Hardly anything is more embarrassing than your voice cracking or breaking while you're
singing, especially when you want to sing an impressive high note.
Why does this happen and how can you fix it? Inside this video I'll show you how to sing
without cracks or breaks! Stay tuned.
Hi I'm Chuck Gilmore with Power To Sing. It's a singer's worst nightmare, right? Singing
your song and wham, your voice cracks or breaks in front of everyone!
I'm defining a break as the vocal cords separating and not reconnecting so that you continue
singing in falsetto.
I'm defining a crack as a momentary interruption in the tone because the vocal cords separate
for a moment and then reconnect again.
What causes breaks and cracks to happen in our voices? Here's a number of reasons. Some
reasons are out of your control, having swollen vocal cords due to allergies, colds, congestion,
menstruation, infections, teen boy vocal changes (can't control that).
If possible avoid singing or performing when you're sick. You can damage your vocal cords
if you over due it under these conditions.
Teen boys should continue to sing. With the right exercises young men can get through
their vocal changes successfully.
Watch Ep. #14 How to sing high notes for teen boys.
There are breaks or cracks in our voices we can control. Here are some causes we can fix.
Rising larynx caused by reaching and squeezing for high notes.
Pulling chest voice too high.
Open or wide vowels.
Pushing too much air and singing too loud.
Lack of breath support.
Fighting the resonance and not allowing it to shift into the head cavities.
How to sing without cracks or breaks?
Here's a few simple fixes for each of these.
Correct the rising larynx and pulling chest with this exercise that everyone can do. "Goo"
Let me show you.
If I were singing somewhere over the rainbow and it cracked I could use the "goo" to help
me.
Some where...now let's take "goo" and substitute it in for the words.
Goo..........
When I can do that a few times go back and put the words back in.
Somewhere over the rainbow.
Correct the wide or open vowel by slightly narrowing the vowel. For more help on this
get Vowel Hacks Episode 25.
Now somewhere over the rainbow again.
Somewhere (cracks)
Now if i take that "where" and narrow it slightly to "we're"...Somewhere Over the rainbow.
You hear how the vowel narrowed from where to we're but it comes out sounding like "where".
Somewhere over the rainbow..
Correct singing too loud and pushing too much air by backing off just a little as you sing
higher.
You actually need less not more air to sing higher. When you sing louder, especially as
you sing higher, the vocal cords have to resist the added air blow from your lungs.
A strong air blast can blow the cords apart. Also the vocal cords must increase tension
to hold them together. This causes the external muscles to squeeze around the neck.
Learning to sing louder without squeezing takes time and patience. Practice with soft
to medium air and volume. This will help you develop strength and balance in the vocal
cords and not the external swallowing muscles.
God on high (crack) Too much air too strong of an air blast.
God on High hear my ...I wish I was in better voice today...God on high hear my prayer in
my need you have always been there.
Speaking of air, adequate breath support will help your vocal cords function properly. Do
this by thinking "tummy out". Open your mouth and let your lungs fill with air. As you sing,
think "tummy in" and gently pull your belly button in towards your spine. Don't over due
it. Just enough to give the added air support which helps the vocal cords stay connected.
Tummy Out...God on high....Tummy out....God on high hear my prayer.
Allowing the resonance to shift into the head cavities from chest to head voice might feel
strange at first. Use lip trills, tongue trills or "goo" to get used to this new feeling.
Lip Trill...or tongue trill...goo.
Here's a tip if your vocal cords still want to break apart even when you're using the
word "goo", you might need to add a dopey or hootie sound to it.
Something like this, a little bit on the dopey side. Goo. That really helps. Goo.....
The vocal cords are holding, they're not breaking with that added dopey sound...a little bit
of imposed larynx. Once you can do that repeatedly, with ease, then you can back off of that dopey
sound to a more normal sound.
The dopey sound helps encourage the larynx to stay down and the vocal cords to stay together.
Do you tend to break or crack as you sing higher? If so your vocal type is likely Flip-Falsetto.
Do you know your vocal type? This isn't referred to whether you are soprano, alto, tenor or
bass. Your vocal type is what you tend to do when you sing.
Visit my website, Power to Sing and take the vocal test, which I call the Power Test. You
can take the quiz or email me the recorded test and discover your vocal type.
Visit the Knowledge Center and learn about your vocal type. Download the exercises for
your vocal type and start seeing immediate improvement in your voice.
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.
like having swollen vocal cords do to allergies....
Subtitles by the Amara.org community