brilliant. Most listeners will find it pleasant to listen to, but not worth paying to hear. To achieve a more coordinated tone, practice good vocal technique to add warmth to the voice. Lifting the soft palate during singing is especially important for those with a naturally brilliant tone quality.
A Warning -- You Do Not Hear Yourself As You Sound: You hear yourself differently than others do, because your voice is created inside you. You may sound excessively bright to others, even when your voice sounds warm to you. Find discerning friends to listen to your tone quality or record yourself singing. Even a bad recording will give you a better idea of how you truly sound.