Thinning out the voice/singing higher on the same volume

[colin040]

I've noticed that I have a hard time singing high notes soft. Like, really, really soft. There are times that I'm able to do so but most of the times when I try to, I feel like I'm keeping my throat closed.

I'm able to sing pretty high notes (around F#5-G5 most of the time) but rarely feel like that i'm able to really control these, in the way of letting volume be a choice and not an essential feature.

I also can't hum that high without feeling like I'm getting chocked (closed throat issue here again) either. Most of the time I end at C#5 or so. Anything higher feels umcomfortable.

How do I get rid of these problems and what they do mean?

[D.Starr]

Practice. Practice. Practice.

Phil made a thread the other day about over training.

Going over the same spots to really grind it in. Don't over work your voice though.

Just keep tackling these problems areas 10 times over. Rest. Drink water and get back at it.

There maybe exercises to ease up tension but it won't make it disappear. Just work at it.

[ronws]

I've not ever been able to do notes in the 5th octave super-quiet or "falsetto." Songs I was covering had notes in that area that were blistering and peeling the paint off the walls, so I was aiming for the same thing, too. I'll let you know when I get there.

Volume is an "illusion", mainly coming from resonance or lack thereof.

[colin040]

Thanks for the replies.

Don't get me wrong though, it's not like Im yelling once I'm trying to hit these high notes. That's not the case. (Well, not anymore atleast )

It's just that I noticed my volume does increase slightly when I'm singing higher. This also made me think of what Kevin Richards said in one of his videos that ''volume should be a choice''.

[ronws]

Thanks for the replies.

Don't get me wrong though, it's not like Im yelling once I'm trying to hit these high notes. That's not the case. (Well, not anymore atleast )

It's just that I noticed my volume does increase slightly when I'm singing higher. This also made me think of what Kevin Richards said in one of his videos that ''volume should be a choice''.

And Anthony Frisell says that the higher notes, to be solid and stable, will be louder. Two different teachers, who to follow? The generic advice around here is to get a coach. Which one?

[VideoHere]

what is soft? a non-breathy connected high note in that range will not be soft.

can you give an example?

[Danielformica]

All volume does it put it closer to chest voice so if you sing a c4 and sing it quietly in falsetto and swell on it you will notice it is now in "chest". Singer higher notes requires balance and with time and technique you get that balance. If you are to disconnected(folds far apart) you will be in falsetto if you are to (connected) cords are squeezed together and you will be yelling and flat, you need to find the "goldilocks" spot right in the middle.

[D.Starr]

you need to find the "goldilocks" spot right in the middle.

Love that :)

[Remylebeau]

I'd be curious if anyone can demonstrate soft singing in the F5+ range. Even in falsetto, the sound is really piercing up there. Obviously we don't want to approach these notes like we would approach the notes lower in the range and we can make them softER. But I never go into the upper reaches of the 5th octave looking to be soft.

[ronws]

I'd be curious if anyone can demonstrate soft singing in the F5+ range. Even in falsetto, the sound is really piercing up there. Obviously we don't want to approach these notes like we would approach the notes lower in the range and we can make them softER. But I never go into the upper reaches of the 5th octave looking to be soft.

I echo your inquisitiveness, Mssr. LeBeau. Anyone here do an F5 soft and light?

[VideoHere]

all i want to know is anybody working on their g4 to c5 area?

or what i'd like to call your "bust your ass" area?

lol!!!!

[Martin H]

I'd be curious if anyone can demonstrate soft singing in the F5+ range. Even in falsetto, the sound is really piercing up there. Obviously we don't want to approach these notes like we would approach the notes lower in the range and we can make them softER. But I never go into the upper reaches of the 5th octave looking to be soft.

https://app.box.com/shared/kq54gd9ch6

:)

[Willise]

all i want to know is anybody working on their g4 to c5 area?

or what i'd like to call your "bust your ass" area?

lol!!!!

Love that term - it is so accurate.

Unfortunately, mine is even lower than that - F4-C5. But I'll get there someday - no rush.

[ronws]

all i want to know is anybody working on their g4 to c5 area?

or what i'd like to call your "bust your ass" area?

lol!!!!

Only on days where I am singing or working exercises. Which is pretty much any day that ends in 'y', in the English language. On the days where I am not singing or exercising for singing, not so much. It's an ongoing process in the journey that is "one voice."

And I think it's more important than an F5. But others' mileage may vary.

[breakin]

all i want to know is anybody working on their g4 to c5 area?

or what i'd like to call your "bust your ass" area?

lol!!!!

Sure! It's a bitch!

But back to the question in this thread. It would be fun to be able to just sing softly up to at least E5/F5 to be able to do some young michael jackson singing or so. But my only approach is to really belt out the notes in headvoice... hard to find a free released feeling up there. After D5 anyway.

[colin040]

all i want to know is anybody working on their g4 to c5 area?

or what i'd like to call your "bust your ass" area?

lol!!!!

Don't get me wrong. I'm working on this area as well - more so than my fifth octave notes lately. Fortunately I've been getting better on such notes. Sometimes I feel that when belting I'm stuck at Bb4 and I forget to slightly tin out or ''let go'' to get to B4 or C5.

Maybe I should when singing along to songs in this area record and pay lots of attention to my lines though. I do feel pretty ease on hitting clean G4's and A4's but I'm sure there are things that I do wrong/forget when singing excited.

[VideoHere]

but you see, once you achieve a certain level of proficiency with g4 to b4 the notes after that become more accessible...this is because you have started to teach your voice to narrow without constricting. you must get those higher notes into a smaller place. the voice performs according to the vowel (the throat shape) you set up.

and you can have a lot of success going down the scale as well as going up.

[colin040]

Thanks for that. I did hear before that the key to high notes are mastering your ''money notes'' first.

[VideoHere]

i wouldn't go so far as to say you have to master them, but you need to get them worked out to where they become more and more "memorized"...more and more consistently resonant and stable.

it's one thing to exercise to achieve them, and it's another thing altogether to sing songs with them.

[ronws]

But back to the question in this thread. It would be fun to be able to just sing softly up to at least E5/F5 to be able to do some young michael jackson singing or so. But my only approach is to really belt out the notes in headvoice... hard to find a free released feeling up there. After D5 anyway.

How young of MJ? Prebuscent? You won't get there. And, I have to ask, what makes you think he was singing "softly" at any age? Professionally mastered recordings?

What you hear on a professional recording and what is actually going on is not always the same thing.

[breakin]

How young of MJ? Prebuscent? You won't get there. And, I have to ask, what makes you think he was singing "softly" at any age? Professionally mastered recordings?

What you hear on a professional recording and what is actually going on is not always the same thing.

I know that, as an "average" adult, I will not reach any of the higher MJ notes (early days or not). But well-controlled falsetto might be able to emulate early MJ. He had softer songs to. I realize that he actually sang with quite a lot of power in most songs!