Q&A for How to Sing when You're Shy

One of the things I've learned is that no matter how seasoned you are, almost every performer still gets some sort of nervousness before a performance. It’s the thing that never truly goes away. I feel like if it does go away, then that means your heart and soul really might not be in it anymore. There's a certain amount of nervousness that helps fuel the fire. It's about allowing that nervousness to be the combustion for your engine. Of course, the more you practice, the less intense that nervousness will be. It's okay if you make a mess out of yourself during your first performance. We've all been there. Try to make your early performances be in safe spaces where everything you have isn't on the line.

If they are really your friends, they won't judge you. If you can't really sing, wouldn't you rather hear it from your friends? If you can sing, your friends will tell you and you will gain confidence in yourself.

You won't succeed unless you believe you can. To that end, try trusting your friend and the lady. If it turns out you don't do so well at the show, there is always next time. Second guessing and beating yourself up never helps anything, but neither does acting cocky and being unaware. Try to find the perfect balance.

Record you voice and let your family members hear it, and ask for their honest opinion. Or try to get a vocal coach and ask them.

Try singing in front of the mirror first, or maybe in front of a pet. That could help you gain confidence.

Don't let your insecurities stand in the way of what you want to do. If you just don't want to be in the choir (for example, if you don't have time in your schedule, or don't think you would enjoy it), then tell your friends how you feel. If you want to be in the choir, there is no reason you shouldn't try out. Your goals should take precedence over your shyness.

You can go for a walk outside, sing in the car, or try to make some time to yourself.

Close your eyes while singing, so you can pretend to be by yourself.

Try to get her to sing in front of you and your spouse (if you have one) or any family friends. Keep the audience small at first. Once you know she is comfortable, try to increase this size until she is comfortable, and keep doing this until she is able to sing in front of large groups of people. Good ways to do this is having her sing for your friends at a birthday party, a family reunion, wedding, or whenever possible, but make sure she has time to rest her vocal chords.

Follow the instructions listed in the article above. Practice will make you more comfortable eventually.

Ask a person you feel really comfortable with if they want to hear you sing. If they say yes, then go to a private place, sing for them, and then ask them. Just remember that advice is good and criticism is okay.

Try to convince them it'll be a lot of fun and remind them that they won't be alone. Don't try to force them to if they really don't want to, though. Then it wouldn't be fun for either of you.

Practice at karaoke, which will be a smaller crowd of people, until you gain confidence. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.

Practice singing in your house, in front of your mirror, for your pet, and then in front of family and friends. At the audition, imagine you're singing in front of your mirror, pet, or family/friends.

I've had a similar problem. When I'm going to perform in a concert, I tell my family to sit somewhere that I won't be able to see them. Then I can pretend that they aren't there. I also stop them from telling me if they are coming.

Just try humming to them, then. You will work your courage up and you'll get there.

You have to decide if your desire to sing outweighs your fears.

Take a deep breath and just sing. Pretend you are on your own and sing your heart out!

its okay if you're shy and don't want to sing in front of others, but sometimes, you've just got to try things you're not comfortable doing. If the spirit strikes you, just do it.

It's okay for people to look at you when you're singing. They're supposed to. Just pick one person to focus on and don't look at anyone else, or look at a point in the very back of the room instead of looking at any one person in particular.

If there is a way for you to turn off the camera before you sing, do that. If not, then go to a room where the camera can't record, or where your brother cant criticize you.

Try to focus on an object at the back of the room, for instance top of the last rows heads. That way, you won't be looking at the people there and will still look confident. Also, the audience members most likely aren't laughing at you or your singing, but something completely different. Don't worry! If you are a good enough singer to be in an advanced choir, then the people in the audience have nothing to laugh at you about.

Sing quietly, because, if you sing too, loud then it may get croaky.

Practice on your own first. As you improve, you'll build confidence. Try to sing to some of your friends in the school. If your friends are accepting enough, they will encourage you.

Audition for musicals! Even if it's just recording audition tapes in your room, or auditioning for virtual productions. That way, you can work on your own time, and pretend you're singing for yourself, and not for someone else.

It takes a great amount of courage to sing publicly. Drink plenty of water, get a good night's sleep, maybe practice in front of your family or a friend. Remember that, while they may judge you and while no performance is ever perfect, you are an amazing singer and a single performance, while nerve-wracking, won't end as terribly as you might think. Find a familiar face in the crowd when you step up to that microphone and don't look away. Close your eyes if you need to. Absorb yourself in the music and the crowd will fade away. Enjoy your performance, never give up!

You could start out by trying to sing in front of a small group of trusted friends or family to build your confidence up a little. Make sure to establish a judgement free zone, but also find people who are willing to give you constructive feedback. You could also seek the guidance of a vocal coach. After that, it's important to practice, practice, practice. Practice makes perfect after all.

Everything has negatives and positives. Nothing is perfect. Just remember that not everyone can have a good taste for everything. It's not you, it's them. Just don't care as long as you have wonderful people around you to motivate you.

In this case, learn a handful of songs that you find comfortable to sing and learn them properly. Bring someone you trust so as to help you with this, be it your parent, best friend, teacher or for the matter anybody you trust (who will not criticize you but will help you improve). This way, you will get some confidence for singing in front of people. If you don't trust anybody except yourself, then go to a mirror. Record while you are singing. Look into your eyes in the mirror while you sing. Then listen back to your song and improve what you need to by yourself.

You are just nervous about your capability. You have a lot of potential hidden in you. Breathe deeply a few times. Think of the teacher who taught you the song or just hum the tune lightly before your real performance. When you reach the stage, close your eyes and breathe, tap the beat and sing. You might need some time but that's okay. Just smile and sing.