Whether you are a singing pro or just a beginner, it is likely that at one point or another, a limited vocal range has put a damper on your confidence to sing certain songs. If you are unfamiliar with the term, "vocal range" refers to the range of notes you can reach with your singing voice. While some struggle with low notes, most people struggle with the high notes. High notes can seem very elusive, and maybe you think they are reserved for those ultra divas we see everywhere. However, everyone is capable of bridging the gap to those high notes with some effort on their part. First, let's take a moment to distinguish between the three main registers of the human voice. The first register is the deepest and most comfortable for most people to sing in. It is called "chest voice." This is typically the vocal register you talk in. The sound resonates deep within the chest cavity and is therefore given the name chest voice. On the higher end, we have "head voice." so called because these notes are much higher and lighter and resonate within the nasal and head cavities. This is the sound we usually hear when someone sings higher up in opera and classical music. Another register that actually isn't a register is called "falsetto." It contains the root "false" because, though it can be produced at almost any frequency, it is very light and airy, and the vocal cords are not actually coming together fully. Finally, the solution to hitting those powerful high notes you may hear some famous singers hit, is the lesser-known "mixed voice" or "middle voice." This is the register in between chest and head voice. It is a balance or compromise between the two. Unfortunately, if you are like many other singers, you have spent your life hitting those high notes by pulling up chest voice. Not only is this very painful, but it can be very damaging to your vocals and lead to cysts and nodules on your vocal cords - this is very bad! So to undo what you have been doing for so long, you need to start practicing going up and down scales without pulling chest. Just relax and let it happen. It may feel very strange at first, but just be very light on the bottom notes and this will help lead you into mixed voice and then head. At first, your mixed voice will be very airy and sound almost like head, but don't worry! That's normal, especially if you have been pulling chest all your life. As you continue to practice, you will slowly develop a strong mixed voice with all the power of chest voice and all the ease of head voice. |
