Singing should feel effortless. The voice should be free. The moment we feel strain or hesitation, the voice loses its power and natural sound, therefore limiting the singer and their ability to perform at their full potential.
A singer’s goal is simple — to give the audience an experience that touches them on an emotional level. To achieve this, we must realize and understand that singing is an extension of speaking. Before we speak, we think about what we’re going to say. After that, we don’t think at all — we simply just say what is on our mind. It’s effortless. The sentence just flows out of our mouths naturally. This natural way of communicating must carry over into our performance and overall singing technique. The more we think and try to physically help our voice reach certain notes, the weaker our voice becomes.
The only difference between singing and speaking is the way that we breathe. The first initial breath directs the air to the diaphragm as opposed to the lungs — once there, the voice is ready to go. We just simply have to let it free. How exactly do we do that? Well, like speaking, we actually don’t do anything at all. We just let the words flow out of our body naturally.
Always remember — if the throat feels tight, the breath isn’t right.