Do you feel like your voice hits a ceiling and locks up the harder you try to hit certain pitches. Worse yet, do you experience extreme vocal fatigue, even hoarseness upon attempting certain pitches

Yep! Vocal Tension! The enemy of a transition throughout your range.

Here are a 3 basic starting points to consider.

1. NEVER YELL to force a higher pitch. Back off the volume; keep it light and conversational. ONLY vocalize as high as you comfortably can. Regular, proper training and exercises will result in an expanded vocal range so be patient and diligent.

2. Thoroughly warm up your voice before rehearsals and performances. Your voice is a muscular instrument that needs proper warm up just as any athlete would warm up before a track meet. Lip trills/Lip rolls are hands down one of the most effective ways to warm up the voice with no tension.

3. RELAX your face and neck muscles.  Look in a mirror as you are vocalizing. Is your face relaxed OR is your forehead drawn up and neck visibly tense? Muscle tension = vocal tension.  Gently massage your facial, neck and shoulder muscles prior to warm up and vocalizing.

Keep in mind, there is much more involved in being able to reach desired high notes and build stamina while releasing the tension in your voice.

These three points, however, are very important to get started on a pathway to vocal health and eliminating tension and fatigue.

Remember there is no substitute for a good vocal coach to work with you one on one for your specific vocal needs!

Happy Singing

-Lora