Hey singers, here we are on the roof of New York Vocal Coaching
You know, they say it's lonely at the top.
But I ain't lonely because today we're gonna explore your vocal range from bottom to top.
I'm Justin Stoney the founder of New York Vocal Coaching
joining you for episode 106 of Voice Lessons To The World.
Today's question comes from Kadar L. in Jeddah Saudi Arabia.
Kadar writes, "Dear Justin, How do I find my vocal range?"
Perfect question, Kadar. It seems simple, but you're right it's actually not.
Vocal range has many considerations. And today, we're gonna make sense of it all.
To start, I think it'd be helpful to go to the lab and run some experiments on my own voice.
Vocal range comes down primarily to what registers you count as your range.
For example, in my own voice if I count everything then I can pretty much sing the whole piano.
There's Sub Chest
♫ Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee ♫
Chest
♫ Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee ♫
Mix
♫ Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee ♫
Falsetto
♫ Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee ♫
Flageolet
♫ Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee ♫
and Whistle Voice
♫ Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee Mee ♫
So, in my own voice that's somewhere around six octaves.
Now, I've been fully steeped in vocal pedagogy for over 20 years.
So it took me a while to develop all that stuff.
But, like so many singers I was originally taught that there are voice types
and that each of us is limited by our voice type and we must never try to break out of our voice type
or else something very bad might happen to us.
But come on, even without getting into the pedagogy, just using some common sense, what do you think?
Are we forever doomed by our voice types?
What do you say, doomed or not doomed?
Let me see that again
Just one more time
Exactly. The fact of the matter is if you want a bigger range you can go and get it.
We don't need to be limited by voice types. But, I should explain.
Voice types are labels like "Bass" "Tenor" "Alto" "Soprano"
Most singers really dislike being labeled and put into categories.
If you feel this way- you are right, my friend.
This antiquated thinking becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
In other words, if someone tells you "You're a low voice"
It's very easy to believe it.
That high notes are too difficult. That you just weren't meant to sing in another tessitura.
That going outside of our natural range is wrong or bad or unhealthy.
Yet, this is just not the case. Especially when we're talking about contemporary singing.
In contemporary singing, voice types are mythological for most intents and purposes.
An Alto or a Bass is like a leprechaun or a minotaur or unicorn.
In reality, if you want to be a Tenor you can learn to be a Tenor.
Or if you'd like to be a Soprano you can learn to be a Soprano.
It all comes down to training, exercising, stretching, and practice.
If I had a nickel for every time I've seen a "low voice" eventually become a "high voice"
I would break the piggy bank.
However, in classical and choral singing it's a different story.
In opera we have what's called
vocal fachs.
A vocal fach is a classification system
that describes not just the range of a singer but also their resonance characteristics.
You see, when you need to project your voice without a microphone
the amplification of your instrument matters.
That's why classical singing has vocal fachs.
Like Coloratura Soprano, Heldentenor, Lyric Baritone, or Basso Profundo.
Vocal fachs help determine which repertoire is appropriate for a singer
based on their unique physiology
Voice types can also matter in choral situations.
When a choral director is trying to decide which voices blend best together
they might assign different voice types for blending purposes.
While voice types and vocal fachs are necessary in some situations, I beg of you good people
Don't be limited.
Do not
let yourself be limited by voice types.
The entire concept of voice types has been sentencing singers into vocal prison cells for generations.
Look, I've taught over
20,000 voice lessons at this current moment, and I solemnly swear to you
I have never met a singer who could not dramatically improve their range and defy their voice type.
Which leads us back to Kadar's question- "How do I find my range?"
That's what we're gonna do in this week's voice lessons to the world challenge
For today's challenge
I'm gonna give you a step-by-step process for figuring out your true vocal range as well as your
stylistic vocal range.
The first step is to find your lowest connected note.
As I showed you earlier some singers can develop a Sub Chest region.
But we don't usually consider this to be your true vocal range.
To find your lowest note in your true vocal range
we need to figure out the exact point where Chest Voice meets your Vocal Fry.
Wherever this happens is your voice's lowest note.
So let's figure it out together.
Guys are going to be right here
♫ May May May ♫
and ladies right right here.
♫ May May May ♫
We're going to go down by half-step.
Try very, very hard to stay in Chest Voice and don't go to Vocal Fry.
Eventually, it's going to have to happen.
But, try to delay it.
Pay close attention to where your chest voice stops.
This is what we're going to say is your lowest note.
And, here we go.
♫ May May May ♫
(moves down a half-step)
♫ May May May ♫
(moves down a half-step)
♫ May May May ♫
(continues moving down by half-steps)
That's it.
Right.
♫ May May May ♫
Good.
♫ May May May ♫
And that should be it. Wherever you switched, we're going to call that your lowest true note.
Now, let's find your highest disconnected note.
Next we're going to find your highest note in your cricothyroid dominant registers.
Whoa.
That's Falsetto, Head Voice, and Flageolet.
Don't worry if you would never sing these notes in a song.
Here we're just looking for your absolute top.
For this one, we're gonna use the tiniest "W" sound
(purses lips and blows out)
Not "OO"
"W" (purses lips and blows out)
So keep your lips like this the whole time (purses lips)
Guys and ladies will be in the same octave.
♫ W ♫
Stop when you can't go any further.
And, here we go.
♫ W ♫
(moves up by half-step)
♫ W ♫
(moves up by half-step)
♫ W ♫
(moves up by half-steps)
♫ W ♫
(continues moving up by half-step)
That's it.
Great.
♫ W ♫
Keep it up if you can
♫ W ♫
Right.
Wherever you maxed out that's what we're going to call your highest true note.
On to step three.
Congratulations!
Now that those two steps are done, you know your full vocal range.
When people ask you what your range is you can say something like
G2 to B-flat5
Or, E3 to D6.
This is your true vocal range.
But we're not quite done.
We also need to figure out your vocal range as it applies to your style.
Like if you're a belter we need to know which note you can belt or Mix up to.
Many times with contemporary singing we're not interested in what you can do in Falsetto and Head Voice.
Instead, we want to know which note you can do without switching to these other registers.
Or, if you're a female legit singer we need to know how high you can go in Head Voice
without switching to Flageolet.
Which leads us to step four.
For this step you'll have to do some experimenting on your own.
Ask yourself, "What style do I sing?"
And, "For my style how do I need to sing the notes?"
Like if I'm a belter, I can't be switching to Falsetto
♫ Don't you draw the queen of diamonds boy? ♫
I'll have to build a mix that helps me get up to those notes.
♫ Don't you draw the queen of diamonds boy? ♫
Or, if I'm a Legit Soprano, I can't be switching to Flageolet.
♫ Ave Maria ♫
I'll have to make sure I can do it in Head Voice
♫ Ave Maria ♫
So your stylistic vocal range might be something like this
G2 to B-flat5, belt to A4
Or, E3 to D6 Head Voice to B-flat5
Spend some time experimenting with the vocal registers in between your highest and lowest notes
and you'll quickly get a sense of your stylistic vocal range.
I also recommend revisiting our vocal register world tour on this channel for lots of info on this.
Phew!
Awesome!
We have successfully
determined your full vocal range and set you on a great path.
Keep us posted on Facebook, Instagram, all the usual suspects and send your questions to
Questions@VoiceLessonsToTheWorld.com
Here's some more things that will help you to take your vocal range to new heights.
For voice lessons or Skype lessons with the NYVC Staff
visit us at NewYorkVocalCoaching.com
If you'd like a vocal course that you can do at home
Check out the Voice Lessons To The World Vocal Course
This twelve part program takes you on a singing journey from beginner to master level vocal exercises.
you can find it at VoiceLessonsToTheWorld.com
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And now, here's Justin with this week's vocal benediction.
In life it seems that everybody's always trying to get to the top.
Yet, the people we idolize might sometimes disappoint us
and the people we overlook might surprise us.
So what's left?
A whole lot of time somewhere in the middle.
So, throughout life's ecstasies, tragedies, and mediocrities...sing.
And a part of your soul will always be lifted high.