The voice in your head vs the voice outside

How do you all hear yourself inside your heads? I’ve read and heard that we tend to hear our voices internally as more subdued and controlled or something than they actually sound outside of our heads. And I’ve heard they sound more bassy outside.

I don’t find my voice sounds more bassy outside my head though. To me, when I sing and hear it in my head, it sounds:-

1. Deeper (in a way I like)

2. Fuller

3. Much more enthusiastic

4. Not nasal

5. Not brassy or Kylie Minoque-like if that makes sense to anyone here

6. No more or less in tune/key than when I hear it recorded (which is good I guess!)

When I hear my voice recorded, it sounds:-

1. Lighter / weaker, even when singing notes I always considered sounded (in my head) very deep and low

2. Lethargic and “shy” (I think cause I pull myself into a shell and become hyper aware of every little thing I’m doing, and I try to counteract some of the things I don’t like hearing, so I’m not relaxed enough to put much oomph into it)

3. Verging on nasal sometimes. I can feel this in the back of my throat / nose area when I’m actually singing, but can’t hear it really in my head

4. REALLY brassy and with a HORRIBLE quality sometimes…usually when I feel like I’m really getting into the song and when it sounds especially good and strong in my head. This really disappoints me, and actually may explain why I sound so quiet and subdued when I record myself singing, cause I feel I’m not able to let go in a song or I’ll get that horrible brassy tone again.

Anyway, I just thought it’d be interesting to hear how everyone thinks they sound in their own head and outside when recorded, and what the differences are to you.

lets see now...as for inside my head....i get points 3,4,5,6.....i like the sound of my voice in my head....if only other heard me that way....when recorded....i get points 2 and 4......hmmm.....i sound much deeper outside my head....its weird to me....i h8 hearing my voice....because i'm used to the one in my head...and that one is much nicer....lol...

I actually don't think about this whole thing anymore at all...I used to though. Nowadays I like the voice outside my head more. I don't think I can really even hear the voice inside me, I don't know how to explain what I mean, but it's more of a feeling a voice than actually hearing it properly. It's not like I can sing and listen to myself like on a record, I have to record myself to do that. lol Also I know how my voice will sound outside when I sing from a feeling I get, so I won't be surprised of the quality when I record myself. Like I know it will be nasal if I sang wrong etc,. All this probably comes from recording myself a lot, I recommend.

Your "head voice" sounds more bassy because the sound waves travel mostrly through your skull. When you hear your voice recorded, your voice travels through the air into the microphone.

The rest of the world listens to your voice through the air. You just have to get used to hearing it that way.

I'm getting there. Years ago I sang a LOT and never really recorded. Whenever I did try and record, it was using cheap and poor quality means, like an old 80s tape player, or later on, a phone, etc. Nowadays I tend to mostly sing whilst recording (unless I'm purely relax-singing and just want to sing along with my favourite songs and not think about it), and have a proper microphone (though I still have major issues with getting a good, clear sound)

Start using a good monitor speaker when you sing. This will help you reconcile the voice inside your head with the voice outside your head. Also, don't be afraid to use the EQ on the mixing board. I personally use +6 High, +3 Mid, and -3 Low to make the voice coming out of the monitor match the voice coming out of my mouth. Your needs may be different.

Inside and outside never match.

I almost always practice with a pa, that way I hear in real time which techniques are working and which ones aren't, for any given tune.

Recording your singing is a big plus too.

On the other hand , I do like to sing a little each day with no pa, cause sometimes you are required to perform dry.

Get used to it, get used to it, get used to it.

And even if you're not, don't be too hard on yourself.

John Lennon HATED the sound of his own voice, that's why he liked to use so much delay on his vocals.

And the late Michael Jackson always thought his brother Jermaine had a better voice than he did.

Not trying to compare myself to the great Dr Winston O'Boogie but I used to try as many production tricks as I could to make me not sound like me. Now I just accept that some people actually like my voice - even if I don't

I'd heard that, about John Lennon. Also Jimi Hendrix didn't like his voice.

I much prefer using reverb with mine. It softens the yuckness I hear in the tone. *vomit* lol

Yep, me too. I couldn't imagine hearing my voice with no reverb!

Actually, the hand-held digital recorder I use every day has a button to switch off reverb, and I will occasionally take a brief listen to the dry vocal. I'm getting somewhat used to even this sound--but I believe it will be a while before I can stand to listen to more than a few seconds in this format.

Yikes!

After decades of hearing this kind of thing from other singers, I've come to the conclusion that I might be one of 4 people on the planet that likes the sound of his recorded voice.

I think this inside/outside issue is something everyone deals with at one point or another.

An issue I have, is that I hear in my head what I think it SHOULD sound like, but when I hear myself recorded, it's very different....

Heck, even singing in a room and hearing that echo back is different from what I hear recorded.

I've started to find that one ear on/one ear off with the headset is making me feel more comfortable....however "diva" it may look.

The one good thing about hearing myself recorded is the parts that sound *better* than in my head. When you hear something that you hardly believe came from your body. Now, the double-edged sword to that is...it makes me want to have the rest of the recording sound as perfect and wonderful. It almost seems to bring out the qualities I don't like about my voice by comparison. But at least there's hope! At least there's actual, verifiable, physical evidence of that hope.

If you can't hear those good parts, grace, email me. I love your voice and would be more than happy to point out the greatness.

It's true.

I'd think I rocked out and watch video back and be like, "Eh..."

Or I'd think I sucked balls and watch video and be like, "Damn, I'm good." LOL

How do super celeb singers always get it right? Oh yeah, they sing to recordings...

Stiletto!! You're my biggest fan. lol.

I can hear certain "nice" aspects to my voice when it's played back, but...meh. They don't mean much to me. I want what I hear in my head, con sarn it! lol

I'm way more used to dealing with the difference and appreciating some of what I hear these days though, which is a good step forward.

I also think that one good thing is that maybe a reason why we have issues with hearing ourselves played back is because we actually LIKE what we hear in our heads. So for us to like it, this must mean there's hope. My partner says she can't sing, so she obviously doesn't like what she hears in her head. So...that's not good, is it? lol. At least I like SOMETHING about my own voice! lol

Two things are crucial--one is simply listening to oneself every day and getting used to the sound. This takes a bit of time, but it does happen. Don't miss a single day if you can help it. IMHO this is more important than doing scales.

In the meantime, one has to understand that other people do not hear your voice the way that you do. Even though the recording represents what you actually sound like, other people do not have the sweet internal sound to compare it to. What makes us (most of us, at least) dislike our voice is the vast difference between what we hear inside and what we hear outside--that's what creates the cringe.

This is theoretical solace, I know, in that it asks you to trust knowledge over feeling, but it can help to soften the cringe until you actually start appreciating your voice.

HEY LADY BRO

This is the main problem I have.

In my head, if it sounds like I'm singing normally, the recording sounds like I'm half asleep.

If I feel like I'm getting all intense, the recording sounds about normal. And I have to go bat{censored} nuts to get an intense recorded performance.

Of course, during all this, pitch goes right out the window

This is all exacerbated by the fact that the other bro in my band is basically Jack Black. This mess just seems to come naturally to him.

I am the same, yep. I feel like, when I'm singing along to CDs or whatever, that I'm really in with the music, like I'm totally IN the moment vocally...all intense or whatever. But then now that I'm hearing myself recorded, I'm like...oh my god, why do I sound like I'm drugged or something!?!? The voice in my head sounds enthused, bright and strong. The voice I'm hearing playing back to me sounds soft, timid and one-dimensional/weak!

Jack Black, eh? lol

HEY LADY BRO

Yeah, just don't do what I did and try to compensate for it by pushing. It was pretty hard on my voice, and didn't really sound much better.

After many long hours analyzing vocals in the lab, and a consultation with my vocal coach, I decided that the right way to do it is focus on the accents (particularly at the beginning of words) and to have proper breath support without pushing.

And, of course, we both follow the Jack Black philosophy - what we lack in talent, we make up for with intensity.