Singing Techniques – Learn to sing louder by "To close"

Most voice teachers agree that both men and women have a “head voice” as part of their sound. This term is applied to the way the vocal cords vibrate and work when we sing high notes. I’ll talk about the mechanics of the vocal cords in another article and in my courses, but for now let’s understand that two strips of membrane in our larynx (Adam’s apple) that we call the vocal cords vibrate against each other, forcing air out of our lungs. in sound. For the lower sounds (chest voice) the full length or strings are used for the action. Since higher sounds require smaller, shorter, or thinner vibrations (think of what a harp looks like), the vocal cords must change shape and size to produce high notes.

As we sing higher notes, our two vocal cords get closer together and start doing what’s called the “zipper effect.” Higher notes require a smaller opening for air to pass through, so a minor miracle occurs when the wire begins to “close”, leaving a smaller and smaller opening. (Think of what a zipper on a piece of clothing looks like when it is closed.)

So when you think about it, it should take less air pressure to sing the high notes than it does to sing the low notes, and it does. For low notes, there is a large opening between the strings where a lot of air can pass through without much tension. And high notes require a smaller opening between the strings. This smaller opening allows less air to pass through without stress. When we try to push too much air pressure (volume) through the leads to get higher notes, we make them work too hard to resist the extra air. This produces an overly fat amateurish sound that sounds forced and difficult.

When we sing louder, we “feel” like we have to work harder to get those notes out. In fact, we need to back off a bit, feel the loudest sound in our head, let it fade away like the highest notes on the piano or guitar.

Try singing a continuous sweeping “ah” or “uh” vowel, starting on your lowest note and “sweeping” or sliding the continuous sound up to your highest notes. Keep in mind that you will probably reach a point where you can’t seem to go any higher. Lighten your sound there and start letting it thin out and sit higher in your head. Guys, if you go into falsetto, that’s fine for now. Let your voice do what it has to do. Girls, you probably need to move on to the voice in your head at some point. It’s okay. Keep going, trying not to strain.

Do this exercise often, paying attention to how the higher notes feel. Are you pushing and straining, or just letting it go?