Why you sing better in the shower, explained in a minute

You don’t need autotune when the bathroom is an option. 

By Aaron Zhao

Have you ever wondered why your singing sounds so incredible in the shower but so drab anywhere else? It’s almost as if the shower has a magically refining effect on your voice… Well, it kind of does and it’s nothing but science and physics!

Muscle relaxation

It’s winter, and it’s cold. And, you may have figured out already, muscles don’t particularly like being in the cold.

This is because cold temperatures tend to mess with the contractile properties of muscles, causing it to tighten up. When this happens, the muscles in your vocal cords may become stiffer, and thus create a different sound that may not satisfy yourself or the audience.

On the other hand, warm temperature induces blood circulation, allowing for more oxygen to circulate around the body and to reach their target, in our case muscles that attribute to producing a beautiful sound.  Looking more closely at the art of singing, the reality that starts to develop is that it isn’t much different than a sport, with the dependence of different muscles cooperating, breathing technique, other technical elements, and daily practice. Like all sports, a warm-up is necessary.

Reverb

Also known as “reverberation“, this phenomenon occurs when you make a sound in a space with sound-reflective walls/surfaces. Essentially, reverb is just overlapping echos that create a very “spacious” sound.

If you go into your bathroom right now, step in the shower, and say a few words, you will find out that your voice seems to fill up the space around you. That’s because of reverb!

When singing reverb is actually a phenomenon that has aurally pleasing effects on your sound. In fact, reverb is a widely-used effect that is often added digitally over a singer’s recorded voice.

Self-confidence and happiness

Combinations can’t get better than this. When you’re in the shower, normally you do not have an audience. This removes the natural stress that comes with performing in front of others, and allows you to sing openly. There’s no one to judge you, and judgement certainly has a negative impact on performance.

Additionally, bathing in the warmth of your shower makes you physically and emotionally happy. You know how it feels to step into that shower after a tiring cold day. That warm buzzing feeling essentially rejuvenates your body and mind, and fills you with passion and relaxation. It comes without surprise that mentality has a significant impact on singing, just like how a person’s past experiences can affect their emotions/way of speaking.

Make the most out of your shower with singing

Now that you know why your voice sounds incredible in the bathroom, go take a shower and experience true bliss!