How to find your True Voice

When you discover your true voice, there’s no magical mystery. Your voice is always with you. 

The first step is latching onto artificial desires and letting them go. There is only one you and you are unique, so is your voice. 

On the quest for finding our voice you might encounter challenges. Here are a few common ones and some practical tips to counteract. 

#1: ’I don’t like the sound of my voice’

Believe it or not, this is a pretty common statement, especially for beginners. I believe it is due to the fact that we hear ourselves in a different way than anybody else hears us and so our own sound can be irritating to us. 

Some singers compensate that by changing their voice, either by raising or lowering their larynx, squeezing or more or manipulate their voice in any other way. 

Tip: Instead of focusing what you don’t like, spotlight the elements you do like. There must be something you like about your voice! Then figure out what you can change in your technique to get closer to what you want. 

Record yourself during your practice and listen back to get your ears used to the sound of your own voice and to better identify areas of improvement.

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#2: Imitating other Singers

The next challenge we face is imitation. Many of us consider the recorded version of a song to be the "right way" as the only way it should be sung.

We set the expectation for our voice to sound just like the recording but that’s not us!

This can lead to changing your sound so that it fits a specific box and sometimes it just doesn’t suit your voice or it’s beyond your current technical abilities (which can lead to strain and frustration).

While we can learn a lot from observing and imitating other singers, using it as a tool to experiment and be curious is different from copying someone’s sound and labelling it as ‘right’.

Tip:When you are establishing your own voice, avoid singing along with other artist. Instead sing with an instrumental tracks or piano/guitar accompaniment. Listening to plenty of cover versions of the song can also be useful, to give you a variety of tones to associate with it.

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#3: Overwhelmed with Sound Options

Another challenge can be feeling overwhelmed with the multitude of choices of sounds. We can create a variety of sounds and colors with our voice, so which one is your authentic voice?

The answer is that they all are.

Be open and embrace your versatility. Experiment with your instrument. Eventually you’ll find that you use certain sounds more than others. 

Tip:Exploring a range of styles and genres, record yourself and listen back to analyze what sections you enjoy most. 

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Have Patience

Finding your authentic voice takes time and a sense of curiosity. 

Your sound will also develop over time and the tones you like might change. Embrace it.