Vocal Music Advice

I am 17, and a male singer with a soprano voice.   I can reach the C5 and more (higher) than that but I want to sing the whistle register.  I have notice that when I have opened my mouth widely, I have reached the C6 and higher, and when i do so my voice is more light and sounding like a bird in that ‘whistle voice’.   Please, I want you to give me a good technique to sing the whistle voice without problems like Mariah Carey and Minnie Ripperton.

Answer:
You are a rarity if you actually have a soprano voice … especially if you have not experienced any vocal change that has given you access to lower notes like most men.  I am aware of others with  whom this is the case … and you are rare.

If you are singing notes that are two octaves above middle C (and higher) then you are already in the “whistle register” area.  You accurately described the ability to access these notes while opening your mouth “widely.”  What you need to be watchful of is that the sound is not “heavy” and “tense”, but be sure that it is without a lot of muscular tension and light.  At 17, you don’t need to be spending a lot of time up there.  Access those notes lightly, and descend to lower notes again.  If you are wanting to develop your voice – including those highest notes, you need to find a voice teacher who has experience with voices like yours.

That is my advice.  Best wishes.

James, 14, says: My range is roughly D two octaves below middle C to the E above middle C (if I try I can hit an F).  Is this strange for my age?  I’ve had no lessons, and all I know about singing I’ve taught myself.  My voice also sounds operatic without training – is that strange?

Answer: I am so glad you asked these questions James.

One thing I can say about the change that takes place in boys is that there is no uniformity as far as rate of change.  Some of us seem to take years to drop from alto to tenor (by age 18), and others of us seem to change from treble (soprano) to bass almost over night (at 13 or 14), with variations taking place in between these.

At the moment you sound like you’d fit the “bass” category.  Is that strange?  Not at all.  If you desire to sing in a school choir, your choral director will have a place waiting for you … because low voices at your age are relatively rare … and greatly desirable.

The fact that you have a somewhat “big” voice — you say it sounds operatic — is also not a bad thing … in fact, this is a gift!  If you love to sing – go for it.  Use it, often.  If you’re gifted, develop your gifts … you’ll find yourself with opportunities that many of your chums won’t have, and undoubtedly you will find that you were “created” for just this purpose.

I’d like to encourage you to accept your range (as a bass) and the sound of your voice, and use it there — without attempting to be or become a high baritone or tenor.  You’ll shine right where you are, and over the next 6+ years, your voice will grow in versatility and power and range.  Blessings on you!

Michael, a teenager in Poland asks: Hi! My name is Michael and I’m 17 years old. My voice’s range lies between F2 and C5. I actually don’t have any breaks in my voice but I hear the change in the timbre after reaching G#4 and higher. I can go even higher with falsetto reaching F5 or G5.  My timbre is light but certainly not “tenor light”. Does it make me a lyric baritone or some kind of heldentenor that can sing lower?

Answer:

It’s wonderful that you don’t experience any breaks … even though you are aware of the change in timbre at around G-sharp.

Michael, I think that it’s fair to say that at 17 you ought not “decide” what you are vocally.  It’s enough that you know your range and where you sing most comfortably.  The fact is that in the next 5 to 6 years, your voice is going to develop considerably in range, strength and flexibility (at least if you are studying voice and practicing daily).  What you seem to be at age 17 may indeed change in the next few years.

I’ve had “tenors-at-17″ demonstrate that they really were baritone by the time they are 21 … and vice-versa.  You are in a time of vocal development and discovery.  What is important at this time in your life is that you learn to sing with good habits – as freely and without unnecessary tension as possible – and accept the way your voice develops – whatever direction it takes.  For this reason I for one will not tell a 17-year-old “you are a…” and give a definite voice classification.  I may have a good idea the direction the voice is taking after I’ve heard the young singer … but it’s still unwise to make a declaration–because then that “classification” becomes a goal, rather than an observation of fact.

At 17, almost all voices are “lyric”.  It remains to be seen what you will become.  Realize this too, Michael, all I have to go on is what you’ve told me.  It would be truly foolish of me to declare a specific voice classification having never heard you.

Remember what is important (see above) and you’ll develop just fine.

Best wishes.

Hi there!
My name is David and I am 17 years old. I can sing relatively comfortably from F2 to A4, in other words from F one and a half octaves below middle C to A half an octave above. My voice is quite relaxed throughout this range. My timbre is pretty light but not really ‘tenor light’ so I would guess this makes me a lyric baritone? Am I correct in this assumption? Would this range be of any use in say musical theatre? If so then what roles would be best for me to sing?

ANSWER: Well David,
You already have a wide range.  Congratulations.

At 17 it is no surprise that your timbre is “pretty light”.  If you use your voice regularly and with good habits, it will develop in strength over the next few years.  You are probably wise to think of yourself as some form of baritone until and unless the highest fifth of your range is (or becomes) some of the most comfortable part of your range in which to sing.  When a young man your age seems to have a choice of “tenor or baritone” opt for the part of the range in which singing is most comfortable.  The majority of the time this is lower, not higher.

Still, be aware that within the next five years you may well find your range extending in one direction or another.  So, thinking of yourself as a “medium” voice (baritone) for the time being is prudent.

Yes, I think there are roles that a young lyric baritone such as yourself could do successfully.  Let me suggest just one … and you take if from here.  In “Into the Woods” both princes are baritones.  The one requires a fair amount of stamina–there’s a lot of singing.  However, there are also a couple of wonderful duets between the princes … and either one of those might be appropriate for you.  If you think along similar lines, you’ll probably be able to find other roles that you’d be comfortable doing.  At 17 you need to be careful not to choose roles that require a tessitura (a predominance of notes) that is too high … and strenuous.

You sound like you’re thinking sensibly.  Best wishes.

PS. Some of the older shows have roles that might fit: E.g., the leading role in “Oklahoma”

Today in chorus people sang their all-state songs in front of the class.  Their voices would be airy and crack when transitioning into their head voice. The chorus teacher said that it’s their vocal break. I haven’t really heard my voice do that. To me it sounds clear throughout my range even if my middle register can be a little breathy when I don’t support. My voice teacher says I have pretty high vocal breaks and my tone changes somewhere right before the high A but if that’s true it’s so subtle.  Is this a bad thing or a good thing? Does it mean most of my voice is my chest voice? Or, is my head voice strong? Do I have more support than most people my age (I’m 16)?  All the other sopranos and even the altos have a break kind of high that makes them breathy or flat and my second break I guess is higher than theirs and makes my voice brighter.  Is this normal?

ANSWER: Great observation about the “breaks” in other young voices.

While some singers have a manifestly obvious ‘break’ (sometimes also known as “lift” or “passaggio” or “transition point”) that makes sound almost resemble a yodel (depending where in the range it occurs), if those same young singers pursue singing as a career studying voice with a teacher, their aim is going to be learn to “smooth” those areas over so that the range sounds seamless (without breaks of any kind).  As you have noted about yourself, not everyone feels these breaks … and that is a great blessing, because it means that you don’t have to worry about the color of your tone suddenly changing, or have to spend months and years learning how to even out the tone between areas of your vocal range.  So, REJOICE … you’re miles ahead of folk who experience breaks and you won’t have that hurdle to worry about.

Singing “seamlessly” doesn’t mean that you are singing predominantly in “chest” or “head”, but rather that as you sing from high to low your voice is negotiating all the range in a way that “mixes” those feelings at the appropriate times so that no break exists, or is perceptible.
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Nick says: Hello! I have a few problems when it comes to my voice.

First of all, I hope you understand me ’cause I’m not a native speaker. (:

I’m 15 years old and I’ve been singing since I was 7.  I used to have a high-pitched voice and at the age of 13 I began to take vocal lessons, which helped me a lot to improve on my singing. In fall 2007 my voice started to change and because I couldn’t even sing one song through, I decided to take a break from singing lessons. Of course, I sang though – but not as much as before because my voice always got raspy/hoarse and sometimes it started to hurt.

In the last couple of months, this problem has become better but I never had the impression that my vocal change ended – my head voice sounded like before, my chest voice didn’t really ‘mature’ even though it’s gotten deeper. Anyway I feel like I’m still in the puberty vocal change or maybe again because I’m no more able to control my voice the way that I used to. It’s raspy, high notes end in screaming and my head voice often ‘stays away’. Is it possible that my vocal change STILL hasn’t ended? Should I go to an ear, nose and throat specialist?

ANSWER: Dear Nick,

I empathize with your feelings of insecurity.  Thank you for describing what you are going through with some detail.  Do not fear.  It is not only possible that your vocal change STILL has not ended, it is certain that that is the case.  You don’t need to visit an Ear-Nose-Throat specialist.

The voice change in boys varies with the person.  Some boys seem to change almost “overnight.”  Other boys seem to go through alterations over a period of — dare I say it — years.  The insecurity that you feel is very common.  The inability to retain your high notes without a lot of strain – is also common.  What you do need to allow is T I M E.  Your voice is lowering as your larynx (voice box) and all the associated muscles and ligaments grow.  “Control” is frequently something that is lost early, and regained late.  So, if you are 18 before you begin to feel comfortable with your new range, don’t be surprised or concerned.  You will eventually find that if you use the range you are comfortable singing in, it will grow strong and useful. One thing you need to allow yourself to do is to let go of the past.  Your range is changing – don’t try and hang on to your boyhood range.  Over the next months discover where your voice range lies, and where, within your range, you sing most comfortably.  Accept these changes as the new you!  You don’t need to be straining, screaming or anything else that causes you to become hoarse or raspy.  You can damage your voice that way.  Cease that.  (By the way, your voice teacher should know these things.  You might be wise to set aside voice lessons for a couple of years too!)

Let me recommend that you stay involved in music-making – even if the singing part takes a break while you play an instrument for a while.  Find someone that knows a great deal about the voice, and ask him/her for a list of singers you should listen to over the next two years.  Do a lot of listening.  Feel free to browse through my other writings in this blog.

You do not need to worry, Nick.  You do need to allow yourself time, and learn to accept what you are becoming, vocally speaking.  You’re becoming a man.  Congratulations.

I remember that it didn’t hurt or anything it just took me lots of focus like it was required a lot of factors to make it work.  I wanted to ask you for tips about the whistle register, like how my throat should be like….for me to improve on this.  If possible would you mind giving me some warming up exercises??

Answer: You are at an age when puberty has produced most of its physical changes in a young woman.  Therefore, the fact that you have found the whistle register may be an indication of a future facility as a soprano – although your final classification is not something that should concern you at the moment.

By the way, in the literature the “whistle register” is also identified as flageolet, piccolo, flute or bell register.

As the top-most notes available in the human voice, the vocal muscles are pulled to their longest and thinnest position.  The sound is thin, small and whistle-like.  At sixteen you probably need to be careful not to overdo with exercises in this area of your voice.  The percentage of time spent as you sing, should be a very small one in the whistle register.

If you will close one of your hands into a fist and imagine that it is your favorite kind of apple, imagine now that you are going to fit the entire fruit into your mouth.  Well of course it can’t be done, however, as you make the attempt, you will experience the stretching of your mouth and lips to their widest possible aperture.  So, be aware that this kind of openness will help facilitate more freedom in this area of your range.

Now let’s do a couple of exercises that will help hear and feel how these high notes should be.  Imitate some light, high, laughter.  It may sound like “tittering” or it may feel as you laugh hilariously.  Get some of your girl friends to join you in this,  encouraging each other on to cast aside inhibitions and feel utterly abandoned in the laughter.

Another more musical exercise is this: once you have completed a normal vocal warm up, do some extension exercises on a 1-3-5-3-1 pattern on an open vowel (ah).  This should be fast moving – not slow.  You can experiment with singing this pattern legato or staccato to see which works best for you.  Sing this exercise beginning an octave above middle C and ascend by half-steps.  You may find that when your beginning note is F that your top note (5) will take on a shrill light sound.  The higher you ascend, the more notes in the exercise will sound this way.  Don’t worry if you have trouble tuning the highest notes perfectly at this time.  Do this exercise with a keyboard so that you can see where your highest notes are.  You should soon (in a few months) be able to vocalize up to G above high C – and higher if you are truly a light soprano.  Once you get to your boundary – return by half-steps to your lower range again.  Remember to sing this exercise with some abandon – not with careful, slow “control”.  This will begin the process of you learning how to negotiate the whistle register.

Again, just a reminder, don’t spend very much time up there.  Vocalize up there for four or five minutes every day doing these kinds of exercises, and be done.

If you find that you have increased facility in this, you can be certain that your choir director will have some specific notes that you (alone?) will be asked to sing on some pieces.  If you find that your discovery becomes fraught with tension, then stop making the attempt … and allow your voice to develop without it for a while.

Best wishes.

PS. By the way I have another blog post on warming up the voice.

I’m in chorus in high school and I love to sing.    Almost every year I do this solo & ensemble contest but my nerves never get any better.  For a little bit, before I go up to sing I don’t feel nervous at all but then once I start then the whole shaky voice and leg shaking starts.  In 6th grade and freshman year I got a 3rd.  Last year I got a 1st.  I’ve always been the type of person that is really insecure and no matter how many people say I sing well, I always doubt it.  It’s kind of hard to know who to believe when your own choir teacher says you’re not good enough for a solo and everyone else says you sing well.  So please help me with my nerves, the competition is in a week.  Thanks

Answer: Hi Esther,

Great question!

I’ve written another post on “dry mouth” nerves, so my answer will only serve to expand on that very slightly.

Nerves are normal.  What you described very well, 98% of the all performers also experience.  Part of the answer is to learn to balance the “adrenaline dump” with oxygen in your body.

You’ll recognize the feelings …  at a time very shortly before you are to perform your heart rate increases – anywhere from double to triple the normal speed.  (Adrenaline has been dumped into your blood stream.)  It’s important AT THAT TIME to breathe very deeply and slowly repeatedly.  This helps to accomplish two things: a) slow down the heart rate and b) increase the oxygen to your brain.  When the two are not in balance nerves tend to “take over” and “shaky voice” and “shaky legs” also known as “tetanic flutter” seem uncontrollable.

Nervousness isn’t going to go away – but you can get it under control – so that your nerves (the added adrenaline) actually serve to enhance the performance.

Go ahead and practice ahead of time what you are going to do when you feel the heart-rate rise – so that when the time comes, you’ll be doing something familiar and something you’re prepared to do.  (Sit tall, stand or walk and breathe deeply – slowly and fully – several times.)

Then, when it’s time to walk on stage, look confident and secure (you’ll be amazed how feelings of the same will follow) and you’ll also set your audience at ease.  Then enjoy expressing the song.

Best wishes to you!

Whenever I try to go into high notes, it sounds just like my boy soprano voice except a little thicker and higher, is that a falsetto or head voice?, or anything?  (I’m 14 if it makes any difference)

Answer: Hi K_____, Yes, being 14 makes a heap of difference.

Also “yes” you’ve described falsetto, and the “thicker” sound is on account of the fact that your vocal cords have grown in size recently.  It would help to know the actual notes you’re singing when you get to your “high” notes now that your voice has changed.  I’m assuming that when you sing these high notes it’s without a lot of physical stress – they come fairly easily.

Not to worry Kalex, at 14 your voice is probably about as unstable as it will ever be.  As you get older your voice will get stronger and your range will grow and develop.  As you get closer to 20 (about college age) you’ll find that you can make some of the CLEAR tones that your easy low notes have higher up and you won’t have to “flip” or “switch” into falsetto.  Having said that, be aware that the high notes you’ve been accustomed to before the voice change will likely disappear almost entirely except by using falsetto.

“Head tone” is an extension of your strong male changed voice except it happens in the upper part of your range – and will be available to you in a few years.

In the meantime, sing easily.  Don’t demand too much from your voice and enjoy the changes and developments as they come.

Best wishes.

(I’m 15) I have trouble breathing every time I sing and because of that, every time a note is supposed to be sung and sustained long, I can’t hold the note because of my breathing.  Is there a way to improve my breathing when I sing?

Answer: Your question is a perceptive one.  At your age the problem may not be entirely with your breathing aparatus.

There are actually two components to the answer of your question.  One is respiration-related, and the other is phonation-related.  Breathing and making sound.  It will be helpful for you to learn to breathe for singing.  Make sure your posture is erect and your chest buoyant.  Breathe deeply so that the area around your waist is the part of you that expands the most.  Then learn to “stay expanded” and only release small amounts of air as needed for making clear tone.  To get the feel of this do the following exercise:

1) Inhale deeply, setting things up by dropping your jaw as if beginning a yawn,
2) sustain the breath in your body for a slow count of three – keeping your throat open,
3) sustain an “S” very softly, slowly metering out the air aiming to sustain the soft “hiss” for 30 – 60 seconds.  Maintain tall posture throughout the exercise.  Practice this repeatedly, daily.  This will help you learn what is involved for the body to breathe for singing.  Memorize these sensations and apply them when you sing.  Your upper chest should remain fairly still, “quiet” while your tummy area (epigastrium) in particular will stretch and expand on inhalation, and steadily contract on exhalation.  Place one hand just below your collar bones and the other just below your breast bone (sternum) for this exercise.  This is described in more detail in texts in vocal pedagogy and identified as “diaphragmatic-intercostal” breathing based on the use of the primary muscle groups involved.

The second part of the answer to your question is that you will need to cultivate the ability to produce very clear ringing tone – not breathy tone.  When excess air escapes, so does the breath.  This is a function of your voice (vocal cords) – and it helps to “think” clear tone too.  Your ability to produce very clear tone (efficient phonation) is in part dependent upon your age.  Since you’re in your mid-teens – you may need to allow yourself time (a few months or years) for your voice to mature, while you sing without trying through tension to sound like one who has a mature voice.  If you were in your twenties or older, you should be able to produce a clear ringing tone without unnecessary tension.

Having said all this, you need to know that your best progress will be while studying with a qualified and competent voice teacher.  Best wishes to you.