Problems with vocal range

[NashBackslash]

4 years ago, I could sing fairly high notes without any problems. The sound just comes out naturally and with almost no effort.

Today, I find that to pull off those certain songs with those high vocal notes, I just simply couldn't. No matter how hard I try. It just comes out really silly. I then end up having to transpose the performance a few steps down, which really spoils the music. If I REALLY wanted to sing that high note, I would have to do a falsetto to pull of that pitch, which is just a big no-no!

Is there any way I can improve my vocal range or at least restore it to what it was, again?

PS: This is a bit personal, I actually thought a bit before posting this, but I thought, "what the hell, this is the internet". Does weight contribute to this vocal range loss? I have to admit that I am a bit heavier now than I was before.

Cheers.

- Nash

[puffin]

I'm not sure about the weight issue. I doubt it would affect your performance, although sometimes it takes a lot of air to hit some of those high notes. If your general level of fitness is poor i.e. you are struggling for breath or wheezing etc then it could be considered a contributing factor.

I have heard that vocal range decreases with age and, of couse, the usual wear and tear. Smoking and alcohol will definitely not help. Either of these used over a long period of time will affect your range and tone.

Personally, I have started swimming and find that the benefit to my lung capacity really helps the higher part of my range.

Maybe some of the guys who are more knowledgeable about the voice could chime in.

[scrubs]

Your voice requires a coordinated effort of several muscles. Thus, vocal fitness is important. If you exercise your voice properly, you can almost certainly increase you vocal range by a few notes. Start by warming up on some scales. I find that singing at the bottom of my register helps keep things loose and allows me to sing higher. Tension is killer, so don't strain for the notes. You may want to speak to a vocal coach to see if they can suggest some additional exercises for you.

[cliff richard]

it is possible that you could have damaged your vocal chords, it maybe a good idea to get checked out by an ENT specialist. I had a friend that lost some of their vocal range and it turned out they had an underactive thyroid gland, a couple of months after taking the medication they were back to normal. getting yourself in good shape cant do any harm though. go and see a nutritionalist and explain your problem (ive seen one myself and i cant stress how useful it was). there are lots of reasons why you cant hit those high notes anymore, but if you once could and now you cant, it sounds like a health issue to me.

[janekelson]

good advice re getting your voice checked out by a doctor in case there's something medical going on... a tip which I got from a singing teacher is to hum up through scales (lips together, don't open your mouth), because you can always hum higher than you can sing. Hum gently, don't push, use your diaphragm for support just in case you do push your vocal chords too much... the aim is to just see whether you really have lost access to those higher notes... if you can't even hum the notes you used to be able to sing easily, then I'd say definately get some medical advice.

Re ageing and the voice, my singing teacher was in her late seventies (jazz singers hang on a long time! and she said she started dropping her top range sometime in her late forties and her range moved down about a 5th or so. Her tip to keep the top range was to use the humming thing wherever possible in combination with gentle scales.

Hope that helps some

cheers

Jane

[cpc]

ive never heard that your range decreases with age, has anyone else heard this?

i have heard however that your voice isnt fully matured until your mid or late 20's. and as you get older your voice characteristics change....but range itself?

[azraelswings]

Originally Posted by riznich

ive never heard that your range decreases with age, has anyone else heard this?

i have heard however that your voice isnt fully matured until your mid or late 20's. and as you get older your voice characteristics change....but range itself?

I have heard that range can decrease with age if it is not exercised, ie if one does not sing in the upper part of their range they can lose the ability to do so. Much like muscular strength and flexibility.