Learning How to Sing Higher

When you're learning how to sing it seems to be most peoples' ambition to increase their range right from the start. There are tools out there to help enable a person to do that but it doesn't really come easily in most cases. It takes lots of hard work and practice and dedication.

There are vocal lessons out there that claim to be able to increase a persons' range in the first hour of using the technique found within the lesson. To be honest I was (like you may be) a little skeptical because I had been singing for a fairly long time already and I pretty much knew that you could increase your range but it was not something that would be accomplished in an hour or so, but rather over the course of weeks or months and with regular practice.

On the other hand I also knew that there is a physiological "thing" that goes on in your body that tends to limit what you can do vocally. One of the keys to being able to sing higher is to know how to break through these barriers.

For me one of the keys to singing higher is having enough breath to do it. The higher I sing, it seems the more breath I require. Not in terms of a big inhalation but in terms of expelling that breath over the duration of a high note. Frankly if I breath in so much that I fil my lungs completely then I will most likely not be able to pull off a really high note. If I inhale such that I fill my diaphragm (pretend you're filling your stomach with air) then I have much better luck. Also I may have to experiment with pushing the note out by using different muscles in my stomach area and release my air so that I have enough to get to the end of the note.

I originally learned how to sing by using mail order singing lessons. The guy teaching was a pro and he used the analogy of the wild smiley face. Basically he was saying that when you sing you should be wearing an exaggerated smile and feel no pain in your throat at all. If you feel any pain it should be in your cheeks and facial muscles. For years I sang wearing this face and always felt that it helped to give me better tone as well as allowing me to sing somewhat higher.

In more recent weeks I've found that if I play with other muscles in my face I can sing much higher and help smooth out my "break". That's the vocal area between chest voice and head voice where you may have a tendency to have your voice crack. It takes some experimenting and I don't believe it's the exact same thing from one person to the next so you'll have to see for yourself what works best for you. Don't worry about looking foolish. As a singer you'll have a microphone in front of your face so it will hide the silly expressions. I've been singing songs in the last few weeks that I previously would no have even tried if it weren't for this discovery. It's actually something I've always known but haven't really experienced until just lately.

Properly using the muscles in your face helps ensure your Adams' Apple does not rise too much, allowing you to sing higher. If you can control this one little part of your body your range will improve dramatically. This is another key to being able to sing higher.

My point is this, If you want to learn how to sing and increase your range then it's possible for you to do that. You may be like me where it takes you years to figure out but if you understand from the start that the other muscles in your body will affect the note you're singing then you'll have a head start by knowing to figure which muscles you need when. Really spend some time with the facial muscles and even put your finger on your Adam's Apple to see what makes it lift more and what muscles allow it to lift less when you're singing. You'll find that when it rises less that you are able to sing higher.

Ian Kurz is a singer/guitarist and is the owner of the website http://www.discoveryoucansing.com - He has been singing for many years and has performed in front of thousands of people and has performed as an opening act for several recording artists. Be sure to check out his vocal lessons page for info on the web's best vocal lessons and other tips and tricks to help you learn how to sing.