Following the original vocal is useful while you learn a melody, but it becomes a problem when it masks your own pitch, breath, and lyric endings. If you cannot hear yourself, you cannot fix the line. This recipe uses a reduced-vocal practice mix, one short lyric loop, and a quick recording check so you can find the space where your voice belongs.
Choose one line where your voice disappears
Do not sing the whole song today. Pick one lyric line where your voice gets covered, your breath runs out, or the first note feels late. A single line is narrow enough to hear the real problem and repeat it several times without fatigue.
Lower the original vocal before muting it
You do not need to start with a completely silent vocal stem. In Jium, lower the original vocal so the melody reference remains, but your own voice has room to appear. If the original vocal stays too loud, you keep hiding behind it; if it disappears too soon, you may lose the guide.
Loop one lyric line with a short lead-in
Set the loop from one or two seconds before you sing, through the problem lyric line, and up to the next line entrance. That window captures breath preparation, the first note, the phrase ending, and the transition into the next section.
Record once, then adjust the vocal level
Record one quick pass and listen back immediately. Check whether the first note is late, the long note falls, the ending closes too early, or the breath arrives too late. If your voice is clear, lower the original vocal more; if the melody reference disappears, bring it back slightly.