We swallow hundreds of times a day.
But the last thing we want to do is go into swallowing mode while we sing high notes.
When we do, the larynx rises and the external muscles in our neck and throat squeeze and
tighten.
Inside this video I'll give you one exercise that will help you cancel these external squeezing
muscles so your vocal cords are able to sing high notes easily.
Hi I'm Chuck Gilmore with Power To Sing.
By now, if you've watched the last two videos, you know that thick vocal cords and the rising
larynx cause us real problems when we sing, especially when we sing high notes.
The result is, our vocal cords will not work their very best.
We panic and tighten up, especially when we try and sing the high notes.
Now, how to sing high notes without squeezing.
Here's an exercise that will cancel the external squeezing muscles in the neck and throat surrounding
the vocal cords.
This exercise will also help your vocal cords work separately from your swallowing muscles.
Here's how it works.
With your thumb, feel your chin and move just below your chin until you feel the soft spot
below your chin.
With your thumb, press gently into the upper neck area just below your chin and swallow.
As you swallow, feel the muscles tighten and push against your thumb.
These are the external muscles in your neck which surround and attach to the voice box,
the larynx.
Your vocal cords are attached on the inside of the larynx, just behind your Adam's apple.
Special note: the vocal cords are controlled by it's own group of muscles and cartilage
and ligament.
These are separate from the external muscles of the neck and throat.
I refer to this group of muscles as the internal muscles.
The internal muscles of the vocal cords work best when they work separately from the external
swallowing muscles.
Now, make the uh sound as in up.
Now, make the uh with your lips closed.
Now, gently press your thumb just below your chin and do the following.
On the 1 1/2 scale, using the uh sound, gently touch each note up and down
the scale, like this.
(demo) Only the internal muscles of the vocal cords are needed for this.
The internal muscles of the vocal cords don't need the external muscles to do this exercise.
If you feel the external muscles pushing against your thumb as you're doing this vocal exercise,
you are going into swallowing mode.
The external muscles are pulling the larynx upward.
This gives you unneeded strain, stress and squeeze around the vocal cords as you try
to sing the high notes.
Your goal is to do this exercise with only the internal vocal cord muscle group.
You should be able to do this exercise without the external muscles pushing against your
thumb.
Once you're able to do this, your ability to sing high notes without strain or reaching
will get much easier.
Now, here's an advanced exercise for you.
Once you're able to do that staccato one...u-u-u...as you get better at this...try this more advanced
version.
It's the very same exercise as above except that the rhythm is more of a gallop, like
this.
(demo) I'm going to turn sideways to see if you can see.
I'm going to push against this and we'll see if I can prevent the external muscles from
pushing my thumb.
Meaning that I'm just doing it with the internal muscles.
Watch.
(demo) Now, I'll do it the wrong way and you'll see how my thumb kind of gets pushed down.
(demo) I can just feel that muscle pushing my thumb.
That's the wrong way to do it.
So, again, I'll try to do it without using the external muscles.
(demo) I'm pushing in pretty hard.
(demo) I'll play it in the women's register here.
(piano) So you ladies can try it on that pitch.
(piano) Hopefully that's helpful.
Now, as you're successful with this more advanced one, go up a half step at a time.
The tendency to reach or squeeze as you sing high notes means your vocal type is likely
pull chest-high larynx.
Don't get me wrong if, when doing this exercise, you find that your thumb is pushed out by
these external muscles....that doesn't mean you're absolutely pull chest-high larynx.
Almost every vocal type will have these external muscles involved in the process.
We want to disengage those and only isolate and do everything we can just with those internal
muscles of the vocal cords themselves.
Do you know your vocal type?
This doesn't mean whether you're soprano, alto, tenor or bass.
Your vocal type describes what your voice tends to do when you sing.
To discover your vocal type, visit PowerToSing.com and take the vocal test which I call the Power
Test.
Take the test and immediately you'll discover your vocal type.
Then visit the Knowledge Center and watch the videos about your vocal type.
Download the free mp3 of the vocal exercises designed to help your unique voice.
Your voice will improve using these exercises.
I'm Chuck Gilmore with Power To Sing.
You can sing higher with beauty, confidence and power.
I'll see you inside the next video.