How to increase your vocal range?

Every vocalist dreams of having a wide range of working voice. But not everyone can achieve a beautiful sounding voice in any part of the range using professional methods and try to expand it on their own to the detriment of their health. To do this correctly, the vocalist needs to follow certain rules.

The vocal range changes throughout life. Even in talented children it is much narrower than in an adult vocalist with average abilities, so expanding it to 7–9 years is useless. The fact is that in young children, the vocal cords are still developing. Getting a beautiful sound at this age and trying to expand the range artificially is a waste of time and effort, because a child’s voice is very fragile and can easily be damaged by incorrectly selected exercises. In the process of chanting, his range itself expands, without additional effort. It is best to start active exercises to expand it after the end of early adolescence.

After 10–12 years, voice formation reaches an active phase. At this time, the chest expands, the voice gradually begins to acquire its adult sound. The first stage of adolescence begins; in some children (especially boys) there is a mutation or pre-mutation period. At this time, the vocal range begins to expand in different directions. In high voices, falsetto notes may become brighter and more expressive; in low voices, the lower part of the range may be lower by a fourth or fifth.

When the mutation period is over, you can begin to gradually expand the range. At this time, the capabilities of the voice allow you to form a wide range and learn to sing in different tessitura. Even a narrow range within 2 octaves can be significantly expanded if you learn to sing correctly and hit all the resonators correctly. A few simple exercises will help you expand the capabilities of your voice and learn to easily reach the extreme notes of your working range.

The vocal range consists of the following zones:

Each voice has its own primary zone. This is the middle of the range, the height at which the performer is comfortable speaking and singing. This is where you need to start various chants in order to expand the range of your voice. For a soprano it begins with E and F of the first octave, for a mezzo – with B small and C large. It is from the primary zone that you can start singing up and down to expand the range of your voice.

Working range – this is the area of ​​the voice in which it is convenient to sing vocal works. It is much wider than the primary zone and can be gradually changed. To do this, you need not only to sing correctly, using all the necessary resonators, but also to regularly do special exercises. With age, with regular vocal lessons, it will gradually expand. It is the wide working range that is most valued by vocalists.

Total non-operating range – this is the full coverage of several octaves with the voice. It is usually achieved while singing chants and vocalises. This range includes working and non-working notes. Usually the extreme notes of this large range are sung very rarely in works. But the wider the non-working range, the more complex works with large tessitura will become available to you.

The working range is usually not wide enough for inexperienced vocalists. It expands as you sing, provided it is correct. Ligamentous, throat singing will not help you expand the working range of your voice, but it will lead to occupational diseases for vocalists. That’s why .

To do this, you need to do a few simple exercises before singing.

1. Singing should be light and free, without vocal strains. The voice should flow easily and naturally, and the breath should be taken after each part of the chant. Notice how the voice began to sound in each part of the upper range. After what notes did its color and timbre change? These are your transition notes. Having reached the highest notes, gradually begin to move down. Note when the voice completely transitions to a chest sound and how wide this range is. Can you hum the melody freely in this tessitura? If so, then this is the lowest part of your operating range.
2. For example, on the syllables “da”, “yu”, “lyu” and many others. This chant will significantly expand your range in the higher notes, and you will gradually be able to sing pieces with a wide range. Many vocal teachers have a large arsenal of exercises that will help you expand the range of any type of voice, from contralto to high lyric coloratura soprano.
3. Even if it’s just a fragment of a complex song, it will help you expand your working range. Such a piece could be the song “No Me Ames” from the repertoire of Jennifer Lopez or “Ave Maria” by Caccini. You need to start it in a tessitura that is comfortable for you, close to the primary sound of your voice. These pieces can be used to get a feel for how to expand your vocal range in practice.
4. You need to try to sing in the same manner, jumping up and down by sixth. It will be difficult at first, but then you will be able to control your voice in any area. Its range will expand significantly, and you will be able to sing any complex compositions beautifully and brightly.

   Good Luck!