Periods of prolonged muscle tension in the voice box can lead to an incoordination of the vocal control system. Anxiety can make it difficult to speak up for yourself. Performance anxiety grips many singers making it hard to perform under pressure, or perform at all.
Music performance anxiety commonly goes hand in hand Social Anxiety Disorder. It's a condition that makes singers highly critical of themselves and their performance before, during, and after a show. These extreme levels of self-doubt can be overwhelming and so negative that they start to affect a singer's performance.
There are many factors that can go into losing your voice. It can be as simple as having some acid reflux, or a mild sore throat that is causing you pain and now allowing you to sing. The vocal cords might have been strained, or maybe you have bronchitis or laryngitis.
When the epiglottis is depressed, the result is a muffled sound lacking in power – something that's often present when a singer is very nervous. And all because the tongue is tense. Now you know why your voice goes quiet and muffled when you're beset by nerves.
Tuning (Pitch)
If you don't sing in-tune correctly, people will say you sound “off-key,” and some will assume you're tone-deaf. Make sure you learn every single note you need to sing in a song. Also, practice the notes slowly and accurately. Finally, sing in a key that isn't too high or too low for your voice.
Take a walk, jump up and down, shake out your muscles, or do whatever feels right to ease your anxious feelings before the performance. Connect with your audience -- smile, make eye contact, and think of them as friends.
Performance anxiety may be severe enough to be diagnosed as a mental health disorder. For example, if you experience it during most or all social situations, you could receive a social anxiety disorder diagnosis. But as with any other type of anxiety, you can learn to manage performance anxiety and stop its cycle.
You hear your voice differently when it's recorded because of the so-called "internal sound." The voice people hear when you speak is not affected by the resonance caused by your mouth, body, and skull; to you, your voice will sound deeper and more enveloping than others might perceive it.
When we sing higher notes, the vocal cords vibrate faster, which can make it difficult to produce a clear sound. Another reason why some people have trouble singing high notes is because they are not using their breath correctly.
Overuse can damage the vocal cords, and if you often find you have lost your voice by the end of the day or after an hour of singing, your vocal cords may be experiencing tissue damage.
Stress and Anxiety
Recent research has shown that under periods of stress, the muscles that control the voice box become tense. Periods of prolonged muscle tension in the voice box can lead to an incoordination of the vocal control system.
Speech anxiety can range from a slight feeling of “nerves” to a nearly incapacitating fear. Some of the most common symptoms of speech anxiety are: shaking, sweating, butterflies in the stomach, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, and squeaky voice.
Can hoarseness be caused by stress? Yes, stress (mental/emotional) is one of the more common causes of hoarseness.
Practice for at least 15 minutes every day.
Make some time so you can listen to yourself sing. As you hear your own voice, you will likely start caring less if others hear it too. In addition, you get plenty of time to improve your vocal skills, which also leads to more confidence.
You can learn to strengthen your vocal support and sing better through breathing techniques, muscle and throat exercises, and consistent vocal practice. When the voice is working well, the vocal cords act as a breath regulator; and the voice is well-supported through the balance of pressure and resistance.
Singing ability is a complex human skill influenced by genetic and environmental factors, the relative contributions of which remain unknown.
This can happen when you use too much air to sing those low notes (too much air coming out). You are probably coming down from a high note and forget to tone down your breath. For your low notes, sing them a bit more casually and avoid trying too hard.
Scared of Singing in Front of People
While there is not a specific word to describe the fear of singing (in front of people or not), glossophobia refers to a fear of public speaking. This fear is quite similar in that you put yourself and your ideas (or in this case, your voice) out in public for others to scrutinize.
The reason, we suspect, is that negative emotions trigger a system in the brain that tell us when our performance is starting to suffer. Without those feelings of anxiety and frustration, the brain isn't able to do as good a job driving optimal performance.
Anxiety keeps you alert, vigilant, and ready for optimal performance. Not only does anxiety keep you motivated, it may help you be more efficient in your actions. Research from France suggests that stress allows for efficient detection of threats, along with swift action.
Music affects the amount of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, that the body releases, and reducing these hormones can help relieve symptoms of anxiety.
If you sound like a child, it is most likely that you are not using enough diaphragm support to release your singing voice in a relaxed mode; instead you constrict your throat more, in order to squeeze out your voice.