Voice Crack Advice - Never See Them As A Negative!

Hello, and welcome to my first blog post! I wanted to address something that I know has always affected my students in the past. I hope you find it informative.

When teaching singing, it is always so interesting to hear a new voice with it's own character and identity. Sometimes a voice can be really smooth; sometimes a voice can be quite low or quite high in pitch; sometimes a voice can sound really bright (think higher pitched spoken voice like Ariana Grande) or it can have some real depth to it (think Joanna Lumley or Nat King Cole). Every voice is completely different, and it is always fascinating to hear how someone's voice comes out when they speak or sing.

There is always one thing that catches singers/voice users out when they are learning or even when they are performing, and that is the dreaded 'voice crack'. Now, I have been performing or recording at times and my voice has cracked or squeaked for what feels like no reason at all. I tend to know why it has happened to myself afterwards (sometimes it's not warming up enough, sometimes it's not drinking enough water, sometimes it is nerves, and sometimes it's just my allergies being annoying), but for a student learning how to sing/speak professionally it can be a huge blow to the way that they view their voice. The psychological effect that the 'voice crack' can have on a singer or voice user can really affect the way that they sing a certain song, how long it takes them to have the courage to try singing that song again, or even delay them using their voice for public speaking or voiceovers.

The biggest piece of voice crack advice I can give is this: it is a positive thing. Yes, you read that correctly. Voice cracks should always be seen as a positive. Why? Hear me out on this one.

The voice cracks happen due to a variety of reasons - it could be that the singer is not breathing correctly; it could be caused by the fluctuation of hormones during puberty/perimenopause/menopause/transitioning; it could be the singer is pushing the power in their voice from their throat instead of utilising back and abdominal muscles; it could be the voice user isn't breathing correctly; it could be the singer might be nervous about singing the song, and so their voice waivers - the list goes on. The main thing is, these are all occurrences that are in the singer's control and your voice cracking is a warning to say that the voice isn't completely happy. The voice crack is your warning sign.

Believe me when I say that viewing a voice crack in a positive way is easier said than done. It took a long time for me to get to the point that it didn't affect me too much psychologically and emotionally if my voice cracked. The voice is so complex in comparison to any other instrument, and it is created solely by that individual human making their vocal folds create a sound. So if a squeak or a crack or a sudden voice drop/uplift happens, it can feel quite embarrassing and really affect how the singer/voice user performs going forward. The voice is so intertwined with the voice users emotions that the slightest imbalance in their thought process can really affect how that voice sounds when it is created.

Also, you cannot see what happens to the voice when a voice crack happens, so you have to go by feel and sound alone to figure out how to rectify it going forwards. The psychological impact of this is magnified purely through not being able to see the issue that caused the voice crack in the first place, and if it is always associated with negative feedback from the voice user, teacher, or music professional then trying to solve the issue can take longer due to those psychological barriers. This is so different when comparing the voice to an instrument such as guitar or piano, as at least you can see if you are holding your hands in the right way, or not putting enough pressure on the guitar frets. You can't chop your head off to look at how your voice is moving and put your head back on again - you have to trust how your voice feels to make sure that your voice works optimally.

The takeaway from this post is this: If you are singing/vocalising something and a voice crack happens, do not judge yourself for it. Take a breath and use it as a tool to help you figure out why the voice crack happened in the first place. If it felt as though you didn't support your voice enough, engage those abdominal and back muscles and try again. If it felt as though you backed off due to anxiety or nerves, try doing a breathing exercise or some meditation, have some water and try the song again with more gusto. If you felt it was due to not breathing correctly, go through the song or script and see where you can take those big breaths in through your nose to gain more breath control. If it felt as though there was pain, and the pain continues going forwards, see a GP to get your voice checked.

Voice cracks are the way your voice is trying to tell you something. Do not judge yourself if they do happen. It is all part of being human.

If the above resonates with you, and you feel that you would like to give voice lessons a go, get in touch. :)

© Penny Fazackerley 8th September 2026