Once again, I am looking for ways to help singers who have fear of high notes (which is most of us) to have a practical approach and solid technique for singing those high notes. These are important concepts for every singer, so here we go again!

As a vocal trainer, the question I am asked most often is, ‘How Can I sing higher?’ Here are a few questions to ask yourself .

Question 1
Why do you want to sing higher?

Question 2
Higher than what?

Question 3
Are you being realistic about your voice and body type?

Question 4
Are you willing and able to put in the time, energy and focus on practice to change the bad habits that prevent you from singing with freedom?

Some singers are anxious to impress the audience with their vocal ability by showing off with high notes. Some singers want to be more expressive and believe that having high notes is all it takes. Some singers – my favorite kind – want the ability to respond to the music and if that means high notes, you have them to use.

Don’t push! Pushing never, ever, ever helps! Let me repeat that: pushing never helps. As a matter of fact, it hurts – literally hurts. Pushing can give you vocal damage – actually damage your delicate vocal chords. Stop pushing right now!

When you ‘help’ the sound by pushing you are actually creating muscle tension. Your thought process is also telling your that you have to do something that is very difficult to sing higher – or worse yet, you are telling yourself that you really can’t sing higher.

Muscle tension prevents the free movement of breath and sound through your body – your instrument. Sound is vibration. Muscle tension prevents the vibration that creates sound, that creates your singing. So when you push for a high note you are actually stopping the vibration that creates the sound!
Effort always creates tension. Energy creates freedom.

What should you do instead of pushing? The answers to that question come with vocal training. Right now, try this. When you are going for the high note, think down in your body. Yes, down! If you are thinking ‘UP’, then you are also moving the larynx up – where your vocal chords live – squeezing them in a smaller space than they need to vibrate. It won’t help. Think down in the body to create more space for the vocal chords to to their thing!

Want more good information on vocal technique? Visit my website, VocalPowerTools.com For online voice lessons – you’ll be surprised at how much you can learn – visit SingLikeYouSpeak.com

Rock out!

About the author

Sally Morgan is a professional vocal trainer with over 30 years of experience. Sally is also the creator and author of SingLikeYouSpeak(TM)!

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