VOCALS
THIS IS JUST THE WAY MY VOICE IS … OR IS IT? | Renée Maranan
No other musical instrument is as closely tied to a human being’ s body, identity, and lived experience as the human voice. And yet, many singers don’ t know their own voices very well— or perhaps they think they do, but they eventually realize that they’ ve been operating with a blind spot when it comes to their own instrument.
Don’ t get me wrong— singers can’ t expect themselves to have a perfect understanding or awareness of their own voices. We can’ t physically feel our vocal folds. We can’ t hear our own voices as accurately as external listeners do. There is no shame in having an incomplete or even a mistaken idea of one’ s own timbre, voice type, range, or potential. And often, when we find these blind spots in our own experience of singing, there’ s good reason to feel hopeful, because discovering what we don’ t know is the first step to learning and growing.
So here are a few scenarios when singers think it’ s“ just the way their voice is”( but it actually isn’ t):
LIMITED RANGE AND VOICE BREAKS. When someone has a limited range, it’ s easy to chalk it up to being born with a certain voice type.“ I can’ t hit high notes, I’ ve always been an alto,” or“ That’ s too low for me, I’ m a soprano,” or“ I always have a hard switch around an A, that’ s just my break.” But more often than not, a limited or disconnected vocal range results from lack of coordination. High notes become easier to hit with the appropriate registration. Low notes become accessible with sufficient vocal fold closure. Breaks become navigable and smooth with finely tuned transitions and interactions between vocal modes. Most of the time, vocal range is not a fixed factor and can easily be improved with training, conditioning, and voice care.
DYNAMIC LIMITATIONS— TOO QUIET OR TOO LOUD. Similar to range, dynamic( volume) control is a function of vocal coordination. There are definitely some physiological factors that make certain voices naturally sound louder or quieter than others. However, there are also a lot of things that singers can do to improve their ability to either decrease or increase their perceived loudness. For example, singers can learn articulation or registration strategies that improve vocal acoustics and increase intensity. They can also learn respiration or posture strategies that offer better support without over pressurizing the voice.
VOCAL TEXTURE: ROUGHNESS, RASPINESS, EDGINESS, OR NASALITY. There are ways to use texture safely in singing, but a singer with a healthy voice is usually able to use distortion or grit intentionally, not by default. A healthy singing voice does not typically have a textured sound. Does this mean that every kind of texture in a person’ s voice is an indication of an injury or pathology? Not necessarily. Sometimes, voices become rough or raspy due to swelling in the vocal folds caused by conditions such as allergies, acid reflux, poor sleep, dehydration, or vocal fatigue. Sometimes, the texture comes from muscular tension, excessive constriction in the vocal tract, excessive air pressure, or even a temporary“ glitch” in coordination that can happen when learning new vocal skills. Sometimes, the singer’ s articulation or accent leads to certain vocal tract or oral shapes that promote more edgy or nasal sounds. When the root cause is identified, singers can often follow a plan of action that can help develop a cleaner tone.
WHEN LIMITATIONS BECOME RED FLAGS Here are some signs that your voice needs extra attention:
• You notice your range shrinking over time( and not bouncing back)
• There is a gap in the middle of your range that wasn’ t there before and doesn’ t return with rest or vocal conditioning / training
• You continue to struggle with roughness, breathiness, straining, and / or overall effortful voice use in singing and / or speaking
• Your endurance is decreasing and your recovery time is increasing
• You find yourself constantly losing your voice or having to go to complete vocal rest
• It takes you days or weeks to get your voice back after losing it
These symptoms don’ t necessarily mean that your voice is injured, but they do mean that your voice could probably benefit from a medical assessment, especially if they persist despite working with a skilled voice teacher who provides functional voice training. Consider consulting with a singing voice specializing laryngologist who can conduct a voice exam. Even if nothing comes of it and it really is“ just your voice,” you will at least have peace of mind knowing that you are not at risk of injury.
Got a singing question? Send an email to hello @ reneemaranan. com with“ WM Vocals Question” in the subject line!
Renée Maranan Renée Maranan is a vocal instructor, voice teacher trainer, and life coach, with over 25 years of experience working with singers, vocal instructors, and performers from all over the world. For more vocal help, visit her www. reneemaranan. com or follow her on Instagram(@ reneemaranan).. www. ReneeMaranan. com Instagram @ reneemaranan
78 July 2026 Subscribe for Free...