Do singers hate their voice?

I’m not sure about that, but I think you just lack confidence. Everyone agrees that you sing wel, so why don’t you?

Sometimes people just feel negatively about their skills, but it’s the people around them who determine if they really have the skills.

I would guess singers listen to their voice so much they become accustomed to how they sound. Most people never listen to what they really sound like, and so when they hear their own voice they are shocked by how they sound.

I’m not a singer, that’s just my guess.

It’s surprising how many great vocalists are disatisfied with the sound of their instrument. I’d be very interested if anyone here could point to any studies on the subject.

I suspect that there are several different factors at play here.

One is that what any person singing hears is different than what an audience, even of one, hears. A second is that professional singers are trained, so not only are they used to hearing what their voice sounds like on a recording, they know how to adjust it to get what they consider to be the ideal effect. Be it live or in a recording studio, enough practice is put in on the front end in order to know what to do to achieve the desired result.

So do singers hate it? It’s unlikely. They may be dissatisfied at times, but is more likely that it is because they are their own worst critic.

I don’t like my voice, but most everyone says it’s okay. Maybe they just like screwing with me?

We’re our own worst critics. People tend to either think they’re brilliant (look at all those American/British/Australian Idol contestants!) or they’re super critical. In my experience, the people who have a high opinion of their talents are usually those who have the least cause to be so thrilled with themselves. On the flipside, the people who really do have talent are often the ones with self-doubt and who question and critique themselves mercilessly.

As to whether you’re talented, look at the people giving you praise. If it’s family and friends, take it with a large grain of salt. Family and friends love us and we can do no wrong. Look again at all those Idol contestants. Family and friends let them go on television and humiliate themselves! However, if it’s your voice coach, your singing teacher, people who work in a recording studio and work with vocalists every day, then listen to them and trust they know what they’re talking about. As I said to start with, we are our own worst critics.

I’m a singer. I have had lessons for the past 15 yrs and sing professionally from time to time. I have also recently started singing with a band. People are always very complimentary about my voice and yet, when I hear it played back to me, I cringe!! I just don’t sound the same in reality as I do in my head. However, I am starting to accept my voice for how others hear it and believe that others do like what they are hearing when I sing.

The Bard wrote that familiarity breeds contempt.

If they do then they have a perverse way of hiding the fact.

Both Eric Clapton and Greg Altman didn’t think they had good voices.