who can sing?

[ticklebug101]

Hey guys.
Ok so I'm practising a song for an audition, and it is really high!
So I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to sing high notes without them sounding screechy. I dont sing bad, I can keep in tune, but this has to be recorded and I dont want it to sound like a cat being strangled lol.
Any help would be appriciated, thanks,
Bug 🙂

 

[Camel26]

First, when you warm up prior to singing, make sure that you warm up your LOW range...forgetting to warm up both high and low registers = no good.

For hitting the high notes clearly, without sounding as though you are straining, my choir director always told us to make our throat/palate feel as if we have an orange in our throats...to keep things open...and using visual of some sort--like pushing the sound up over the top of a hill when attempting to hit higher notes/lift your palate...

Otherwise, practice, practice, practice--vocal memory is a beautiful thing. If you can get the notes down prior, it will be easier for you to hit them when it counts!

Kick some vocal booty, love!!!

 

[Frost King]

well i am a singer in a band but i do use loud vocals but i do do clean vocals aswell but i usally do breathing exercises to warm up to and it helps alot

 

[Horus]

Being a horn player and singing in choirs, I have always found that starting in the lower register get the breathing working.

The embochure (lips) for horn players get vibrating, for singers, it's vocal chords.

Whenever we go for the high notes, put enough air pressure behind it notes to sustain them. Condition your lungs to breath while phrasing.

 

[chicag0]

I wish I could sing. I play guitar casually and many times I get frustrated because my voice is average at best. Oh well.

 

[Dave2112]

I've been a vocalist in various bands of different types of music over the years, and I can say that you've gotten some really good advice from Camel.

Have you ever experimented with falsetto? You can really extend your range if you can pull off a good falsetto with just enough "meat" so it doesn't sound too airy.

 

[SilverleafLycan1]

Well, to be a little bit of a downer, if you have a lot of trouble hitting higher notes, or if they are very screechy, there might not be much you can do.

I've been pretty luck throughout my vocal career (choir all through school, couple bands, constantly singing on my free time) that i expanded my falsetto and my low registers by a few notes. Back in high school I had picked up just over a 4 octave range.

Honestly, practice is the biggest thing you can do. If you hit a little bit of a high-end for your range, with enough practice, you can generally push an extra note or so higher. It'll be hard at first and you will most likely will crack a few times, but keep up at it and the note should eventually smooth out. The screechy sound might be able to be adjusted by how loud you sing the note. Once you can hit the high register fairly regularly (well, whichever 'high' you're looking for), try quieting down some, it might smooth the sound out and sweeten it some. If that doesn't work try belting it, it could take the sound from screechy to a more clear sound.

Personally, belting has always helped me hit higher notes when i'm not in falsetto. When I am in my falsetto, the softer I am the sweeter it will generally sound.

Best of luck.

 

[Horus]

I'm able to double on Baritone Bass to Tenor. When I was in Jr. High, I went from a 2nd Soprano in the Winter Concert to a Bass in the following Spring Concert.

As far as brass goes, I was able to play French Horn, Baritone Horn and trumpet in the same sitting. Different types of breathing for each horn.

 

[Dave2112]

I agree with SilverLeafLycan for the most part. A good prtion of vocal range is something you either have or don't. Like any instrument, you can practice it and perfect it (your voice), but most people are limited in range by what their physiology allows. Doesn't mean you can't train to extend that a bit. But, a natural 2-octave isn't going to jump to a 4-octave no matter how much training you get.

As you age, things can change as well. I have a pretty decent range...being able to comfortable control the lower registers with power, ala Greg Lake or John Wetton...and could still hit the highs alright. But, when I was younger, I could pull off Journey, Zebra, old Rush, etc. Now, I have to limit some of those songs to the end of a set, or drop it a step (keychange). I can still hit a lot of it, but holding it is a problem as I get older, and some of that upper register is starting to drop a little.

 

[Cbarton]

The best thing you can do is practice, practice, practice. The more you sing, the more you'll be able to stretch your range a few notes. However, unless you work at it daily, as you get older, your range will lower. I used to sing tenor until the change hit my sophomore year, then I became a baritone. 30+ years later I am a bass that can still pull off baritone ranges, depending on the key.

All the previous advice from Camel and others hold true: warm up low, breathe much. The diaphragm is just as important as your vocal chord to give you power and musicality. The worst thing you can do is try to press it from your throat or stretch your neck upwards to hit the pitch. All that will do is strain your vocal chords and hinder your progress. Sing from the gut and much as the throat!