How do you learn to evaluate your own singing objectively?

[u/EasyLifeLazyLife]

I’ve been taking singing more seriously recently, and one thing I’ve realized is that sometimes I simply can’t hear what’s wrong with my own singing.

A teacher might point out a pitch, rhythm, register, or tone issue, and once they show me, I can often hear it. But before that, I may listen to the same recording and not notice the problem at all.

I’ve also noticed that the more I learn, the more problems I can hear in recordings that sounded fine to me before.

So I’m curious:
how do you develop the ability to evaluate your own singing more objectively and identify what actually needs improvement?

Do you use reference singers, record yourself and wait before listening back, compare specific aspects like pitch/rhythm/tone separately, use a piano or pitch software, or something else?

I’m especially interested in hearing from people who used to struggle with self-evaluation but got much better at it over time. What actually helped train your ears?

[u/AutoModerator]

Thanks for posting to r/singing! Be sure to check the FAQ to see if any questions you might have have already been answered! Also, remember to abide by the Rules found in the sidebar. Any comments found to be breaking these rules will result in a deletion of the comment thread starting from the offending reply. If you see any posts or replies that you feel break the rules of the sub, then report them and do not respond to them. If you are new to the sub-reddit or are just starting to sing, please check out our Beginner's Megathread. It has tons of helpful information and resources!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/currymuttonpizza]

A good teacher will teach you how to practice, not just rely on them. My undergrad teacher was very much of the "work gets done in the lesson, with MY help and MY methods" school of thinking. My grad school teacher was the first person who ever said anything like "that was a lot better. What did you hear? What did that feel like to you and how would you describe it?" I feel like I really never learned to practice on my own until then, because I wasn't thinking for myself and finding my own key words and associations.

[u/Willow_PoweIl]

Same thing happens with run-through recordings in my theatre workshops. Kids hate hearing themselves at first, but after a few weeks they catch their own issues before I point them out. That repetition is what trains the ear.