For anyone that's ever taken vocal lessons or done any professional singing....

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What is the best way to train your voice to reach higher ranges than it currently can, without straining the shit out of your voice? The reason I ask is that my band is covering "Care of Cell 44" by the Zombies, and during the chorus ("Feels so good....") my highest reachable note is about a 1/2 step lower than the note on the word "home" ("...you're coming hooommme soooon"). Any advice would be appreciated.

― Lee is Free (Lee is Free), Saturday, 17 December 2005 22:16 (twenty years ago)

concentrate. try to create a buzz in the sinusy part of your forehead right above the bridge of your nose (this is called singing in "head voice"). get a tone that's full rather than shrill -- you want the robustness of a low/medium note, so imagine you're singing one. find a spot on the wall in front of you and beam your voice out to that.

― the people are such untight s wads (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 17 December 2005 22:27 (twenty years ago)

and loosen your jaw!

― the people are such untight s wads (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 17 December 2005 22:29 (twenty years ago)

or transpose the entire song down a step

― jaxon (jaxon), Saturday, 17 December 2005 22:34 (twenty years ago)

yeah, but that's no fun

― the people are such untight s wads (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 17 December 2005 22:35 (twenty years ago)

So how do you hit a note that's LOWER than your range?

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Saturday, 17 December 2005 22:39 (twenty years ago)

I have the girliest singing range ever.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Saturday, 17 December 2005 22:40 (twenty years ago)

So how do you hit a note that's LOWER than your range?

just do some scales for practice; loosen up your voice. you'll get there eventually.

― the people are such untight s wads (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 17 December 2005 22:43 (twenty years ago)

I did operatic singing lessons when I was about 16. As Jody says, the best way is to sing scales/appegios. If you practice you will get there. I was able to extend my range by over half an octave, however lack of practice has put me back to where I started again.

― The Other Kate (papa november), Saturday, 17 December 2005 22:58 (twenty years ago)

Seriously just transpose the song down. If you don't have any training and don't know anything about technique you're just going to end up hurting yourself by straining to hit the note.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 18 December 2005 01:22 (twenty years ago)

i have a shockingly amazing range - but only to go lower, it's like i'm channeling the spirit of peabo bryson!

― POOP BITCH (Mandee), Sunday, 18 December 2005 02:29 (twenty years ago)

i honestly don't think he'll hurt himself. he's not trying to do mariah carey dog-whistle shit.

― the people are such untight s wads (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 18 December 2005 02:34 (twenty years ago)

Well, maybe he won't hurt himself or maybe he just doesn't care. But realistically if he's going to be performing this song many times he's probably either going to strain his voice or he's simply not going to hit the note sometimes which could be pretty embarassing. I suppose there's a remote chance that ILE is going to give him the perfect advice to successfully raise his range by a 1/2 step but that seems doubtful.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 18 December 2005 03:57 (twenty years ago)

No idea if these will help, but I remember this from my singing lessons:

Pretend like you're landing on top of the note rather than reaching for it. The image I seem to have is landing on a big bouncy pillow.

And yeah, if you can, try doing some scales to build your way up to the note..... You know, the "me-me-me-ME-me-me-me" kind

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Sunday, 18 December 2005 04:24 (twenty years ago)

Raise your eyebrows. (Don't laugh, it works.)

― Christine 'Green Leafy Dragon' Indigo (cindigo), Monday, 19 December 2005 03:30 (twenty years ago)

Six Million Dollar Man to thread!

― Aimless (Aimless), Monday, 19 December 2005 03:48 (twenty years ago)

it's all about the breath support!!

also, when you're first trying the higher notes, use an open vowel (like ahhhhhh) and then work gradually into the closed ones.
i've also found that you'll get a good open posture if you try humming (on an "m" sound) up to the note and then once you're there, switch over to the vowel.

― tres letraj (tehresa), Monday, 19 December 2005 06:32 (twenty years ago)

six years pass...

You should get professional training. They will teach you different ways of sustaining high notes, usually through scales.

I almost majored in music theory in college but voice training, a couple of years of organ lessons plus seven years in band wasn't good enough.

It's astonishing though, how lesser academic programs let people into music theory with less musical training.

― โตเกียวเหมียวเหมียว aka Truck Bombing Begins at Home (Mount Cleaners), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:39 (thirteen years ago)

wonder if they ever hit that note

― deems irreverent (darraghmac), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 23:29 (thirteen years ago)

Singing The Zombies makes for a good vocal warmup imo

― OPÓ (Ówen P.), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 23:47 (thirteen years ago)

never seemed to work for dolores o riordan tbph

― deems irreverent (darraghmac), Thursday, 12 July 2012 00:01 (thirteen years ago)

Don't give up, no disgrace singing covers like there used to be.

― โตเกียวเหมียวเหมียว aka Truck Bombing Begins at Home (Mount Cleaners), Thursday, 12 July 2012 03:29 (thirteen years ago)

.. you still have.. friends.

― Mark G, Thursday, 12 July 2012 09:01 (thirteen years ago)

Somebody on Radio 4 did a whole doc about changing your voice, you can listen again here -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01k9vh0

― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 12 July 2012 09:19 (thirteen years ago)

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