The biggest concerns that come up in my voice studio, or with professional singers and worship leaders I interface with, lie in one of several areas: 1. Breath support, 2. Vocal health or 3. Hitting the high notes without straining. Today we will address #3. And that will incorporate that mysterious mixed voice.
Hitting the High Notes
Most of us realize that pushing with our throat isn’t the way to hit the high notes, but without proper training we end up having to make a choice: 1. Go for it and hope it comes out or 2. Change the key or 3. Don’t even try to sing the song.
As worship leaders we know that God often comes through when we couldn’t have done it alone, so maybe we have a better chance of hitting that note without skill than secular singers do… but let’s face it, if we don’t learn, eventually we’re gonna get humbled! Or maybe we just don’t get better and end up vocally fatigued so badly that we can’t sing the rest of the service or the show well. If it’s a habit to strain, you might even damage your voice.
So How Do We Fix This?
Some simple tips to help you hit the high notes more easily that don’t take a lot of extra training:
1. Stay well hydrated
2. Make sure you have good posture
3. Take a breath before you sing it
(Ok- even those points need more explanation- hence a good teacher is always best!)
Then what?
You need to place the notes in the front... add some nasality (if belting), anchor your body and lift inside. -And you probably need to engage the Mixed Voice.
But what really is the mixed voice and how do we access it?
Watch this short video for an introduction to what The Mix really is:
Once you understand The Mix, you can learn to use it. The lip trills and sirens will help you start to move through it. But your muscle memory will probably push you to try to pull your chest voice too high unless you practice a lot. And you must allow your voice to get a little lighter as it gets higher… but you do it gradually.
It is also important not to drive too much air or you will find yourself holding it back with your throat and adding to the tension. Support, support, support! Check out the anchoring exercises in Part 5; The Breath/ The Spirit of my book: Vocal Training for Praise Singers. There are other exercises to help you feel the Mix in my book in Part 7: Beautiful singing and Part 9: Loud without Pain.
One other simple thing you can start doing right away to feel your mix is to try singing through a straw. See and upcoming video about that coming soon!
Till then- Don’t stop singing!
“May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great.”
Psalms 138:5 NIV