Hi there! I'm Katie Parr, vocal pro in Southlake, Texas. Today I'm going to be showing you a trick to sing high notes. As there are many techniques to hit high notes, one easy technique is to change the shape of the vowel in the word you are singing. I'm going to first explain the concept behind this technique which is key to producing the desired sound. Once you conceptualize the desired outcome, the technique will be the easy part. Once you master the technique, I'll explain how to apply this trick to a song.
Concept:
All vowels sound the same up high. For instance, if you sing "A" or "O" high enough, it will sound exactly the same to anyone listening. As a singer, it sounds very different from our inner ear and easy to hear the difference between the two. Try this technique to hear what listeners hear while you sing "A" and "O" on a high pitch. Make a quick recording of yourself singing a high "A" vowel and a high "O" vowel. When you listen to the recording, you'll notice the vowels will sound exactly the same. The ear translates sounds in over 2000 ways as it enters the ear. So even though you can notice a difference as a singer, the listener can not hear it. While singing these two different vowels. you will notice the "A" is harder to sing then the "O". This is because of where the vowel is naturally placed in the mouth.
Technique:
Next, I'll show you the best vowel to sing on a high pitch. First speak the vowel "Uh". Now, speak "Uh" on a high pitch. Now sing "Uh" on a high\ pitch. Next, record yourself singing "Uh" on a high pitch. You'll find when listening to the recording that the vowel again sounds the same as any other vowel, simply because it's high pitched. "Uh" is the vowel that is naturally placed closest to the front of the mouth and easiest to sing loud, strong and confidently.
Application:
Try applying this technique to a high note in a song. To do this, find the highest pitch in a song, isolate the vowel, change it to "Uh". After you successfully sing "Uh" on the high pitch, add the consonants to the remainder of the word. Keep in mind, you will be announciating the word differently (unless the vowel is “Uh”) so it might sound funny to you. That just means you’re doing the exercise correctly. Now sing that word again with the entire phrase of music...Wahlah! Now you can successfully sing you high note with proper placement, without hurting your voice and have the confidence to know it sounds great!
For more about my techniques and private lessons please visit, Katieparrmusicacademy.com
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