So, we’ve covered the overlooked subject of singing lower, but what about perfecting the coveted higher pitch? Singing higher is synonymous with big belting ballads that draw goosebumps and cause jaws to drop.
Let’s explore various ways you can add high notes to your repertoire as we answer the question of how to hit high notes.
Singing high notes is often heard during a song’s crescendo. It’s at the point where audiences are hooked and ready for something epic to happen – enter the high note. Think of Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You or Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman.
The high note is the epitome of epic and always packs a punch. But how easy is it to hit them? Well, it comes down to a few factors like vocal range and health, breath support, training techniques and register. All of which can be practised and learned.
How do you train your voice to sing higher?
Like most things to do with singing, there’s no fast-track way to add this to your vocal repertoire. It requires a balance of good habits and repetition, which requires a hefty dose of patience, time and dedication.
We’ve selected 6 ways to learn how to sing high and broken them down below so you can practice at your own pace.
1. Warm-ups
Much like breathing, warming up your vocals is one of the most critical routines for improving your voice and learning how to sing perfectly. By warming up, we avoid straining and causing tension in the muscles that help us sing. It’s also imperative when trying to hit those more demanding notes.
We’ve put together three easy-to-do exercises for you to get those vocals warm and primed for singing.
There are many ways to activate your mind-breath dynamic. Hissing, lip trills, and panting are quick exercises. To do so, simply focus on your breathing—its movement, rhythm, and connection.
2. Control your breathing
So, how to be a better singer? You could argue that it starts with breathing.
Controlling your breath is the foundation of good singing, and proper breath support ensures that you have control over your voice, whether you’re holding a note or navigating through tricky vocal runs.
The aim is to make quick and deep inhales and slow and steady exhales.
To achieve this, focus on breathing through your diaphragm. This large muscle helps you breathe in and out. It sits just below the lungs and moves with your breathing so that your lungs can fill with air.
This means breathing deeply into your belly rather than shallowly into your chest. Engaging your diaphragm acts as a natural support system for your voice.
Breath control helps sustain long phrases, manage your tone, and sing with more power and stability without straining your vocal cords.
3. Relax your throat
Wondering how to sing high notes without straining? Well, keeping your throat relaxed is essential. A relaxed throat will help avoid tension in your throat and neck.
Create space in your mouth by keeping your tongue low and relaxed. Think about yawning, which naturally opens the back of your throat and your tongue in a low position. Singing vowels like ‘ah’ and ‘ee’ helps open the mouth and throat.
Singing higher and singing louder aren’t the same thing. You don’t need to force or push your delivery as this may cause strain and injury, so instead, make sure you’re adequately warmed up and prepared before gradually engaging in vocal exercises.
4. Proper posture
Posture plays an undeniably vital role in our ability to sing. Proper posture is essential for singing with ease and power, as it allows you to breathe correctly and supports your vocal resonance.
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your weight evenly distributed. Keep your spine straight, shoulders relaxed, and your head aligned with your body. Imagine someone pulling you up with a string from the top of your head, which will open your airways and promote better airflow.
Good posture helps you maintain proper breath control, avoid unnecessary tension, and produce a fuller, more resonant sound.
5. Head voice/falsetto
The head voice is one of the vocal registers that help singers access higher pitches in a controlled way. It’s often used in classical, pop, opera, and musical theatre singing.
Falsetto is a lighter, airier sound that is made when you push beyond your normal range, often in higher-pitched registers.
Practice your higher registers using scales. Ease into it, as you don’t want to strain your voice, and allow your vocals to find their way into a higher register naturally. Sing vowels and focus on where your sound shifts to a lighter and more resonant quality.
Humming, trills and octave jumps are helpful exercises to try – all three are slightly different ways to activate breathing and placement while gradually moving up and down the scales.
6. Patience
Learning to sing higher takes time, as does developing proper techniques, strengthening one’s support system, and developing vocal flexibility.
You need to develop proper technique for managing the transition between chest and head voices and learn to balance them. This process takes time, and rushing it could lead to bad habits or vocal fatigue.
Sometimes your voice will feel like it’s “stuck” at a certain point, but that’s often just part of the process. With patience, your voice will gradually stretch and gain access to higher pitches. Trusting the process will keep you from getting discouraged.
Building the necessary physical support to sing higher involves strengthening the diaphragm, rib cage, and abdominal muscles. This doesn’t happen instantly – it requires regular work, repetition, and, again, patience to build these muscles correctly.
Learn how to sing higher from a pro
The road to singing higher is a quick or easy one, but with time and practice comes perfection.
If you want to take your voice to the next level, sign up for Eric Vetro’s BBC Maestro course, Sing Like the Stars. In 31 lessons, he’ll show you all there is to know about finding your voice, singing lyrics and how to stand out at your next audition.
