Increasing your Range

How does one go about increasing one's vocal range?  And do you need a voice teacher to help you?

First, to increase one's range, several factors need to be considered and worked on during practice:
1) Breath Management and Support
2) Larynx Position
3) Shaping of the Vocal Tract and Resonance
4) General "Freedom" in one's singer/Lack of physical tension
5) Picking the Right Music to Sing that builds your range.

As you can see from the above, all of these topics should be the area of expertise of  a great voice teacher.  While you can probably gain a note or two by just practicing on your own, most singers need a voice teacher to help them expand their range by a considerable amount.  I have had students literally add an octave or more to their voice and gain notes on both ends (more low and high pitches).  I do this primarily by working the middle of the voice and addressing the topics above, which, after some time, results in a major increase in one's range.  Singing one high note (or low note) repeatedly will not increase your range and may even reduce your range if you are singing with significant tension.

Unfortunately, increasing your vocal range is not easy, simple, or fast.  A voice teacher can be your guiding hand to increasing your range through the careful choice of music repertoire and technical exercises.

DWS