Voice Registers
by Ramesha Nani
One of the features of a well-trained voice is the ability to move through your entire vocal range without the quality of your voice changing.
Often you hear singers whose voices change a lot as they go from the low to the high register, almost as if it were someone else singing. That’s usually because they don’t have the ability to adjust their throat muscles to accommodate different notes in the various areas of their range.
At pretty much every interval of a fourth (for example the distance between C and F) the voice goes into a different register, which means the throat muscles have to adjust their position in order to keep producing a sound that is consistent in quality and timbre. However, the most significant register change occurs between the so-called “chest voice” and “head voice.”
As you move from your low to high range, you may notice that you reach a point where your throat feels more and more tense. As pitch rises, the vocal cords are lengthened, tension increases, and their thickness decreases. You may feel that, in order to go higher without having your voice crack, you have to sing louder and louder. Even though this can work as a short-term solution, in the long run it will make your voice hoarse and screechy.
So, what to do?
Before I talk about what you can do to develop your higher range, I want to mention that these are merely suggestions to give you an idea of what is possible. However, if you want to learn the delicate art of switching from one register to the other seamlessly, it is recommended that you find a voice teacher and have one-on-one sessions. A good teacher is capable of hearing even the subtlest nuances of your voice and guiding you through a process that can otherwise be difficult and frustrating.
At the beginning, use an arpeggio exercise (1-3-5-8-5-3-1) rather than a scale.
- Start on a low note (typically low A) and move your way up a half step at a time.
- Sing fast and soft. This will prevent tension in the throat.
- The first note is the most important: make it as full as you can.
- As you go higher, try to consciously create a round sound by expanding your throat (like when you yawn) but in a relaxed way.
- When you are approaching what seems to be the top of your range, sing very softly, open your mouth wider by lowering your jaw, and stay as relaxed as possible. Your voice may sound “airy” and weak, almost like falsetto. It will naturally become fuller with practice, as long as you don’t push to make it sound fuller.
- Stop as soon as you feel pain or discomfort.
With study a singer can move effortlessly from one register to the other with ease and consistent tone. It may take some time before you’re able to switch between registers seamlessly. Be patient! The most important point is to practice without tension and to not overdo
___________________________________________________________________________
Watch the video “Accessing the High Range”
___________________________________________________________________________
If you want to learn more about how to switch between registers you can sign up for a FREE Introductory Voice Lesson and get live, one-on-one coaching through skype.
___________________________________________________________________________
Questions?
Feel free to contact me about any singing-related issue or doubt that you might have. I will do my best to help you find a solution for it.
