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How To Hit That High Note

How To Hit That High Note!

 

Okay so, we’ve all been there. Struggling to hit that high note. Yes, singing in Head Voice can be absolutely terrifying. The squeaking, the breaking and then nothing. Well guess what? It’s all in your head. Literally. Your struggle is mental. Here are some fantastic practical ways to absolutely Freddy-Mercury-Fry that note’s butt!

Are you scrunching up your face?

STOP! The more tension in your face, the less way space for the that note to resonate in your face. The space in our face literally shapes that note and if you scrunch up your face, you limit the area the note has to resonate. Imagine, singing in a church, with that beautiful echo and reverberation and then instead moving from the front of the hall to the confessional. The sound isn’t going to be as good, there’s no space for the sound to echo. Our goal is to relax and let that note ring with confidence and not squish the note with our muscles.

 

Top Tip 1: Try Smiling!

Yep, I know. It’s literally that simple. Plastering on a big goofy grin, will lift your voice. It sounds weird, but it works. When you have a smile on your face, your brain automatically registers your happy state. It is totally mental. Therefore your voice is going to match your mood. It’s also practically impossible to sing sadly when you have a big goofy grin.

Top Tip 2: Try Yawning.

When you yawn, you lift your soft palate at the back of your mouth. This lift opens up the face and prepares enough space, for the high note to resonate around in. The more space the better, the space in your faces shapes the sound. Remember, it would sound better to be singing in a church hall then, from inside the confessional.

 

Are you slouching?

STOP! It’s all about posture. Good posture, good note. Great posture, great note. So stand up straight and instead of slouching…

Top Tip 3: Think Down.

Yes, it’s another weird trick. It sounds absolutely crazy to think down, when you’re trying to sing high-up. Remember that age old trick when someone tells you not to think about something? And you do the exact opposite and think about it. Well guess what your brain falls for it every time. So focus on standing up straight and bringing your abdominal muscles down towards your pelvic floor. Trust me on this, your note is going to fly up.

 

Are you scared?

Don’t be! High notes can sense your fear. Okay I’m kidding. But if you are going up into a high note or a belt that you are fearing, the note is not going to be sung with confidence and it will affect how you project that note. Why are we scared? Because our speaking voice and our chest voice coincide. Our chest voice resonates in the mouth, just like when we speak. Hence why singing in Head Voice feels so strange, because it resonates in your nasal cavities and the front of your face. The more you practice the more natural it will feel to you.

Top Tip 4: Pretend You’re Already Singing the Note.

Trick yourself! Imagine that you are Adele belting out that crazy ‘Hello’ chorus. This is all about putting yourself in the right mindset. If you are confident, you will absolutely nail that note.

 

Have you warmed up?

Okay so it’s like 9am and you’re about to break into a full lounge Room concert in your PJs. You’re just about to attempt the hardest, most vocally challenging Pink song you know. As you hit that high note, it sounds like a bird being squashed. Guess what? No one can sing like a rockstar at 9am in the morning. Not unless you take the time to warm up.

Top Tip 5: Don’t Skip Scales, Warm up.

Start with humming and work your way up to your head voice. Don’t skip your scales it will help you transition from the bottom of your range to the top. Which will cut out all those breaks and flips in your voice.

Top Tip 6: Breath Support.

Don’t forget, your breath is the power to your voice. There are 3 parts to singing.

 

If you’re still struggling, find yourself a wonderful vocal coach and they will help you through this process. Remember at the end of the day, that reaching these high notes will come naturally with time and practice. Tell yourself that you can sing them and you will be able to. Remember, Head Voice is all in your Head, right?