This is video number six in the series: How to Train my Voice to Sing Higher.
At first singing higher presents special challenges. One major challenge is the larynx rises to help reach the higher notes.
Here’s an exercise that will retrain the rising larynx to make singing higher so much easier!
The larynx rises when the muscles surrounding it tense, push and pull it upward. This adds unwanted tension and squeeze around the vocal cords. Panic sets in. In this condition, great high notes are impossible.
How to Train my Voice to Sing Higher – Counteract the Rising Larynx
Here’s a simple exercise called the Dopy Gee. The dopy gee helps keep the larynx down and makes great high notes possible.
Here’s how it works. First the dopy sound. Say “duh”. Not a regular duh, but a dopy or stupid “duh” like the a cartoon character might do…or a teenager making fun of a friend. “duh”
The dopy sound activates muscles below the larynx that pulls it downward. Feel the larynx move down when you say “duh” with the dopy sound.
Now say “gee”. Combine the dopy sound with the gee like this: Gee [Demo]
The exercise is simple. Say the dopy gee with the 5-tone scale. Men start on the G below middle C. Women start on Middle C. Both voices go up 6 half-steps and then come back down. [Demo]
Men Begin. Now the women.
How to Train my Voice to Sing Higher – Tips for the Dopy Gee
Here are some tips that will help with the dopy gee.
-
Try to maintain the dopy sound and feeling as the pitch rises. If you do it sounds hootie as you go higher. Like this. [Demo]
-
If you lose the dopy sound it sounds like this. [Demo] If you keep the dopy sound… [Demo]
-
Do it medium to medium soft. If you struggle, go even softer. [Demo]
-
Once you are able to do it easily, get rid of the dopy sound. Use your voice with nothing else added. [Demo]
-
Be patient with yourself. You are learning to keep the larynx down. It’s not going to feel or sound normal at first. That’s because it’s not normal. Normal is without the dopy sound but with the larynx staying down.
-
Normal is without tension or squeeze. Then the vocal cords are free to progress like this. [Demo]
How to Train my Voice to Sing Higher – Benefits of the Dopy Gee
Here are some benefits to using the dopy gee. It:
-
Retrains the larynx to stay resting at speech level as you sing the high notes.
-
Eliminates the tension surrounding the vocal cords so they can balance easily with the air flow.
-
Enables the resonance to shift from the chest to head cavities.
-
Keeps the vocal cords together so there is no break or flip.
-
Helps coordinate the airflow and vocal cords which builds real power in the voice.
-
This simple exercise when done correctly will help unleash your real vocal potential.
Singers with the vocal type Pulled Chest-High Larynx, Flip Falsetto, and even Light Chest- No Chest will benefit from the dopy gee. Do you know your vocal type? I don’t mean whether you are soprano, alto, tenor or bass.
Your vocal type is what you tend to do when you sing. Visit PowerToSing.com and take the vocal test which I call the Powertest. Take the quiz and discover your vocal type. Then visit the Knowledge Center and watch all the videos about your vocal type.
Download the free exercises for your vocal type and start working on them. They will help improve your voice rapidly.
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.
Responses