Vocal Music Advice

Phil, 48, says: I started singing in our church choir a couple of years ago. I do not have a great voice, but I can sing the correct notes. I know I am a bass. I can reach G1 (F#1 in the morning and when I am warmed up) and I can sing down to C2 in full voice. I would say my sweet spot is D2 to D3. The problem is once I get to G3 I start straining. Surprisingly, I find that I can more easily sing B3 and higher in falsetto. I have tried vocal exercises but I just cannot expand my range. Is there an age where the vocal range becomes fixed? I have to say that the choir director is fine with me dropping down an octave when the song gets to high for me, but I would prefer not to stand out. Any advice?

Answer: Hello Phil,

I’m not sure I actually understood all the “range-note” identifications you gave, but will take your word for it that you are a bass.  When you identify B3 as the note at which you are more comfortable switching to falsetto, I’m assuming you mean the B one-half-step below middle C, correct?  You are correct in assuming that at 48, your vocal range is pretty much set.  However, inasmuch as you only began singing relatively recently, it may also be that access to higher notes is a matter of learning HOW to sing with good technique.  That is not something you will learn from notes over the internet or from an email.  You need to be singing daily and having voice lessons with a reliable teacher at least once a week for a committed time of at least two years.

You have a wise choral director if he is allowing you to drop the octave when you begin to feel vocal strain.

Dr. A.

Young says: Hi, I’ve came to back to your blog with a new question. What should I look for in a good singing teacher? My Aunt is willingly letting me have vocal lessons, if I can find a local teacher. I was wondering what kinds of things a good teacher would do and not do. Also, anything I should look for in the teacher.

ANSWER: Whew! Young, this is a comprehensive question and I’m not sure I can answer it adequately in one small article.  Let me start out this way:

1.  Almost without exception, a good voice teacher will also be a trained singer, although s/he does not need to be a well known performing artist (in fact, in most cases, s/he will not be).

2.  S/he needs to have credentials and/or experience that demonstrate some grounding and foundation in actual VOICE TEACHING.  A young teacher will have taken course(s) in Vocal Pedagogy and/or worked for a time under the direct supervision of a master voice teacher gaining experience as a voice teacher.  An older voice teacher should be able to produce references of students who have flourished and become fine/successful singers under his/her tutelage demonstrating that s/he has taught with success over a period of time.  There are LOTS of charlatans out there, so beware.

3.  A good singing teacher will be devoted to his/her craft.  Generally, it will not be a “hobby” or “tack on” to another job.

4.  The voice teacher should really be able to teach. E.g., if a musician teaches piano most of the time but also advertises for voice teaching, you’re probably better off looking elsewhere.

5.  A good voice teacher will allow you to observe a couple of lessons of other students so that you get a feel for their skill level, their demeanor and personality.  You, the prospective student, need to be convinced that you can get along well with the teacher (and the teacher may try to discern the same about you).

6.  A good voice teacher will generally give a prospective student an initial interview/lesson in which the teacher listens to the prospective student vocalize and sing.  S/he will also interview you and find out what your aims, goals and aspirations are.  Then the teacher will give you time to ask questions about the teacher after which the teacher should give you an evaluation of the your general potential, as well as lay out the terms (and fees) for the lessons.

7.  A good teacher will never “promise” a student’s success, or a glamorous career as a singer.  [A student's success is much dependent on his/her own practice and diligence.]  The teacher should, however, be able to give an honest assessment of the singer’s potential given the best scenario with a student’s diligence.

8.  Know this: a good teacher will be looking for evidence of commitment, dependability and diligence in you. He/She will not want to waste his/her time (and yours) and would rather not get paid the money for teaching you if you do not practice.

9.  Finding a good local teacher may require: looking on the internet; checking local colleges with music departments; asking known musician friends; and then interviewing multiple voice teachers until the best one for you is located.  Notice, I said “the best teacher for you.”  Your aims and commitment will play a part in the choice of person you want as your teacher.

10.  A good voice teacher will be able to talk about the process of singing, including on such subjects as a) the nature of sound, b) posture, c) breathing and support, d) phonation (making vocal sound), e) registration, f) voice classification, g) resonation, h) articulation, i) the speaking voice, j) coordination, k) song interpretation … IN CLEAR UNDERSTANDABLE LANGUAGE.   When you listen to your “sample lessons” of other students, listen carefully to see if what you hear makes sense and is easy to understand!

Young, as I think of other things, I’ll add to this post.  I hope this has been helpful.  Best wishes.

Gary (24) asks: I have wanted to sing since I was little but have only decided to act on trying to do something now. Can anyone learn to sing well as long as they are not tone deaf? I am really wanting to work my butt off to make my singing pleasant to listen to and maybe develop to do it as a career as I just love singing. Please let me know thanks.

ANSWER: Gary, thanks for plucking up the courage to ask your question.

Encouragement first:  Gary, almost anyone who has a good ear – can sing in tune – and who has the self-discipline (is willing to work their butt off) can make progress toward becoming a better singer (or whatever the instrument is).

[An aside: Consistent, daily practice regardless of any known programs, recitals, concerts, etc. is what will open doors for real and fruitful service.  The most talented musician who uses excuses for not practicing, such as "I have to have a concert or gig to work toward in order to practice" will have much less work than the prepared and self-disciplined musician who puts in meaningful time daily.  Dated goals are helpful, but not necessary in the ongoing preparation of music.]

Realism second: That said, any singer who aspires to excellence and a career will not only have a good  voice to work with but also possess innate musical ability.  The more this is developed the better.  If folk keep saying to you; “you have a beautiful voice” or, “you should be in the choir” or, “are you studying voice with anyone?” then you can feel encouraged in pursuing your new-found interest.  For sure, you should sing for a professional voice teacher and get his/her assessment of your raw material.  The other side of this coin, obviously, is that if this interest of yours has never received encouragement before, you may need a dose of reality and not anticipate singing as a career.

Jae: “Hello Dr. A, I want to ask for your opinion. Last Saturday, my uncle who was studying somewhere in Ohio, has heard me sing and has been told about my interest in singing. Now he said he bought me Brett Manning Singing Lessons CD’s. I’m so happy about it because they said it’s really a great help. Now, I want to ask you if Brett Manning is a really good vocal coach for me and if this lessons are really effective. Thank you Dr. A, you’re really a great help for me. Thank you so much and God bless!”

ANSWER: Jae,  I do not own “Brett Manning’s Singing Success” CD/DVD set although I have other similar audio tools.  So, I cannot speak to BM’s content specifically.  That said, ANY RECORDED VOICE-LESSON TEACHING TOOL should be considered supplemental and secondary in usefulness to one-on-one voice lessons with a qualified voice teacher.  Don’t kid yourself, anything (everything) that is advertised for purchase on the internet is a money-making scheme by the one trying to get rich on it.  That does not mean that it is not good or not useful, but it is also not an assurance of quality.  It is for this reason that those who sell such products get as many positive referrals as possible attracting traffic to their product.  So, proceed with care … and don’t be afraid to question what you read/hear/see.

Best wishes.

Hugo says:

Hi I’m currently 20 years old and for 20 years, I haven’t really been active in music and singing. I have sung in primary school for a little bit but that’s about it. However, recently I’ve been really interested in guitars and singing. Is there any particular advice you can give me? Because I am absolutely clueless on how to start training my vocals or if it’s too late. Thank you for your time.

ANSWER: Allow me to be straightforward, Hugo.  If, through the years, you have received unsolicited commendations from friends and the general public on your vocal abilities, then it is probably realistic for you to take up vocal study with a private voice teacher.  However, if this is just a recent “urge” without any real backup data that suggests that you already have special ability in this area, then I’d guess that you are “dreaming” and not thinking realistically.  I can say this, because, even at the college level, there are students who “think they’d like to take voice lessons” and have neither aptitude nor any idea what is involved … and once they find out, drop out very quickly.  They are, in all honesty, just thinking wishfully.  Save yourself and a teacher the trouble of going through this last scenario if you don’t already have some OBVIOUS talent for singing and making music.

However, as I say, if you KNOW that you have musical abilities – based on hard data and honest feedback – then go for it, and find a reliable teacher … one for singing, and another for learning the guitar.  You’ll need to count the cost monetarily as well as in self-discipline and commitment to practice so as to develop these skills.

Best wishes.

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Karim writes: Hey, I’m a 20 year old guy and for the last year or so I’ve been training my voice and exploring my range after I got interested in music. Over recent months my voice has developed very much as I vocalized more and more. I took a friend’s advice to learn how to use head voice and mix voice to get to the higher notes. Since then my range has expanded dramatically as I’ve learned to negotiate my breaks and access higher notes in head voice.

My range overall on a typical day is F2 to G5 and this is without the use of falsetto [Dr. A. italicized this]. I used to consider myself a bass-baritone but now my voice is capable of sustaining notes above high C with ease. I no longer know what to think about my voice and this has proven very frustrating. I used to sing quite low, often in vocal fry out of habit and had trouble going higher than F sharp above Middle C without falsetto but this no longer the case although I’ve kept my lower range. However, in recent months since my range developed I find myself singing in a higher tessitura. I have really good stamina above high C but I find that my lower chest voice has become less impressive. Am I becoming a tenor? And is there such a thing as going too high?

ANSWER: Karim, thank you for your questions.

Based on the information you have given me—and without the benefit of me actually hearing/seeing you, it would appear that your voice is developing as a tenor.

However, to be honest, I have some skepticism about the ability to now sing to a G above a tenor’s normal “high C” “without the use of falsetto”. Forgive me for this skepticism, but if this were the case you would be a rarity indeed … and if that high tessitura were comfortable also, you could consider yourself a counter tenor.  I suspect that in actuality your sound is becoming increasingly thinner as pitch ascends, perhaps without any noticeable break until you are functioning entirely in falsetto.  Still, this does not mean that you may not find yourself squarely and comfortably singing as a tenor.

You might do well to do a good deal of listening to great tenors like: Jussi Björling, Nicolai Gedda, Luciano Pavarotti, Stephen Costello, John Aler, David Hobson, Peter Pears, Bruce Ford, Fritz Wunderlich.

Regarding your question “is there such a thing as going too high?” naturally the answer is “yes.”  However, singing “too high” suggests that there is some compromise of good vocal balance in the process, such as an introduction of too much tension, or use of falsetto exclusively.  So, as your voice continues to develop, be sure to “listen” to your body … and pay attention to any signs of strain that works against long-term stamina.

Best wishes.

Andrew, 24, says: I’ve studied privately in the past before, but I currently can’t afford a tutor. Lately, I’ve been noticing that it’s much harder to maintain an even, easy vibrato when I descend down a scale. I often briefly go into a straight tone, though I can usually maintain my vibrato if I concentrate. Can you tell me why this might be? Thanks!

ANSWER: Andrew, your question is a good one, however, it is one that can only be answered with any assurance of being appropriate for you personally by a voice teacher who sees and hears you in person.  So, what I offer you below may sound a bit “academic” and you will need to sift through to see what, if any, applies to you.

A consistent pleasing (fairly rapid) vibrato is normally a result of good coordination between the muscles related to phonation (making sound), and the mechanism of respiration.  If you find that on the descent to lower notes there are some tending to straight tone, then the likelihood is that there is an imbalance taking place.  Be aware, that as pitch descends, so also should respiratory support and vocal resistance – incrementally – little by little in a continued “balancing act” of vocal coordination that at the same time does not diminish clarity and resonance.  A tendency of many young untrained singers, or singers beginning training is that once the high note has been achieved, they seem to “freeze in place” maintaining the same energy and space with nothing changing on the descent to the lower notes again.  But in fact, we singers have to learn to stay flexible and ease up on support slightly as pitch descends as well as allow our oral space to diminish.  In other words, when we’ve revved up our physical engines to 3,000 rpm for the high note … we need to lower the rpm incrementally for the notes an octave lower, thereby keeping the balance and energy consistent.  Besides applying the principle of incremental energy per pitch (the higher the more, the lower the less), I’d suggest that you “memorize the feelings” you experience when you have that pleasing vibrato … and then work to reproduce those feelings throughout your range.

While I would not be overly concerned about what you have described, it does cause me to ask whether or not you are and have been staying physically fit.  (You don’t need to tell me.)  If you were once “in shape” but now live a sedentary life style, this will affect your energies … and your vibrato.  Even 40-minutes of exercise (that gets the heart pumping to 120+/minute and the sweat glands open) every day will help the process of keeping everything else in better working order.

You possess a sensitive perception of your own sound Andrew, having made note that you occasionally lose vibrato.  However, I’d like to encourage you not to become too “introspective” or “paranoid” about the little anomalies.  If you are singing a quickly moving descending scale passage … the sense of “slipping into straight tone” may be just fine.  Perhaps a good thing to do would be to have a well trained singer listen to you to confirm or deny the validity of your concern.

One last tidbit: the answer may be as simple as you performing some flexibility (fast moving) vocal exercises on a daily basis for a period of time, until you find yourself negotiating similar passages in the literature with the same energy.

I’d be interested to know if any of the scenarios “rang a bell” with you.

Best wishes.
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PS. Since your personal response to me … I can now say … you’d do better to be singing when you are refreshed and full of energy … not late at night when you’re already tired and spent! 

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.

I have been studying voice for about 3 years with private teachers. I’ve been told that I have incredible potential but started too late, so that casting managers wouldn’t want to see a 30 year old auditioning. The problem is I still believe I could make singing my profession am I wasting my time?

ANSWER: Dominika, you ask a tough question!

Understand that my reply can only be based on what you’ve told me.  Some things I’m going to assume.  Since you’re in your later twenties, your vocal apparatus is nearing its full (early) maturity.  In other words, other than development of technique and more facility by it, your voice is going to continue to sound and feel much as it does now.  One thing I’ll assume is that after 3 years of study, your habits (all that goes into the act of singing) and technique are becoming secure and reliable.  You must be encouraged by the fact that you’ve been told you have “incredible potential.”

That said, the path of “breaking into the profession” as a singer – especially making a living at it – is not an easy road.  I’d recommend that you learn as many roles that are appropriate for your voice type and classification in the genre in which you sing, as possible.  Audition, audition, audition.  Take every opportunity and invitation to sing that comes your way.  Be willing to start small … local companies, civic groups, churches, synagogues, and every time prove to yourself (and your coaches) and your audiences that you have something special.  Audition for competitions as a “young artist.”  One other thing: managers who look for singers for opera, operetta and music theater are concerned about the health and physical appearance of the singers they hire.  If you’re fit and trim on top of being a wonderful singer and actress your chances are better for procuring roles for which you audition.

It shouldn’t take long for you to find out whether you “have it” to pursue the stage.  However, be aware, that few singers make singing their sole means of income.   Most of us who sing professionally, also teach or do something else also.

I hope this is encouraging to you.  All the best as you pursue what you love.

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.