How Do I Increase My Range and Hit The High Notes?

Let me first tell you a story about the old Classical school,  then a more ‘modern’ approach.  Then I will tell you what we do in these programs which I find works even better.

 

First, there was the OLD school…the traditional or ‘Classical’ school of vocalizing.    Think Pavarotti.  Think Opera.

 

The old school obviously produced and produces some great vocalists.  Though it doesn’t really suit modern singing styles.  It can sound ‘old’.  It doesn’t sound modern.  But still very beautiful !!!

 

The traditional school ( Classical and Opera ) treats your instrument as one continuous register.

 

The challenge with the traditional ( Opera, Classical ) approach is that it usually takes a long time ( years ) to increase your range by just a few notes. With the traditional approach basically either you have it or you don’t… and most don’t.

The great news for us is that there is a more effective and easier way.

Then came a more modern ( in the 1970’s ) ‘Register’ approach which looks at different registers within the human voice.  For example, the high notes are one register.  The low notes are a completely different part of the instrument, and as such approached differently.   Think Steve Wonder.

 

When I started teaching the register approach many years ago,  suddenly we could easily get to all those notes that used to be out of reach.  It felt like a magic breakthrough.

 

Who uses the register approach?

 

Popular artists from Taylor Swift. Stevie Wonder to Diana Ross… from Michael Bolton to Madonna.  It isn’t ALL they use, but the register approach was a foundation.

This Register approach has been a cool ‘secret’ to hitting high notes and increasing range.

So how do we effortlessly sing the high notes?

 

Teachers who teach this register technique will teach you simple, even silly sounding exercises called Lip Rolls and Tongue Trills to activate the singer’s upper registers.

Try this…

First: Sing a low note with your chesty early ‘first thing in the morning’ voice…Ahhhh.  Place your hand on your chest as you do this and feel the chest resonate.

This is your chest register.

Second: Place your hand on the back of your head and tone a very high hooty ‘Hooooo’ sound like an Owl would make.

Did you feel the resonance on the back of your head? This is your head register. The discovery of the head register is a secret many artists raved about.

Because for the first time they were able to sing high.  Like Elton John.

Note that this is not the same as falsetto, that airy/breathy sound where the vocal cords don’t close completely.  Which is wonderful for some things.  A pure head register doesn’t sound airy.

 

Their ‘secret’… The secret to full, rich and effortless high notes ( as well as very high notes ) was learning how to combine ( or ‘Mix ) the chest register with the head register in the same note.

This gave your sound the richness and depth of the chest sound with the extended range and freedom of the head sound…both at the same time…in the same high note!

I’m glad you took the time to read about the one more modern way that people learned to get the high notes.  It helps to understand what is possible for you today.

 

In these programs we LEARN to sing ALL of the high notes.

Because it is so much fun to be able to sing any song in any key!   Being able to sing all the high notes gives us confidence too.

 

It gives songs an effortless natural and authentic feeling.

Here is an article about how your vocal cords work which is helpful to understand…  ‘Meet Your Vocal Cords!‘