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Today, we’re gonna talk about how you can sing really high right now!!! So, if you’ve ever felt like you’ve wanted to sing high, but you couldn’t quite get up there, well it’s my hope that by the end of today’s video, you’ll be singing those high notes easily and effortlessly. Today is a relatively quick video about range, so if you’d like to learn more about range please feel free to click the link below for another video I have called “How to expand your range.” That’s a nifty video with lots of goodies and best practices.
Here we go! In today’s video we’re gonna talk about cord position. What’s that you say? Great question. Your larynx is a diamond shaped little home of cartilage muscle, and bone. Your vocal cords are stretched across your larynx in a V shape. When you sing low, the muscles within the larynx contract the entire mechanism to shorten and thicken the cords. When you sing high, the muscles within the larynx lengthen and the chords kind of stretch and zip. So you see, within the duration of a song, your larynx is constantly changing shape to meet the needs of the song.
That’s why I’m always always talking about the importance of staying relaxed. If the muscles surrounding the larynx stay disengaged, the vocal cords can vibrate freely. If the muscles surrounding the larynx freak out at any time, the larynx can’t change shape and then collapse happens. Makes sense doesn’t it. So it’s our job to just stay out of the way.
For today’s little nifty exercise, we are going to yodel. That’s right…well kind of. We’re going to engage the cords on the bottom note. Then, we’re going to zip the cords up real fast. But don’t think of the top note as a note you must “hit.” Think instead, it’s a release. Strive for a nice connected bottom note, and then release the top note slightly on the breathy side. Engage then release. What we are teaching the voice to do with this exercise is to be changeable, adaptable, and flexible.
As you are working with this sound, try to keep your fingers on your larynx. In your minds eye, imagine that it stays still inside. This will help it stabilize it so that it’s less likely to rise as we approach the high extremes of your range.
If you play with this sound more and more, you will really notice that the air is the only thing that feels like it’s moving. Don’t reach for any high note, just engage and release.
Keep it gentle and subtle. Drop out at any time, especially if you experience any pain or discomfort.
There you have it! An easy way to sing really high right now.
I hope you liked this video, please feel free to give it a thumbs up, or click the subscribe button below for frequent singing tips. If you have any questions that you’d like me to answer for you, please feel free to leave them in the comments portion of this video. Thanks so much for watching! I’ll see you next time!