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Explore the main causes of & solutions to nasal singing
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Though nasal singing is appropriate for some styles of music, it’s generally not a pleasant sound to hear. The nasal sound is made when the soft palate on the roof of the mouth is lowered, allowing air to escape through the nasal cavity. Fortunately, it’s pretty simple to correct. We spoke with expert vocal coaches Amy Chapman and Tanisha Hall to get tips and tricks you can use to overcome this common vocal problem.
How to Not Sing Nasally: Key Steps
- Warm up before singing to keep your vocal muscles relaxed.
- Try replacing all the words to your song with “gah.”
- Practice singing with your soft palate lifted.
- Stand up straight to help with breath support.
- Have a slight smile to help open your throat while singing.
Steps
Section 1 of 3:
Techniques to Stop Nasal Singing
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Warm up before you sing to loosen tight vocal muscles. Chapman says to exercise your voice every day by doing warm-ups and practicing your music. Practice lip trills, hum, and sing scales and arpeggios to warm up your voice and get it ready for a performance or practice session. These exercises also encourage airflow, which can prevent you from having a nasal tone. [1] X Research source
- Use lip trills to warm up your lips and tongue. Relax your lips, but keep them closed. Blow air out through them for about 10 seconds.
- Sing an “ng” sound for 10 seconds to warm up your soft palate. Repeat it 2-3 times each time you warm up.
- Chapman recommends humming to stretch your vocal cords so they can more easily move in a wave. Try an easy song like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”
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Replace the lyrics of your song with “gah.” Simply keep making the noise "gah" while following the tune of a song. The hard “G” sound naturally lifts the back of your tongue to touch your soft palate. [2] X Research source This brings richness to your tone and moves it out of your nose. The “ah” makes you drop your jaw and your tongue, which also adds depth to your tone.
- Make sure to keep your jaw relaxed as you do this exercise to prevent strain. [3] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
- If you struggle with sounding nasal at particular places in the song, begin your practice by singing “gah” on those parts of the song before adding the lyrics back in.
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Practice singing with your soft palate raised. Raising the soft palate creates more room for your voice to resonate in your mouth, giving it a richer tone and more volume with less effort. [4] X Research source Imagine there’s a ping-pong ball in the back of your mouth to help you figure out what it feels like to raise your soft palate. As you practice, sing with your palate lowered first. Then, think of the ping-pong ball and sing the same piece again to compare the difference in your tone.
- Aim to find the "sweet spot" between raising and lowering your soft palate to create the best sound.
- Note that singing high notes usually means raising your soft palate higher than singing lower notes.
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Use the “inner smile” to help open the back of your throat. One way to lift your soft palate for an open throat is to sing with a pleasant expression, not necessarily a big toothy grin, which can look unnatural. Gently lift your cheeks using the zygomatic muscles (or the muscles on the side of your mouth that you use to smile). Think of how the woman smiles in Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” [5] X Research source
- The inner smile lifts the soft palate and the upper phalanx (or the back of the nose) to give you a better pitch and a richer tone.
- During speech and singing, many people pull their facial muscles down slightly, which can add a nasal quality to their voice.
- Adopting a pleasant expression creates an open throat, making nasally singing less likely.
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Use good breath support to control your sound. Nasal singing is often a result of an under-supported voice. Give your voice better support by breathing deeply from your diaphragm (your lower lungs). To breathe from the diaphragm, push all the air out of your lungs. Place your hands on your lower abdomen. Breathe in through your nose and imagine your belly filling up with air like a balloon. [6] X Research source
- Be sure to avoid raising your shoulders as you breathe in. Keep them relaxed and level. [7] X Trustworthy Source American Lung Association Nonprofit health organization dedicated to improving lung health through education, advocacy, and research Go to source
- Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your nose and mouth.
- Picture your belly filling up with air every time you inhale and try to gradually let out enough air to sing each note fully.
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Stand with good posture for a better tone when you’re singing. Singing is a full-body workout, using muscles in your head, neck, chest, and abdomen. Maintaining good posture helps you stay flexible and strong enough to hold your body in the best position to produce a good sound. [8] X Research source Chapman recommends thinking tall like your spine is extending all the way up to the sky, and make sure your chin isn't jutting out in the front. Try to keep straight but loose.
- Improve your singing voice by practicing while standing against a wall to help keep your head, neck, shoulders, trunk, and hips in alignment.
- Drop your shoulders and unlock your knees to keep your body relaxed and your chest open.
- Use a mirror to check that you aren’t raising your chin or tucking it in.
- Engage your abdominal muscles but stay loose enough to channel your breath through your abdomen. Try playing your hand on your belly and watch for it to expand when you inhale.
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Work with an experienced voice teacher. There are some incredible voice teachers out there who can help you avoid singing with a nasal tone. These singing experts walk you through vocal techniques and give you specific tips based on your personal style and skill set. When you look for a voice teacher, do your research. Check their website to review their experience and qualifications. Read reviews and testimonials. [9] X Research source
- You can also ask your choir director or musicians you know to refer you to a voice teacher.
- Once you find a voice teacher you think you might want to work with, schedule an introductory lesson to get to know them and their process before making your decision.
- Hall recommends taking at least one lesson a week to see real progress. She estimates that these lessons will cost between $1,500 and $2,000 for the year to take one 30-minute lesson a week and about $2,000–$3,000 a year for a 1-hour lesson a week.
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Section 2 of 3:
How to Tell If You Sing Nasally
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Sing while pinching your nose shut to see if you’re singing through it. If you’re singing through your nose, pinching it closed will cut off or change the sound. If your voice sounds the same—except for D, M, and N sounds—you’re probably not singing with an overly nasal tone. [10] X Research source
- Do the nose-pinch test again once you’ve worked on lifting your soft palate to see if you’re still singing with a nasal voice.
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Record yourself and listen for an overly nasal sound. Some singers use nasal resonance to get a sharper, edgier sound. [11] X Research source If you’re aiming for a similar sound but feel like it might be too nasal, record yourself singing and listen to the recording. If you hear a tinny or unpleasant tone, you may be overdoing the nasal resonance a little. Try lifting your soft palate slightly and imagining your sound coming from the area around your eyes and nose (also called the mask). If you want to hear how the pros use nasal resonance, listen to:
- Celine Dion
- Mariah Carey
- Freddie Mercury
- Ariana Grande
- Amy Winehouse
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Section 3 of 3:
What Causes Nasal Singing & Speaking
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A low soft palate is the main cause of a nasal tone. The roof of your mouth is made up of a hard palate and a soft palate. The soft palate is toward the back of the mouth and starts just behind your back teeth. [12] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source The soft palate moves up and down when you touch your tongue to it and stretches up whenever you speak, eat, yawn—basically anytime you use your mouth. Lifting your soft palate controls your voice and helps you prevent singing through your nose.
- The hard palate is usually what you think of as the roof of your mouth. It's backed by bone that arches between the 2 sides of your mouth and separates your nasal cavity from your mouth. [13] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
Expert AnswerQA wikiHow reader asked: "Is singing through your nose bad?"
Music TeacherAnnabeth Novitzki is a Private Music Teacher in Austin, Texas. She received her BFA in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University in 2004 and her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Memphis in 2012. She has been teaching music lessons since 2004.EXPERT ADVICEAnnabeth Novitzki, a private voice teacher, responds: "No, singing through your nose is not bad and it won't hurt you. However, most people don't prefer nasal singing because it limits the beauty and tone of the sound."
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Nasal congestion can temporarily cause a nasal vocal tone. Chapman recommends that you avoid singing when you’re sick or have any sort of swelling on your vocal cords. If you’re sick, you should rest your voice. Treat nasal allergies or a sinus infection that causes your nasal tone before doing exercises or practicing with a raised palate.
- Drink plenty of fluids to thin mucus and use a saline nasal spray or neti pot to help clear congestion and rinse your nasal passages. [14] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
- Ask your doctor to recommend allergy and cold medications to treat nasal congestion.
- Try sleeping with a humidifier to help moisten the air.
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QuestionIs singing through your nose bad?Annabeth Novitzki is a Private Music Teacher in Austin, Texas. She received her BFA in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University in 2004 and her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Memphis in 2012. She has been teaching music lessons since 2004.No, singing through your nose is not bad and it won't hurt you. However, most people don't prefer nasal singing because it limits the beauty and tone of the sound
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QuestionHow do I stop breathing through my nose when I sing?Annabeth Novitzki is a Private Music Teacher in Austin, Texas. She received her BFA in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University in 2004 and her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Memphis in 2012. She has been teaching music lessons since 2004.It is perfectly fine to inhale through your nose for singing, though singers rarely have enough time for that during a song.
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QuestionWhy does my voice sound nasally?Annabeth Novitzki is a Private Music Teacher in Austin, Texas. She received her BFA in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University in 2004 and her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Memphis in 2012. She has been teaching music lessons since 2004.The most likely reason for your nasal sound is that your soft palate isn't lifted while you sing. Review the information in part 1 of this article to work on raising your soft palate.
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Tips
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- Singing is as much a mental activity as it is physical. If you think you can do it, you will be able to. Don't let shyness or embarrassment hold you back.Thanks
- Make sure to always sing using your diaphragm.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://flmusiced.org/flmusicapps/Sessions/Handouts/2016/4059_160111_40_Warmups_Handout.pdf
- ↑ https://tfcs.baruch.cuny.edu/g/
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/24447-jaw-pain
- ↑ https://completesingers.com/2016/09/28/that-lazy-soft-palate-the-best-ways-to-lift-it-and-then-keep-it-up/
- ↑ https://judyrodman.com/raising-pitch-inner-smile-vs-grimace/
- ↑ https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-sing-from-your-diaphragm
- ↑ https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/wellness/breathing-exercises
- ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/singing-posture-77535/
- ↑ https://www.sanantoniomusicschools.com/voice-lessons-how-to-find-the-right-voice-teacher-for-you/
- ↑ https://performancehigh.net/is-your-singing-voice-too-nasal-heres-how-to-tell-in-5-seconds/
- ↑ https://www.ensembleschools.com/the-inside-voice/vocal-fringe-techniques-nasality/
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/soft-palate-cancer/multimedia/img-20469074
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557817/
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17980-nasal-congestion
About This Article
Article Summary
X
With the right technique and a little practice, you can easily avoid singing through your nose and improve your vocal style. Nasal singing happens when your soft palate is too low and sound escapes through your nasal passage. Feel the back of the roof of your mouth with your tongue to find your soft palette. To lift your soft palette while singing, imagine you have a ping pong ball in the back of your mouth that pushes it up. Alternatively, do a half yawn, which stretches your soft palette upwards. This will take a little practice, but you’ll hear the difference and before long, it should be second nature for you. To pick up the technique even faster, try talking with your soft palette raised as well as singing. For more tips from our Music co-author, including how to breathe properly when you sing, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I have been dealing with how I sing since high school. From voice changes to puberty to my health, I never learned of the soft palate being an issue for me. I began to become anxious all the time. I spoke through my nose and I had poor posture due to my lack of confidence. I always played with my soft palate as a child, but I did not realize how important it was for speaking and singing. I am so grateful for this post. I sound like me again. Thank you so much!" ..." more
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"I have been dealing with how I sing since high school. From voice changes to puberty to my health, I never learned of the soft palate being an issue for me. I began to become anxious all the time. I spoke through my nose and I had poor posture due to my lack of confidence. I always played with my soft palate as a child, but I did not realize how important it was for speaking and singing. I am so grateful for this post. I sound like me again. Thank you so much!"
..."
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"The plugging of the nose and the adopting a pleasant expression really helped me in this article. It's very easy to do and understand. Also, I never knew anything about the palate that should be lifted while singing, so thanks a bunch for informing me!"
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"A great singer friend told me I'm singing with my nose. Open up the back of my mouth more she said, and I didn't understand the correlation.You broke it down with illustrations and info. Especially love the pleasant expression part."
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"The thing that helped me the most was the "gah" exercise. It really worked and now my voice does not sound nasal, mostly because of the "gah" exercise. Awesome!"
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"It is a nice article. I have totally improved in singing."
