In order to understand what takes place when singing high notes you first need to understand what pitch is. Pitch should not be thought of as a note. Pitch is a musical thought. A mental image. First, the singer gets a strong image of the note they wish to sing. You then sing the desired pitch mentally being guided by how the voice feels. You avoid the urge to listen to the music or to yourself. Musical cues within a song are meant to guide you but singing is a feeling and needs to be felt or heard mentally before attempting to sing the note.
Singers believe a pitch is something to be reached or hit. While "reach" and "hit" is terminology used to direct a singer to sing a specific note, it is not what we actually do to produce the higher tone. The higher you sing within your range, the more difficult you perceive it to be. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
When we think of high notes as "up" we instinctively try to reach "up" to them. We tell ourselves that they are above the notes in our lower register. This will cause us to push or strain up to the note developing poor vocal habits that will cause the voice to cut off the air supply and tone, making it impossible to sing the note. High is the term used to explain notes that go higher up on the musical staff. When singing them, however, they in fact do not move up but rather are positioned and sung in the same resonating area as all the other notes within your range. The vocal cords, or larynx as it is also referred to, stays relaxed and seated when the proper muscles and vocal co-ordination are used. The vocal cords stretch and thin as you sing higher notes but they in no way need any special co-ordination or breath support to accommodate this. In fact, if we do attempt to sing high notes differently then lower ones the voice will crack causing you to flip into a light falsetto voice rather then a strong and connected head voice. You need to give up the urge to control the sound. When we realize that the larynx is to stay in the same seated position throughout your entire range, top to bottom, we can eliminate the fear associated with singing in certain areas of our range.
If you have been reaching up to notes or pushing excessive much air through the vocal cords, you likely have over-developed muscles in the throat that are not meant for singing. The muscles on the side of your neck, as an example, are used for chewing and swallowing. As they are dominant muscles, the lack of proper tone co-ordination and control over airflow will result in these muscles taking over keeping you from singing in the upper area of your head register, or range. Any time muscles that are not meant for singing get involved in the process, the larynx will rise immediately cutting off the air supply, tone, and will keep you from reaching the correct pitch. If you are having difficulty reaching high notes it is because you have developed poor vocal habits that will eventually cause vocal cord damage. You need to stop doing what you are doing immediately and get help from a qualified vocal coach.
When trying to correct this problem you may feel tension in the neck, around the jaw and mouth area. You cannot feel tension in these areas unless you are focused on the tension. Developing the correct muscles needed for singing, combined with proper tone and breath co-ordination, your focus will shift and the tension will disappear.
So stop worrying about what notes you are singing. Over time, all the hard work you have put into properly developing your voice will pay off and you will hit any note you wish effortlessly. Continue to nurture your gift and you will be amazed how much more talent you have developed. Experiment, get creative with the music and have fun doing it.
Contact Information:
Donna Flynn
Vocal Coach Toronto
donnavocalcoach@yahoo.ca
416-436-8063
www.vocalcoach.ca
Bio
After moving to Toronto from Montreal 22 years ago, Donna began a journey of vocal training that connected her with coaches in Nashville, Los Angeles, San Francisco, as well as the Royal Conservatory in Toronto.
Although she found the techniques to be practical and was taught scales designed to improve the voice, she soon realized that no one was able to offer a method that allowed her to sing the many different styles of music she enjoyed singing. Sing jazz, sing blues, sing pop she was told. Pick one style and stick with it! One style? What would she do with all the other music styles she loved to sing she thought?
Repertoire work consisted of taking a piece of music and learning it phrase-by-phrase – identical to the original piece. She felt more like an impersonator then a singer.
It was clear that the only way she would find training that would bring out ALL the qualities that are UNIQUE to her voice, would be to develop it herself. So she did………..
Over the years, Donna has developed a complete mind / body / spirit / voice method designed to access the energy from the body to eliminate any pressure that may prohibit us from singing our best. She combines yoga and tai chi breathing along with specific exercises designed to building proper breath support while gently working the entire vocal range, top to bottom. The voice has the fullness needed to express a song in any style desired. She no longer worries about pitch, range or power as she was able to relax and let things happen instinctively rather then force them to happen. You will too!
She now passes that knowledge on to others interested in understanding and developing their own distinct sound.
Donna is a member of SOCAN.