How to Expand Your Singing Voice Range

Опубликовал Admin
31-01-2017, 12:30
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Every person is born with a fixed vocal range. You can't really expand that range, so much as you can learn how to sing the notes at the top and bottom of your natural range more comfortably. To expand your singing voice within your range, learn how to properly warm up, make the most of your voice without straining it, and practice vocal exercises that encourage your voice to reach new notes at the far ends of your natural range.

Steps

  1. Find your range. Play the middle C on a keyboard and match it with your voice. Play and sing the next note down. Continue until you reach a note that you cannot sing comfortably. This is the bottom of your range. Repeat the process going up in pitch to find the top of your range.
  2. Warm up your voice. This is extremely important in any singing situation, but it's especially so when working in the top few notes of your range. The voice is a delicate instrument, and singing too loudly, too fast and without being warmed up can really mess with your vocal cords.
  3. Serious singers will have warm-up routines which have been tried and tested on their voices, but some good ones to try are: abdominal pulsing while holding a comfortable note; the one-one-two-one scale (start on middle C, working up or down one octave with each note having a different number. Once you've done this, reverse it with eight-eight-seven-eight etc); humming a comfortable note and pitch-bending it, going a little higher/lower each time.
  4. Learn how to sing properly BEFORE attempting to expand. Expanding your range when you aren't comfortable working within your range is a recipe for vocal cord damage. For example, one of the things you might learn to do is to disengage certain muscles that aren't necessary for singing. Engaging these muscles while simultaneously singing at the very top of your range will cause strain.
  5. Do vocal exercises that encourage you to "touch" the notes at the top and bottom of your range. Do not linger at a note you aren't comfortable with. Focus on keeping your throat relaxed, and on breathing properly.
  6. Have good posture. You have to have your shoulders and back straight and relaxed. Remember not to tilt your head up and stretch your neck when trying to reach a high note. When you do that, the muscles in your neck get tense, straining your voice. It also prevents air from getting through, causing you to try to push the sound out, which doesn't sound good either. Keep your neck straight.
  7. Practice breathing. If you go lie down, relax, and put your hand on your stomach, you will feel your stomach go up and down as you breath. That is diaphragmatic breathing! When you're singing, you have to push your stomach out when you inhale. This will allow you to completely fill your lungs. Then, when you're exhaling (which is when you sing), bring your stomach slowly in, using all the muscles in your diaphragm (which is just below your belly button) That helps you be able to sing longer and control your tone.
  8. Sing along to songs that are higher than your vocal range. Singing is like playing an instrument—The more you practice, the better you get! Just make sure that you warm up first to avoid damaging your vocal cords.
  9. Yawn. A lot. Notice the shape of your mouth, and the back of your throat, when you do. This is the perfect position for your mouth and jaw when you sing: dropped jaw, back of mouth is open. You get better tone (and easier high notes) when your mouth/etc are in this position.

Tips

  • Drink lots of water.
  • Avoid dairy products before singing. For some people, this will cause them to produce a lot of phlegm.
  • Don't push your voice too hard, you'll just damage it.
  • Never strain your voice.
  • Avoid drugs and alcohol. Smoking cigarettes or pot and heavy drug or alcohol use can inhibit your range.-
  • If you are sick, drink warm beverages.
  • Sip hot tea! Hot tea loosens your sinuses and can clear up your throat.
  • Try to avoid colds by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
  • Avoid doing anything bad for your vocal cords.
  • Avoid drinking cold beverages before singing. This can be harmful to your vocal cords.
  • When hitting a higher note, lean your head upward slightly. This will raise your soft palate and will help with those head voices.
  • Gargling with warm water with a bit of salt before singing helps.
  • Drink warm water and honey and lemons (be careful not to pour too much in it, two slices would be sufficient). This can smooth your vocals and keep your throat in good condition.
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