Why You Can’t Sing Like You Used To (And How To Fix It)

Okay so I’ve seen a lot of posts on Reddit along the lines of

“I used to sing when I was a kid”

“I used to sing 10 years ago”

And I was really good, but life got in the way.

Now that I’ve gotten back into singing. It feels harder, I don’t have my range anymore.

Let’s talk about what’s going on, and most importantly how we can get you back into it.

Real quick! For those of you who don’t know me. My name is Ivan, I love making music and also teaching singing to students all around the world. On this newsletter my goal is to make learning to sing simple. If that’s up your lane, consider subscribing. If you want to improve your voice faster, check out the links down below for ways to work with me

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(1) The voice is a bunch of muscles and habits.

An expectation for some people is that they expect their voice to be like it was used too.

But singing isn’t this static skill

There are muscles involved, certain wirings in the brain that need to be fired.

And typically the less you use it, the weaker these will be

So it’s normal when you come back, the voice won’t be the way it is.

So I definitely recommend easing yourself back into it.

Maybe this means starting off with easier songs.

Or even coming back to simple scales

It might just mean spending 5-10 minutes each day instead of LONG practice sessions.

Give yourself the time to explore your voice again.

The last thing you want to do is trying sing some of the songs/notes you used to be able to do.

Strain through it or hit a wall because your voice isn’t the same anymore

And create this cycle of frustration. One because it doesn’t feel good

But two, it can start to build in bad habits.

Now I mentioned that there are certain muscles/wiring involved. Let’s bring more structure and intention to it. Which brings me to point 2

(2) Diving deeper with your fundamentals

Here’s the thing.

I’ve worked with countless singers who used to tell me how good they were in their prime.

But then when I test their voice, often I’ll find that their technique or at least understanding of it wasn’t that good to begin with.

Maybe they were relying on their youth, their talent to get them through. Or maybe their memory just isn’t as accurate as they thought.

Regardless, this time you need a PLAN.

So what I suggest is coming back to clean simple fundamentals. By fundamentals I mean working through scales and songs and asking yourself these questions?

(1) How does it feel to engage the muscles that change pitch/stretch the cords

(2) How does it feel to engage the muscles that change volume/connect the cords

(3) How does it feel like to do this over smooth, stable flow of air.

Now for some of you, this can be very revealing, you might realise there are more gaps in your technique than you thought.

This is good! Work on those weaknesses.

(3) If none of this works, get a voice teacher!

Remember if you’re stuck. You don’t have to do it on your own.

Often I find with people who have had a decent voice in the past.

They find it harder to seek help.

Maybe it’s because they used to “sing” at a certain level.

And so they think they “should” be able to figure it out on my own.

Try to break past this thinking, there’s no shame in getting some help.

We all need a bit of help at times.

And if anything it’ll help you get back to higher levels quicker!!

Anyway! I hope this answers your question.

If you found this episode useful, please share or give it 5 star wherever you’re listening from. This really helps spread the word and means the world to me. If you’d like to study with me, links are down in description. Take care!

Extra Links/Resources

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