The perception of our own voice can be different from how others hear it due to a phenomenon known as the "auditory-vocal loop." When we speak or sing, the sound vibrations travel through the air and reach our ears, but they also travel through our body and reach our inner ears as bone-conducted sound. This dual pathway creates a difference between the sound we hear internally (through bone conduction) and the sound that reaches our ears externally.
When we hear our own voice externally (air-conducted sound), it's a combination of both the sound vibrations produced by our vocal cords and the resonances of our throat, mouth, and nasal cavities. This creates a richer and deeper sound to ourselves. However, when others hear our voice, they only hear the air-conducted sound without the added resonances, resulting in a slightly different perception.
To compensate for this discrepancy and to develop accuracy in singing, singers rely on several techniques and tools:
Ear training: Singers undergo ear training to develop a keen sense of pitch and intervals. They learn to recognize and reproduce different musical notes accurately.
Vocal exercises: Singers practice vocal exercises, scales, and arpeggios to develop control over their voice and improve pitch accuracy.
Vocal coaches: Working with vocal coaches or music instructors can provide valuable feedback and guidance to singers, helping them identify and correct pitch-related issues.
Recording and listening: Singers often record their performances and listen back to them to evaluate their pitch and tone objectively.
Singing with accompaniment: Singing along with instruments or a backing track can help singers stay on pitch and adjust their vocal timbre to match the music.
Vocal monitoring technology: In some cases, singers may use in-ear monitors or other vocal monitoring technology during live performances to hear their own voice more accurately.
With practice and experience, singers can develop a more reliable sense of their own voice and its pitch, allowing them to sing the correct tones even with the disparity between how they hear themselves and how others hear them.