Do you feel like you're making a lot of effort while singing, especially in the high notes or while being loud? The feeling that singing is difficult. Or that the throat hurts, the voice gets hoarse. In short: you're straining.
The meaning of straining is to make an unusually big effort.
Guilty! I used to be the strainer par excellence. I would activate my jaw and tongue and throat muscles - and shoulder muscles, in order to create a sound. As a bad habit, I would add them every time I sang.
When I think about the beginners amongst my students, it's hard to think of people who don't strain. Some more than others of course. It's such a shame when singers with potentially good voices choke it.
This article is part of my Singing Techniques & Exercises guide, where I break down the skills that make your voice easier to control and more expressive. Here, we’ll zoom in on singing without straining.
“Sticks in the Wheel: Anything that interferes with the free flow of air and sound in your singing. Can have a physical or mental origin. You find them, then pull them out one by one.”
I call everything that blocks the free flow of air and sound a “stick in the wheel.” Strain is exactly that: a bundle of sticks — jaw, tongue, throat, shoulders, and sometimes your own thoughts — jammed into a mechanism that would otherwise run freely. So this page is not about learning to push better. It’s about finding your sticks and pulling them out, one by one. The three fixes below are the three biggest sticks I see in almost every strainer.
This is the short version — the full stick-hunting system is in Sing Anyway.
Three fixes: pulling out the biggest sticks
Fix 1: Less air, not more
Straining is overpowering your vocal cords: too much air, driven by too much muscle. The counterintuitive cure is less air, not more — give the cords just enough to close efficiently, and let the resonances do the amplifying. Managing that steady, modest airflow is what breath support is really for.
My north star, and now yours: if it doesn’t feel good in the throat, it doesn’t count.
Our intuition how singing works often betrays us. It says that high notes are high in the body, low notes low. That you should put a lot of effort and air in making loud notes. In general our false intuition tells us that singing involves a lot of muscle tension.
The reality is that our vocal cords have to come together and vibrate as the air passes through them. That vibration resonates in different spaces in our body, which are called the resonances. And that amplifies the sound.
This mechanism is the same for the entire vocal range. No neck, shoulders and tongue activation is needed to achieve different pitches. (caveat: there could be specific, subtle movements you could do to assist the natural function of the voice. But that's pretty advanced).
Free airflow
Especially if you tend to strain, you have to learn to relax the muscles around your respiratory system. Free airflow and passages of the air to be as open and as free as possible. Then you want proper vocal cord closure.
That's one aspect of how the voice works. Releasing that tension so the air and sound can move freely is exactly what open throat singing trains — it's the natural partner to everything in this article.
Don't do too much
What does make the pitch? Basically the length and thickness of the vocal cords. You get a higher pitch when they stretch and thin out.
Understand that the vocal cords lie down horizontally. When they elongate, this is not an up and down movement. The muscles that are responsible for that are inside the larynx and we don't do it consciously.
Just know what the melody is. If you know the melody and have that note in your range, it should come out. You're not supposed to make the sound. Don't do too many extra things.
About the author
I’m Linor Oren, founder of SingWell. I have an opera background and in the past I've performed on stage. I've taught hundreds of students how to find their authentic voice. What I’ve learned is that singing isn’t about being “born with it” — it’s about unlocking what’s already inside you with the right tools and guidance. My passion is helping singers at every level grow in confidence, technique, and joy, so they can sing with freedom and expression.
Fix 2: Sing like you speak
Most strain appears at the exact moment you switch into “singing mode”: you push more air, lift the chin, tighten the throat, and try to manufacture a special sound. Your speaking voice does none of that — it closes the cords efficiently with no ceremony at all. So instead of switching modes, start from speech and extend it into melody: say the line, then say it on the rhythm, then let the melody in. If the sung phrase feels dramatically harder in your throat than the spoken one, a stick crept back in. The full method is on my page about speech level singing.
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Fix 3: The Compensation Policy
“The Compensation Policy is the principle of deliberately doing the opposite of your body’s bad habit to bring yourself back to neutral. For example, the compensation policy for high notes: if your body reaches up, you think down.”
If you did all the two above and it's not enough, follow what I call compensation principles. See, we have habits and these usually involve effort when it comes to extreme or loud notes. The bad habit is the straining. The compensation is reversing the habits that our body has. The compensation will get the body neutral and free. And so the vocal mechanism can carry on.
- Think of a smaller sound for loud notes:
When you visualize a sound as small, it usually will make us make less effort. I've found that for different people different images work. Some people feel it as a baby noise, some think of kittens or dolphins. A screechy door. That sounds super weird in the beginning. But if it feels right in the throat, I encourage you to continue singing.
Some people feel the strain as a forward push, as pushing on the throat. If that is the case, you should be:
- Thinking of using less air. Maybe even pretending to hold your air when you sing.
- Or alternatively, instead of thinking forward, you think of bringing the sound inside, as if the sound is coming into the body.
Kayla struggled with strain, high notes, and self-doubt before joining the
program. I helped her shift her approach and build body awareness, and
now she sings with more freedom, confidence, and control.
How to sing high notes without straining
A special case of the above mentioned compensation policy comes in handy with high notes. Ever tried to go for a high c and felt your throat clamping?
Think downwards for high notes, (and upwards for very low notes). For example, one exercise to relax the throat muscles is moving the hand down. Put your hand next to your cheek and as you sing a melody that goes up, you move your hand down, or rather relax your hand down. The higher the notes, the faster you let your hand drop. See the video below for an impression.
For the complete method — space, twang, and the Badass Face — see how to sing high notes.
The stick nobody checks: trying too hard
“No Brain, No Pain: the principle that your brain, while essential for learning technique, becomes your biggest obstacle the moment you start performing. The less you think while singing, the better you sing.”
Not every stick is physical. Over-trying is tension: monitoring every note, judging mid-phrase, bracing for the high bit — all of it shows up in the jaw and throat as if it were a posture problem. In Sing Anyway I call the antidote No Brain, No Pain: do your technical thinking before the phrase, then sing it through without evaluating. If straining persists after the physical fixes, the last stick is usually mental — my confidence and mindset guide digs into that side.
Why the tension comes back — and what to do about it
“A technique needs adjusting and renewing, sometimes during a phrase or a song, and sometimes multiple times. It is not a button you press once. So, renew. Again. On the next word, remind yourself of the jaw again. On the next breath, think about it again… jaw, jaw, jaw. Over time, the intervals between these renewals will get longer.”
Every strainer knows this moment: you release the jaw, the first phrase feels free — and by the second line the grip is back. That’s not failure; that’s how habits behave. Release is not a button you press once, it’s a setting you renew: on the next breath, the next word, the next phrase. At first you’ll renew constantly. Then every line. Then every verse. The intervals stretch until the release IS the habit.
Quick relief: the thick straw
“Thick Straw: a wide straw 9–13mm wide, placed in a bottle of water. You sing ‘ooh’ into it, making bubbles. The water creates back-pressure that encourages the vocal cords to close with minimal effort. Useful for vocal recovery, and warming up a tired voice.”
It’s also my go-to reset for a raspy, tired voice — more on that in how to fix a raspy singing voice.
The fastest shortcut: bodywork
“Bodywork is the fastest path to a voice that cooperates.”
Bodywork is the fastest path to a voice that cooperates. Everything below — yoga, Alexander technique, pilates — exists to get you the same four things.
Become aware of your body behavior and posture and get in shape as a singer. Do this through all kinds of methods, such as yoga poses for singers, Alexander singing exercises, Greenberg, gyrotonics, pilates. They all work to achieve the same goal:
- A relaxed upper body
- Good core muscle work
- Gravity center around the pelvis
- A nicely aligned posture
So when you learn that and get to do that more and more, you will start to understand and feel what it means to have a relaxed and aligned body, that will allow airflow. It's the antidote to straining.
speaking about yoga...
Singing with muscle tension is like choking yourself while at the same time expecting good singing to come out. Not very likely.
You may not feel it as muscle tension by the way. But muscle tension can have the following symptoms:
- A 'small', weak voice
- A hoarse voice
- A voice that tires easily
- Difficulty in reaching high notes
- Singing out of tune
To be fair, these issues can (also) have other causes besides muscle tension. But removing muscle tension is your best bet and the first bet you should take.
How I worked with Dhritigna on her strained voice
Dhritigna, college student
Dhritigna: 'i went to like more than 10 doctors for my vocal issues and got completely different diagnoses, even advice to get surgeries. After working with you, the stress and pain have gone, and I can sing with ease and use more power. That's a really huge thing for me: it affects the confidence as well on stage. I'm so grateful for it!'
"
"Effortless singing comes from understanding how the voice works, not from pushing harder. When your body is aligned and relaxed, your voice flows freely.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to strain while singing?
Straining means using excessive effort or unnecessary muscle tension while producing sound. It often shows up as throat tightness, jaw tension, or a feeling of pushing for high or loud notes. Over time, it can lead to hoarseness, fatigue, or even vocal injury.
How can I stop straining my voice when I sing?
Start by understanding how your voice naturally functions. Focus on relaxed airflow, proper vocal cord closure, and avoiding extra tension in your neck, shoulders, and jaw. Good posture and awareness of your body’s alignment also help your voice work efficiently without force.
What should I do if I still feel tension even after relaxing?
If you still experience strain, apply the "Compensation Policy” This means doing the opposite of your usual effort patterns. For example, imagine a smaller, lighter sound for high notes or think of the tone moving gently downward. These mental shifts help release habitual tension and let the voice find balance.
Why does my throat hurt or get hoarse when I sing?
Usually too much air and muscle tension overpowering the cords. Reduce the effort, let the cords close efficiently, and reset with the thick-straw exercise above. If hoarseness lasts more than a couple of weeks, see an ENT.
Is straining damaging my voice?
Chronic strain tires and irritates the cords and holds your voice back — but it’s a habit, not permanent damage, and habits can be unlearned. Release the tension, sing with less effort, and rest when you’re hoarse.
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