High notes. They are often simultaneously the most wonderful part of a song and the most difficult. One of the most common things that singers want to know is how to sing higher. Common singing lore would implore you to “Give it more support” or “Breathe deeply and relax.” Those statements are about as helpful as they are clear.
Often times people will say things like, “The range you have now is the range you were born with”. Totally untrue. Don’t believe it. It’s more like, “The range you have now is the range that you’ve been corrupted into by poor instruction.” Think of it that way. What we’re going to focus on doing here is giving you a few concrete things that you’ll be able to do in order to really start to increase your vocal range.
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So here’s where to start. Be certain that at the beginning of your practice sessions you always, always take the time to warm up gently. One of the simplest and most effective ways you can warm up is by humming a five tone scale ascending and descending starting on Do and moving up to Sol and back down to Do again. Keep doing this until you reach the highest that you can sing while comfortable and relaxed vocally.
Once you’re warm, there are two exercises to focus on. These are going to help you develop the vocal coordination it takes to truly extend your range and learn how to sing higher by developing a strong mix voice. The mix is the register between pure chest and pure head voice. The first exercise is as follows:
1. Start by doing lip rolls on a five tone scale, starting from Do and moving up to Sol and back down. This is the same scale used in your humming warm up. Take your pointer finger and middle finger from both hands and press to your cheeks on both sides of your mouth so your lips can move freely and make a “Brr” sound. It is vital to concentrate on keeping your throat and muscles relaxed. Do not sing higher than is naturally comfortable.
2. After moving up and down through your range one time, repeat this exercise instead saying “Nay”on every note ascending and descending the scale. Focus on a very, very nasal sound. When you’re getting to your break, focus on a more nasal sound to stay relaxed as you transition into your mix and then into your head voice.
These exercises will begin to train you in the correct habits and vocal coordinations that you never learned when you began singing so that you can start to extend your range. The Singing Success program has helped thousands extend their range the correct way- singing how you speak. Click here if you’re serious about extending your range and developing correct singing habits.
Photo by Keoni Cabral.
