Singing High Notes

When I start voice lessons with a new student, one of the first questions I ask is "What do you want to achieve in the next year?"  Almost without exception, one response is to sing high notes better and expand their vocal range.

Expanding your vocal range and improving high notes is more than a matter of repetition; you have to know how to practice to expand your range and sing high notes effortlessly.  Singing high notes is essentially the Olympics of singing; it requires a tremendous amount of skill, talent, and practice to sing high notes without tension or visible stress.

The first step is to diagnose the issue: what is preventing your high notes from coming out easily?  There are several typical culprits and solutions available.

• Improper breathing or poor breath support
  • With breathing techniques, the issue is not often lack of air, but a lack of proper support.  When you breath, it is essential that your body relax the diaphragm in order to allow your larynx to remain stable while attempting a high note.  A deep breath is absolutely critical to producing a high note.
• Vocal tension caused by the tongue or jaw
  • Any amount of tension in your face, especially your tongue, will prevent high notes from forming.  I have several exercises I use to increase your flexibility and reduce tension.
• Lack of modification in the vowel to resonate well in your high range
  • Certain vowels are easier to produce on high notes than others.  The key is figuring out which is best for you and modifying the other less resonant vowels.  There is an actual science to this that takes too much space to explain in a blog post, but is VERY USEFUL in voice lessons.
• Mental block
  • High notes are scary.  Overcoming your internal criticisms is as important as the physical technique needed to sing a high note.

In summary, you can learn to sing high notes easily and with confidence.  It just takes a lot of work and a good singing coach!

DS