Some singers need permission to take up space.
Others need permission to stop pushing.
The skill is knowing which is which — and when to change.
Introduction
One of the most confusing areas in contemporary singing — especially rock, pop, and expressive styles — is the relationship between volume, effort, energy, and presence.
Some singers are told to give more, commit, use the body more.
Others are told to stop projecting, stop pushing, trust the mic.
Both messages can be true.
Like so much of singing teaching, the problem begins when we treat these instructions as universal, rather than diagnostic.
This blog explores why singers get stuck between these ideas — and how to work with them intelligently rather than dogmatically.
Why opposite advice exists
At a basic level, singers tend to struggle with effort in two opposite ways.
Some singers hold back.
They under-energise, sing carefully, avoid risk, and sound smaller than they need to.
These singers often benefit from embodied sound, physical engagement, and sometimes louder work — even ‘happy yelling’, but to give permission.
Other singers over-work.
They add effort early, maybe they squeeze or push, perhaps they fatigue easily.
For them, instructions like “lets work quieter”, “don’t project” or “stop reaching” are corrective rather than limiting.
What makes this confusing is that many singers do both.
A singer can be low-energy and grip or highly energised but lack control.
This is why blanket advice fails — and why some exploration towards diagnosis matters more than method.
The volume problem
Volume is one of the most misunderstood aspects of modern singing.
When we listen to professional singers, we usually have no idea how loud they are actually singing. As listeners we also don’t instantly know the singers instrument or voice type. So when we hear ourselves singing we can make assumptions about how loud we ‘should’ be, we ‘need’ to be. It’s worth also saying that we often can’t actually tell how we sound to others. We hear things from the inside out!
The point of having this discussion is because trying to ‘be louder’ can be problematic for singers.
Why “projection” is a problematic word
When I was learning to sing we talked a lot about ‘projection’.
But it is a problematic word.
Many singers hear it as:
- pushing sound outward
- increasing volume
- driving breath toward the audience
This frequently leads to:
- excess pressure
- tension
- loss of nuance
- fatigue
I’m not saying singers are never loud
OK, so a quick note, what I’m not saying is that singers are never loud or that singers should never use loud sounds. singers do indeed use yell based sounds. BUT there are good and bad ways to use these sounds. Not ‘just yell’, not ‘pushed’, not ‘squeezed’, not ‘gripped’, not ‘projected’, not ‘chopped’, not lots of pressure. There needs to be flow and a level of ease.
Helpful exercises
*Speak the line, elongate the speech (this ensures the breath flow and that you to back off a bit- without saying that).
*Sing one of the lines of your song on an easy vowel for you e.g. ‘Eh’. (consistent volume/flow/no squeeze)
*If that feels easier then add the words back into the line matching the same mouth shape/resonance/sound of the ‘Eh’
OK so there are times when we use yell based sounds in singing; we go there but we don’t live there! There are also plenty of other options we have as singers to ensure we don’t fatigue.
Energy can read as loudness
A singer can sound bigger without being much louder if the sound is:
- rhythmically alive
- emotionally committed
- more energetically aligned
This is why singing can feel less effortful to the singer, yet read as powerful to the audience.
Energy is perceptual.
The reality of live performance
Yes — singers need to cut through/be heard over a band.
But that doesn’t automatically mean:
- more volume
- more effort
- more weight
It can mean more focus. More tuning into resonance and twang. I have blogs to read through regarding these topics.
A small, bright, well-directed sound will often cut better than a big, unfocused one — especially with a microphone. This is why there is a place for all voices and why all voices can sound powerful.
Some extra tips
In addition to being more rhythmically alive, emotionally committed, energetically aligned, tuning into your resonance and twang, there are some other acoustic ‘tricks’ which can alter the perceived weight/power of your voice. I don’t personally use these but you might like them. Things like ‘drop offs’ at the end of sung lines can make you sound weightier. Modifying vowels where appropriate. Modifying tongue placement slightly. These things are more advanced and may or may not sit well with you.
Speak the sung line, notice where your tongue sits; the shape in the mouth.
Explore moving the tongue down a little, think ‘Ah’ (this won’t work well on high notes)
How does it change the sound? Do you like it? Take care not to depress the tongue root.
Final thoughts
Like all variables in singing, there is no one single correct amount of loudness.
There is only diagnosis, choice, and sustainability.
Some singers need permission to take up space.
Others need permission to stop pushing.
The skill is knowing which is which — and when to change.
If you want to explore presence, intensity, and power in your singing without unnecessary strain, working with the voice as a responsive system — rather than forcing outcomes — please reach out.
This is where real freedom begins.
