Tag Archive for: strain on high notes

THREE SECRETS TO HIGH NOTES

/0 Comments/in /by
  1. DON’T STRAIN OR PUSH
    When it comes to high notes, most people think that if they just try a little harder, those notes will come out. Singers often sabotage themselves by straining to hit a note that they could probably hit if they weren’t straining to hit it!
    Start by relaxing through your shoulders, neck and jaw. Take this to another level by trying this bent over with your arms hanging down while singing- at least until you can be just as relaxed when you’re upright.
  2. TRY A SPOKEN SOUND
    Strangely enough, many people hit those high notes in their everyday speech, free from strain. Then they go to sing the same pitch range and it’s suddenly much harder. (It’s a Right Brain VS Left Brain thing – but I’ll cover that in a future tip).
    Try this: say “Woo-hoo!”, really excited, like you’re cheering for your favorite team. You just hit some fairly high notes, free from strain and effort. Now go back and forth between the spoken and sung sounds in that range until your sung notes feel just as easy.
  3. OPEN UP
    Technically speaking, one of the biggest obstacles to reaching higher pitches is the position of your larynx (pronounced LAIR-inks) or voice box. Most singers instinctively raise their larynx as the pitch goes up. This puts strain on the vocal cords by needlessly stretching them, actually inhibiting the pitch (usually causing the note to go flat).
    So open up. Start a little extreme by dropping your larynx like you’re about to yawn. Holding your hand on your throat to feel the bump of your larynx, and see if you can sing without the voice box moving back up. This takes some practice. Notice where your body really wants to fight it and work to control those areas. Once you’ve proven to your brain that the larynx doesn’t need to come up when you sing, you can try singing with it neutral (which is the goal) rather than dropped (in the yawn position).