Ep.86: How to Sing Higher without Cracking or Breaking #2 of 2

 

If you want to learn how to sing higher without cracking or breaking, you must stop the swallowing muscles from pulling up the larynx.

 

This is the main cause of the vocal cords cracking and separating.

 

In Episode 85, you vocalized without the external swallowing muscles.

 

Now you’re ready to add more challenging exercises to help transfer this ability to songs.

 

First, be sure to watch Episode 85.  Practice the exercises until you can do them successfully. This video can be the next step in your progress.

 

In Episode 85 you learned to use the puppy dog sound or the squeaky door, without the external muscles of the neck pulling the larynx up.  

 

How to Sing Higher without Cracking or Breaking

Once you are able to do these without the external muscles pushing your thumb, do the same exercise with the puppy dog sound with a legato or smooth vocal line, like this. [Demo]  

 

How to Sing Higher without Cracking or Breaking by disengaging the external neck muscles

Keep your thumb in the same place as before to monitor yourself.

 

Men start on the B2 and women on the F#3. Men begin.  Now the women.

 

If you can’t do it without the external muscles pushing the thumb, go back to the exercises in Episode 85 and work with those. Then come back to this.

 

Your goal is to do this with only the vocal cords, and no external muscles pushing the larynx upward.

 

Next, use the “e” vowel like this. [Demo]

 

Alright men, begin. Now women.

 

You may want to do the exercises in Ep. 85 using the “e” with the staccato, gallop and triplets. Get comfortable doing all these without the external muscles.

 

For example. Demo. That’s the gallop.

 

Once you’re successful doing these with just the vocal cords themselves without the external neck muscles pulling the larynx upward, try it in a song.

 

How to Sing Higher without Cracking or Breaking – Exercise using Songs

For example: I’ll demonstrate with the “e” vowel the song, “Can you feel the love tonight?”.  This is in the middle of the first bridge for the tenors and baritones. [Demo]

 

Once you’re successful doing that, try it with the words. As the vowels and words change, you’ll feel the muscles below your chin move somewhat, because of the action of the tongue and lips. That’s ok. But this time, the larynx is more resting and stable. [Demo]

 

That’s very different than Demo.  Ladies you can do the same with “Over the Rainbow “, starting on the Bb3.  Demo.

 

It’ll be much easier to sing the F4 or the Bb4. The vocal cords will stay together and you can sing this passage without a crack or break.  The tension is greatly reduced.

 

This is how you train the vocal cords to work without the external muscles pulling the larynx upward with the rising pitches.

 

With the larynx resting at your speech level, every vocal exercise and song you sing will be easier.

 

This often takes time and practice to learn. Remember you’re retraining your nervous system to do things differently than you’ve done all your life! It’s a new coordination and it can take time.

 

Be patient. You can do it!

 

Vocal Types and the Rising Larynx

The rising larynx is a challenge most of us face. It’s very common with singers who have the vocal types Pulled Chest-High Larynx and Flip-Falsetto. Even Light Chest-No Chest vocal types often have a high larynx.

 

Do you know your vocal type? I’m not referring to your vocal range, soprano, alto, tenor or bass. Your vocal type is what you tend to do when you sing.

 

To discover your vocal type visit PowerToSing.com and take the vocal test, which I call the PowerTest. Take the quiz and get your vocal type.

 

Then visit the Knowledge Center and watch the videos about your vocal type. Download the free exercises for your vocal type and start working on them to improve your voice rapidly.

 

I’m Chuck Gilmore with PowerToSing. You can sing higher with beauty, confidence and power.

 

I’ll see you inside the next video.

 

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Chuck Gilmore

Chuck Gilmore

If you want to do more with your singing voice it is possible. This is the first and most important message. It is possible to achieve your dreams to sing better, to sing higher, and to add beauty, confidence and power to your voice!

I know this because I’ve experienced a real change in my voice. I am reaching my dreams to sing and perform. You can find happiness and fulfillment with your singing too!!

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  1. Hi Anne. I am so pleased that you have found this helpful. It was a revelation to me too. You may or may not know that Seth is my teacher also and I happily give him the credit.

  2. This singing lesson tip is the most worthy and powerful! I have Seth Riggs’ CDs, he taught this technique but I didn’t get it until I listenning to this video of Chuck! -Thanks Chuck! your video is very helping. This technique not only powerful for singing high note but also for every and all notes – it helps taking the tension out the throat. So, Thanks again Chuck!

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