Vocal Workout: Expand Your Range

Ready to sing high notes with ease and expand your range? This vocal workout will help you do exactly that! Let's dive into it!

Before jumping into the exercises, let's address some common mistakes many beginners make. One major blunder is inconsistent practice. Some singers might attempt an exercise once and call it a day, but the magic lies in consistency and repetition. Remember, your voice is a trainable instrument, and your vocal range can be expanded.

Contrary to popular belief, your vocal range isn't set in stone at birth. While there are limits, the proper techniques can help you push those boundaries. 

Another mistake is fixating solely on high notes. Today, we'll explore how working on both high and low pitches contributes to overall vocal development.

Now that we know these pitfalls let's move into the realm of confident and trained singers. Achieving a qualified singer status involves consistent practice. You'll understand the importance of muscle memory and consistency, making a significant difference in your progress. Trained singers focus on all notes, high, low, and everything in between, creating a balanced vocal range.

Today's vocal workout is aligned with our Sing Your (Self) to Freedom Formula pillars - mindset, vocal technique, connection, and creativity. Our focus today is on the vocal technique pillar, specifically expanding your vocal range.

This episode was inspired by a question from one of our Singing Insiders members about exercises to train their range, so let's dive into the first exercise.

Exercise 1: Lip Trill

We'll start with a lip trill. If this sound is challenging for you, use your fingers to support the corners of your mouth. Avoid pushing it entirely back toward your earlobes or upward towards your eyes. Our aim is to simply support the corners of your mouth, facilitating an easier occurrence of the lip trill. Keep it gentle and not too extreme. The goal is to stretch your vocal cords with an octave and a half.

Follow along:

"Br, br, br, br, br, br, “

"Br, br, br, br, br, br, “

Now, try it on your own.

This exercise is designed to warm up your vocal cords and get the blood flowing, setting the stage for the workout.

Exercise 2: Head Voice Activation

Now, let's activate the head voice. Without delving into technical details, give me a dramatic "Coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo." Make it as operatic as possible.

Join me:

"Coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo."

Now, try it on your own.

Exercise 3: Chest Voice Activation with Twang

Moving to lower pitches, activate your chest voice with a bit of twang. Twang adds a unique quality to the sound. Join me:

“Maah, maah, maah, maah, maah” with twang

As you go lower, add more twang.

“Maah, maah, maah, maah, maah”

Exercise 4: Yawn Exercise

Let's work on yawning from high to low pitches. Keep it light, with a breathy onset and an open, relaxed feeling.

Join me:

"Uh, uh, uh, uh."

Exercise 5: Octave Jumps on E

Our final exercise involves octave jumps on the note E. Maintain sharpness in the sound. Think of the sound being forward instead of breathy.

Join me

"Weeeeee, weeee, weeee."

Congratulations on completing this vocal workout! Remember, the key is consistency. Don't just do these exercises once and forget about them. Repeat them consistently over a week or two, and you'll notice the difference in your voice!

I'd love to hear about your progress, so feel free to message me on Instagram (@MaggieGelin) or drop a comment below. And here's a heads up: in a few days, I'll be hosting a free training around the most important vocal technique that you need to master in order to feel that vocal freedom when singing. Click here to join the free training!

Thank you so much for being here, for your time, and your dedication to your singing journey. Keep practicing these exercises, and I'll see you again next week. Virtual high five to you, and until then, happy singing!