| Original Publish Date: November 24, 2020 Last updated: December 3, 2020 |
Have you ever wondered how to improve your high notes? Read on!
Choose a phrase from a song you are working on that has a high note you want to improve. Get yourself near a pitch reference such as a piano app, and make sure you know the important pitches in your phrase so you don’t need to sing along with a recording. If you aren’t sure of your notes, ask a friend to help. Now, take a minute to rid your body of tension, stand in a relaxed but tall posture while you take a few easy breaths.
Vocal Exercises for You
This may seem counter-intuitive. Sing the phrase at a much lower pitch to help you sing accurately and expressively in an easy range. Sometimes we are so concerned with that one high note, that we forget to make that phrase artful and expressive!
Sing the whole phrase at the correct pitch using one vowel (“Ah,” “Eh,” “Ee” “Oh” or “Oo”) and no words. Enjoy more freedom without the consonants! Splat-like vowels such as “Ah” will help you blend chest and head resonance, while hooty vowels such as “oo” help you sing in head register. Remember, singing fully in your upper register even if you wouldn’t do that in a performance, helps you mix your upper and lower register together.
Start one octave below your high note and slide up to the high note and then right back down in a continuous slide. Sing whatever syllable goes on that note. Notice how much less tension you feel when you slide “through” the note. Do this at the correct pitch, plus try it a few notes lower and work your way up.
You Can Do It!
If you found one of these exercises helped your voice feel freer on a high note, then gradually, you will be able to transfer that freedom you achieved in the exercise to the phrase sung normally.
Remember, we are all born with physical limits to our range, but most singers don’t realize they have more range available to them. Vocal exercises help you use your upper register with less tension and more strength.
Memorable Performances
Beyoncé’s 2019 Juneteenth release shows off her musical dexterity and wide palette of vocal textures. Drawing from African folk, gospel and EDM, her uplifting vocals are a call to action and a celebration of her influences.
3 Days Until Indie Summit
The INDIE MUSICIAN SUMMIT is a free 3-day online conference, including 25+ speakers and featured artist performances from the 27th to 29th of November. Singdaptive’s own VP of Curriculum, Kathy Alexander, will be presenting on how singers can take control of their development by addressing multiple areas of the singing life.
Kathy Alexander is VP of Curriculum for Singdaptive. She was a staff writer for 6 years at VoiceCouncil Magazine and works for the University of Victoria as a practicum supervisor. Kathy is also a singer, vocal coach and choir director. Career highlights include guest appearances in Europe with Quannah Parker jazz fusion band in Norway, and back on the West Coast with Vision TV’s Let’s Sing Again, The Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra and the Victoria International Jazz Festival.
