[musictlk] struggling with high notes

Wed Sep 17 01:04:43 UTC 2014

My Choir Director instructs the altos to "go in to head Voice, such as 
imagining that there is a balloon going from the diaphragm up to your 
head and let the sound rise lighter and lighter in to the head.  Sing 
those pitches lightly!

Debra
On 9/16/2014 6:47 PM, Marissa Tejeda via musictlk wrote:
> Hi,
>
> My band teacher constantly bugs us about holding out notes, staggering 
> our breathing, and more.  The best way to do this is practice.  When 
> you breathe in, let your stomach expand, but keep your shoulders back 
> and relaxed.  Make sure the air comes from deeper down in your 
> stomach, rather then your chest.  Coming from the chest is good, when 
> short breaths are needed, but when holding out notes, (or in my case, 
> playing clarinet), the air needs to come from the stomach.  Shoulders 
> relaxed and open up your throat a little.  This helps the air come 
> through much better.  Sit up straight, shoulders back and relaxed, 
> breathe from the diaphragm, and you should be good.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Vejas Vasiliauskas via musictlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org
> To: Linda Mentink <mentink at frontiernet.net>,Music Talk Mailing List 
> <musictlk at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 16:07:03 -0700
> Subject: Re: [musictlk] struggling with high notes
>
> Hi all,
> I am also new to a large choir, and I have been following this
> thread because it really interests me.  I was wondering if maybe
> you could give me suggesttions for my situation.
> I am a tenor in my high-school choir.  I can only really
> comfortably sing in one octave plus a few notes up and a few
> notes down from there.  I'm having trouble holding notes.  If the
> note is one I can reach, I can hold it for a little while but
> then I start losing my breath and have to take a breath before
> continuing to hold.  For higher notes which I can barely reach,
> I'm find it extremely difficult to hold and often have to stop
> singing as it is such a strain.  Sometimes when I try to hold a
> note I get a pull in a muscle and I feel like this might have to
> do with the way I am holding it.  Do you have any possible
> suggesttions on how I can hold the notes better?
> Also, about this alto/soprano discussion: how do I know if I'm
> really supposed to be a tenor or a bass? My teacher currently has
> me as a tenor and I seem to be doing fine with that.  There are
> some higher notes but I can't sing low enough for bass.
> This is the second real choir that I have participated in, since
> I am also in my church choir.  In the church choir there are not
> that many people and I usually just sing the melody, so the tenor
> part is new to me.
> Vejas
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Linda Mentink via musictlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org
> To: Kelsey Nicolay <piano.girl0299 at gmail.com>,Music Talk Mailing
> List <musictlk at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 12:43:45 -0500
> Subject: Re: [musictlk] struggling with high notes
>
> Hi Kelsey,
>
> You have gotten a lot of helpful hints.  I will add that, though
> it
> was suggested that you breathe from your butt, more correctly,
> when
> at home, place your hands on your waste so that your thumbs point
> toward your belly button.  As you go higher in your range, do all
> others have suggested; Atry to keep the small of your back wide
> by
> pressing against the other four fingers on each hand.  The more
> you
> can work the back and lower body, the better.  That will take the
> tension from the upper and front.  Please call me if you want to
> talk
> this through.
>
> Blessings,
>
> Linda
>
> t 09:40 PM 9/15/2014, you wrote:
> Hello,
> I know this is not related to blindness, but I could use some
> advice.  I am in a community choir and really enjoy it.  I've
> made a
> lot of good friends.  However, in several of our pieces, the
> altos
> have to sing some notes that a soprano would normally sing.  I
> sing
> second alto, so I am struggling quite a bit.  When I say high
> notes,
> I mean notes in the fifth octave.  We have several fifth octave
> D's
> and E's.  I try to sing the notes, but it seems I just cannot get
> up
> there.  I cannot afford a voice teacher right now except maybe
> one
> lesson a month.  I think I am breathing correctly, but it's
> difficult to tell since we sit for 90 percent of rehearsal.  Does
> anyone have any suggestions on how to not struggle so much on the
> high notes? Should I talk to the director and see if he will
> allow
> me to sing tenor on those notes? I would appreciate any
> suggestions
> anyone might have.
> Thanks,
> Kelsey Nicolay
>
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