How to Increase Singing Range by Vocal Coaching

Singing Lessons for Reaching High and Low Notes Via Vocal Exercises

Oct 19, 2009

Students wishing to increase their vocal range must follow the appropriate vocal training and singing technique in order to acquire new notes within their repertoire.

Singing teachers may come across students who believe they cannot sing in the low range or the high range. This can be seen in choirs for instance, where each singer will claim their place as bass and others as trebles, and sticking there in the belief that this suits the voice type. This can be unhelpful when trying to develop a career as a solo artist. The singing tutor must therefore devise strategies to help increase voice range, which often means straying from the student’s comfort zone.

Singing Voice Types

According to voice coach, Seth Riggs, who developed the Speech Level Singing Method, students wishing to learn to sing higher and lower than their normal range must to break the old habit of tensing up their vocal chords and making them move up and down with the notes [Singing for the Stars: A Complete Program for Training your Voice, Alfred Publishing Company, 1992]. This practice will help free up the vocal range. Furthermore, the teacher may point out that despite the different “voice types”, baritone, bass and soprano, etc, there are really only two vocal areas:

Singing Exercises to Increase Voice Range

To increase singing range, the tutor should encourage the student to work upon the chest voice and the head voice, not on or the other. This may mean working upon the singer’s weakest area. The following should be practiced when doing so:

Voice Coaching for Singing High

The singing coach may play a recording of a series of several notes repeating up the scale. The student wishing to learn how to sing high may then follow the notes, but to chant syllables of a simple sentence with each note, such as “my voice is getting better every day,” or “my range is getting better.” As the student reaches the limit of his range, the teacher should refrain the student from leaning back, from lifting the chin, eyebrows or the corners of the mouth. The breathing, posture and facial expression should remain relaxed and balanced.

The student’s higher range may be developed further if a flat object such as a book is rested on the forearms. Higher notes may be encouraged by singing them whilst lifting the object from the waist, remembering to breathe from the stomach. This may be aided further by bending forward slightly to help force the air out. With practice, the student may reach the higher notes whilst refraining from lifting an object or from bending forward.

Developing the Lower Range

When moving down the scales, the student should reach for the chest voice for a deeper fuller sound but to avoid closing the back of the throat in order to retain a bright sound, not hollow. Again, the facial muscles and breathing must remain relaxed. With practice, the vocal muscles may attain flexibility, where a few additional notes may be added to the voice range.

How to Increase Vocal Range

Students wishing to learn to sing solo make the mistake of assigning their voices to a “type” and sticking there. This can be unhelpful when trying to increase voice range. The voice coach must therefore encourage the student to move from his comfort zone via singing exercises. This often entails working upon the student’s weakness. Correct posture, breathing, voice placement and working over the breaking point will help. However, regular practice is likely to increase vocal flexibility.

The copyright of the article How to Increase Singing Range by Vocal Coaching in Music Education is owned by Rachel Wills. Permission to republish How to Increase Singing Range by Vocal Coaching in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.