Vocal ranges: coach has tips for high notes

Concerns about vocal ranges should not be taken lightly. The high notes of a singer are like gold, they are the “shine” of the singer. But they often come at a cost; a singer cannot just take them for granted. They need to be planned in advance so that these notes at the far end of the normal vocal ranges can be played accurately. Here are five tips that will help ensure that both high and low grades win the jackpot.

Set the high note with an early consonant.

To sing the vowel of the word it belongs to, which is directly in time, you must sing the consonant before the word, during part of the time span of the previous word. And in addition, you must sing the consonant in the tone of the word before the highest note. It is especially important to make the articulation of the consonants very rhythmic.

Go a little earlier to the high notes.

When faced with a high note, don’t pause and hesitate as you regain your strength. Slowing down is the worst strategy here. Instead, sing the note right in the front of the beat. Let the music take you. It gives your high notes “loft”.

Just try saying the highest note.

You will often find what I call a “popup” note. This is a short high note at the top of the bow that immediately returns to a lower register. Most singers tend to make even these short notes on target. They aim for the high note and sing it too loud and too long.

This high note is not destiny. You’re just going through it and the less fuss you do, the better. So why not imagine that you are speaking it instead of singing it? The mind is a powerful force when you sing and, oddly enough, sometimes if you imagine that you are speaking, the highest note will just come out easily and in pitch.

A note on low notes.

Don’t forget about the low notes. As you expand the limits of your vocal ranges, you will see that many of the little techniques that I use on the upper range notes work equally well on the lower notes. It is especially important to go early to the low notes and equally important to imagine that you are singing in your spoken voice.

Bonus tip for ups and downs.

When you’re at the extremes of your vocal ranges, special tricks come into play even more. Here’s one you can use, but please use it sparingly. When you’re about to land on a high note, move your jaw inward, like a rabbit with buck teeth. Play the note (s) and return your jaw to a normal relaxed position. For a low note, try the opposite. As you get closer to the note, move your jaw slightly forward, as if you are going to catch the note in a basket as it falls. And, of course, back to normal.

But, as always, support is the magic bullet. So dig into those legs and dive even deeper as your vocal ranges expand.