Why do some people put one hand on their ear when they're singing, even when they're not using earphones?

Answer 1

because they think it looks cool :-)

Answer 2

when we speak or sing, the sound usually travels away from us. the sound waves push the air in wave form, called compression and rarefaction waves. ( that means, the air bunches up and then spreads out, which makes other air bunch up and spread out,etc) What we generally hear is the echo or feedback of our own noise, as it travels through the air that way. When you cup your ear, the hand acts as a reflector screen, and helps direct some of the sound back into the ear, where the usual process of hearing carries on. One gets more feedback.
Now, if you've ever recorded yourself, and in this day and age, it's hard not to, the first time you listen to it is a shock because you finally hear your voice the way the rest of the world hears it. Most of us go eeeew, and don't like what we hear. That's when we start taking voice lessons, because we want to get the "outside sound" to match up with what our imagination tells us our "inside sound" sounds like. It takes work, practice and patience because you are literally retraining your sense of hearing, as well as fine-tuning your sense of how your voice works.
As the other folks have answered, you cup your ear to hear yourself better. But vocally speaking, it's not gonna help too much. It'll only let you know that, yes, you can be heard. Better train your sense of what the rest of your body is telling you: f'rinstance, whether the muscles in your stomach and back are giving you the right amount of breath support; whether your throat is open and easy; whether your jaw is tight or free; whether your tongue and teeth are doing their jobs properly, so we can understand what it is you're trying to tell us, and so on.
Okay, lecture's over, go and sing!
Best wishes

Answer 3

When people like Mariah Caery and myself do that is to try to level our ears so that we can here ourselfs because the music be to loud. For example when you're at a party and the music on blast, someone calls your cell phone you answer but you can't ear them cause yo music to loud and so you put ya hand in your ear to try to here them but you in this case in up either turning the music down or going into another roomso that you can here.

Answer 4

So they can hear themselves over the instruments or other singers. If you are singing harmonies with others, or just singing with musicians, it may be difficult to pick out your voice in all that your hearing. When "plug" one ear, you close out the external sound, and you hear yourself better.

Answer 5

If you cover an ear, or both ears, you can hear your voice "in" your head, so you can check your voice every now and then

Answer 6

AUDITORY DELUSION: When someone actually thinks cupping their hand over their ear makes them sound better.

Answer 7

It helps you to hear your own voice when there are other voices or instruments near by.

Answer 8

It blocks out any other noise and lets them here there voice, pitch and other stuff.

Answer 9

It blocks out misc. noise and lets them hear pitch better

Answer 10

since everyone has answered the same.....w/ hearing their own pitch.

I'll toss this out: They do it cuz of habit.

Answer 11

Because they dont want to hear their rubbish.