Here are some tips on how to sing without cracking and ruining your vocal performances! This is a common problem we see at first with students, but cracking can be embarrassing and can cause singers to doubt their abilities. Fear not — with the right technique and setup, you can ensure consistent delivery of those high notes without cracking or straining your voice to excess.
Step 1) Change the Setup
One of the very first things you should consider if you’re having trouble with cracking is changing the key of the song you are singing. If you don’t have the same vocal characteristics as the singer of the song you are attempting to recreate, changing the key to a range that best suits your unique vocal range is necessary. If you are noticing a lot of jaw tension when singing the song before you ever get to the high note that causes you to crack, then you are probably singing in the wrong key. You have to be hitting the set up notes with relative comfort and ease before delivering the peak notes that may be causing you to crack.
Step 2) Change Your Vowels
We know that singing a high note requires space, but when we are struggling to reach specific notes, you’ll naturally start to lunge in an attempt to create this space artificially. Instead, we want to be singing high notes that derive space from proper technique. To do so, try changing your “e” sounds to “a” sounds! This trick can be a major difference maker for your performances and is a nearly surefire way to reduce instances of cracking and the listener won’t even notice unless you’re really exaggerating the delivery.
Pay attention the next time you listen to one of your favorite singers nail that high note, they are likely changing those “e” sounds to “a” sounds to create the space required to deliver the intended note right on pitch.
Step 3) Start Low and Move Your Way Up
As mentioned in step one, you’ll likely want to explore singing the song in a lower key than the original performer if you don’t have the same natural range. When practicing, start in a lower key and gradually work your way up as you become more comfortable until you reach a key that fits your range but allows you to deliver the most dynamic performance possible.
