Why Your Throat Gets Sore When You Sing — And How to Fix It for Good

Do you feel your throat getting sore every time you sing?
If so, you’re far from alone — and there is a clear reason behind it.

After coaching adult singers for over 15 years, I can confidently tell you that most vocal soreness comes from one single habit almost every beginner shares.

It’s not your range.
It’s not your “lack of talent.”
It’s not because you're doing anything “too advanced.”

It’s simply how you start the sound.

Let’s break down what’s actually happening — and how to fix it permanently.

1. The Real Reason Your Throat Hurts: The Harsh Onset

Most adults start every phrase with what vocal science calls a hard onset.

It sounds like this:

“Uh—”

That tiny click at the beginning may seem harmless, but it’s extremely damaging over time.
Even the smallest click means your vocal folds are slamming together before they’re ready.

This is the #1 pattern I see in new singers, and it’s the fastest way to:

• strain your throat

• get tired quickly

• lose your voice

• develop chronic tension

To fix your voice, you must fix the onset.

But to understand the onset, you need to understand the breath.

2. The Breathing Mistake That Causes the Hard Onset

Most singers breathe in the worst possible way for singing:

• shoulders lift

• neck tenses

• breath is loud and high

• air intake is tiny

It looks like this:

[sharp inhale] “Ah—”

Here’s what’s wrong with that type of inhale:

❌ It uses a lot of effort for very little breath

You're working hard, but taking in barely any air.

❌ It activates the wrong muscles

Neck, shoulders, and upper chest tighten — the exact opposite of what the voice needs.

❌ It creates low lung volume

Low air volume = high air pressure when you exhale.
High pressure slams the vocal folds.

❌ It forces a micro-hold

Because the breath is so effortful, you unknowingly pause before singing.

This leads to the deadly trio:

1. Holding

2. Closing the vocal folds

3. Releasing high-pressure air into already-closed folds

→ The hard onset click

This is why your throat hurts.

3. Why Breathing Through the Nose Makes It Worse

This part is controversial, but it’s important:

For singing, breathing through the nose is NOT ideal.

Nose breathing is great for health, sleep, and relaxation —
but not for vocal efficiency.

It causes:

• delay between inhale and singing

• unnecessary closing of the vocal folds

• more micro-holding

• more pressure buildup

• more soreness

For singing, the healthiest breath is a mouth inhale.

Let’s train it.

4. How to Fix the Sore Throat: Learn the Gentle Onset

Here is the quickest way to eliminate the hard onset completely.

Step 1 — Open your mouth into a relaxed “ah”

Not wide.
Not dark.
Just gently open with lips slightly forward.

Step 2 — Bring the tip of your tongue to the upper gums

This stabilizes the tongue root without tension.

Step 3 — Inhale through the mouth silently

Feel the fresh air at the back of your throat.

No noise.
No shoulder lift.
No tension.

Step 4 — Exhale immediately with sound

No pause.
No holding.

Do this in a circular motion:

• Hand up = inhale

• Hand down = exhale with sound

Example:

“Ah—” (gentle, no click)

Repeat it a few times.

You’ll notice:

• less throat effort

• softer onset

• reduced soreness

• easier sound flow

• more comfort

• healthier voice

This one coordination alone can transform your singing.

5. Want to Fix This at the Root?

I taught this quickly here, but if you want to go deep and fully retrain your vocal habits, my 10-week one-on-one coaching program walks you through the entire foundation of functional singing step-by-step.

You’ll finish with:

• a stronger instrument

• a healthier onset

• a reliable breath

• and the ability to sing an entire song with ease
  Let’s see if we’re a good fit!