Falsetto.

[LifeOfTheParty]

Hi guys.

Well, I have a pretty deep voice..

But I usually like to include a few falsetto verses in our band's songs.

I mean, it's not THAT bad, but just for those one or two notes I can't go very high on.

It's not exactly full proof though, as it'll work fine in studio, and I'll struggle with it live.

Anyway I can improve on this?

Thanks in advance.

[FinnArild]

You can do scale rehearsals and gradually push your voice up the odd note or two - don't expect miracles like an octave, but you should be able to add a couple of notes. Be careful not to overdo it and ruin your voice. 40 minutes a day 3 times a week is enough.

[theoccasional]

I was able to add about an octave and a half to my vocal range by developing some falsetto-and-regular-voice-blending techniques. A lot of male singers do this, and if you practice at it enough it can get very tricky to tell the difference between the two.

I started with formal voice lessons to learn the warm ups I needed to know (you can find these online; look for scale exercises, lip trills, timed S's, info on breath support and posture, etc, etc). The next thing you need to do is pick out some pieces that offer a bit of a challenge to try out these new techniques. I found that musicals offered a pretty good opportunity to practice these, so I learned a few of those ("I Only Want to Say" from JC Superstar, "Free The People" from Godspell, for example). I picked them because they have really wide-randing melodies that require a lot of control and practice to reach.

The other thing to really keep in mind when you're singing is how you form words. There's an exercise where you make every vowel sound ("A-E-I-O-U") without closing your mouth or moving your lips; you do it all with your soft palette and the way you use your tongue to shape the sounds.

Singing is a VERY, VERY involved process and there are thousands of different factors you have to keep in mind when you're looking to maximize your ability to do it. It's always ongoing.

Another thing that I find really helps is to map out the lyrics of a song and put an "X" everywhere you're going to take a breath. Having regular intervals where you breathe is really important; if you have no air you'll never be able to get into your upper register anyway.

Another piece of advice that I can offer you is that as you move higher into your range, don't allow your chin to rise and your neck to tense up. This puts a lot of strain on your vocal cords and actually makes it harder to sing. Try keeping your chin slightly lowered, stomach slightly out (for diaphragmatic pushing), feet shoulder-width apart and hands at your side. This is a good posture to start singing. Keep your back straight.

Anyway, hope some of this helps!!

Alex

[joett]

I've had students with deep voices who thought they could never hit the falsetto area, but with regular scale exercises with me they were able to achieve what they had earlier thought was impossible. If you don't have a vocal coach, or can't afford one -- I know they can be quite costly depending on where you live -- buy a program that has the scales on CD. The only disadvantage with that (working on your own) is that you don't have a knowledgeable person to assist you. You need a second pair of ears. Always.