7 Common mistakes that beginner singers make (and how to fix them!)
If you’re new to singing, it’s normal to make some mistakes along the way—in fact, I encourage my own students to embrace mistakes with compassion and curiosity. After all, what can we really learn from our mistakes if we view them with fear and shame? In today’s post, I share some common vocal mistakes beginner singers make and tips on how to correct them, based on what I’ve seen in my 10+ years of teaching experience.
1. Singing Without Warming Up
One of the biggest mistakes beginner singers make is skipping warm-ups. Your vocal cords are muscles, and just like you wouldn’t exercise without warming up, you shouldn’t sing without preparing your voice! I’ve had students tell me what a difference the studio warm up library (which you can also access through my Curious Singer Membership!) makes for their singing practice—a good vocal warm up makes a HUGE difference in your singing.
How to Fix It: Start every practice or performance with a few vocal warm-ups. You can hum, do lip trills, or sing simple scales. Doing vocal exercises like these gets your voice ready to sing and prevents strain. Even doing a 5-10 minute warm up is better than not warming up at all.
2. Straining for High Notes
A lot of beginners push too hard when trying to hit high notes; often, beginners will try to take their chest voice (aka where their speaking voice “lives”) up to high notes in their range where head voice (aka where your high notes “live!) should kick in. This error can lead to straining your voice and lead to vocal damage over time. You might feel tightness in your throat or notice that your high notes sound weak or breathy.
How to Fix It: Learn the differences between your head and chest voice! Developing your head voice—which is something that we cover in lessons and in the Curious Singer membership—is how you strengthen the higher notes in your range and reduce strain. High notes should feel like they’re floating, not being pushed out! With an understanding of how your head and chest voice operate, you can devote more time to developing your head voice and strengthening your high notes.
3. Breathing Incorrectly
Breathing is an important part of sustainable singing, but many beginners don’t know how to control their breath. I’ve often seen beginner singers run out of breath quickly when singing through a phrase of the song they’re working on, or they’ll take in too much air; both are issues related to breath management.
How to Fix It: Breath management for singing can be hard to explain within a blog post. However, a simple way to think of the breathing process for singing is to think of filling up and deflating a balloon. When you inhale (either through your nose or mouth—whatever is more comfortable for you), you’re “inflating” the balloon—focus on your ribcage expansion, and releasing your abdominal muscles—without overfilling your balloon. (After all, what happens when you overfill a balloon? The opening of the balloon releases the excess air anyway; the same thing happens with your vocal cords, and you’ll get a breathy singing tone as a result.) When releasing your exhale, strive to maintain the shape of the balloon—focus on engaging the muscles of the ribcage (or keeping your ribcage expanded outwards). This “filling up” and “deflating “of the balloon image is a simple way to think about the inhale/exhale process for singing. Got more questions on breathing? Join my Curious Singer membership!
4. Poor Posture
Believe it or not, posture affects your singing. Slouching can restrict your airflow, making it harder to sing clearly and sustainably. Many beginners don’t realize how much their body position impacts their voice (which is understandable considering that so much of us slouch at work and school all day long!), and practicing proper body alignment can help singers sing more sustainably.
How to Fix It: Everyone’s body alignment/posture will be different. The thing that I like to have singers start with is by imagining a string at the crown of the head, that’s lengthening the spine and allows the hips and torso to be “stacked” on top of one another. Keeping an awareness of the spine, as well as a slight bend in the knees, can help add stability to your singing.
5. Singing Too Loud
It’s tempting to sing loudly all the time to project your voice, but singing too loud can actually cause strain. Beginners sometimes equate volume with power, but true vocal power comes from control, not shouting.
How to Fix It: Focus on singing with balance. Start by practicing at a comfortable volume, then gradually build strength through proper technique. Use your breath to support your voice, rather than forcing it with volume. You’ll be surprised how powerful your voice can sound without having to sing at full volume all the time.
6. Mumbling or Not Pronouncing Words Clearly
If the audience can’t understand the words you’re singing, the emotion and message of the song can get lost. Many beginners struggle with pronunciation, especially when they’re focusing on hitting the right notes.
How to Fix It: Pay attention to your diction (how clearly you pronounce words) when you sing. Practice singing your lyrics slowly, making sure you’re enunciating each syllable. I even encourage students to over-enunciate at first, just to gain an awareness of how the lips, teeth, and tongue coordinate to produce lyrics clearly. Try singing with a mirror in front of you so you can see how your mouth moves. Over time, this will help you sing more clearly without even thinking about it.
7. Not Listening to Yourself
Many beginners are so focused on singing the right notes that they forget to listen to how they actually sound. If you don’t listen carefully, you might miss small mistakes or overlook areas that need improvement.
How to Fix It: Record yourself singing and listen back to it. You’ll hear things you might not have noticed while singing. Ask yourself questions like: "Am I staying on pitch?" or "Do I sound clear?" By listening to your own voice, you can work on improving specific areas. Disclaimer: I know that listening to your own voice can be intimidating and cringe-inducing! I get it. But when listening to your voice on recording, try to isolate the quality of your singing from the things you’re actually listening for—focus less on your tone and more on whether you’re hitting the right notes or if you can understand your lyrics.
Final Thoughts
Patience, compassion, and curiosity go a long way in addressing mistakes in singing when you’re first getting started as a beginner singing. With time, practice, and these tips, you’ll find yourself improving and gaining confidence in your voice. Remember, great singing is all about using the right techniques and taking care of your voice! If you want guidance for your own voice, I’m taking new singers in my Curious Singer Membership—find out more here!
