Increasing the vocal range does not necessarily mean adding more high notes. Increasing your vocal range means extending the low notes as well. This way, we recognize that there are some people who belong to the lower voices, the altos and basses. This article focuses on how to add low note using the chest voice.
All of us use the chest tones or chest voice when we speak. Our normal speaking voice can, in a way, affect our singing voice. The way we speak can wither hinder our help our singing.
To start increasing your first, let us first start with the speaking voice. Begin by making several non-speech sounds like yawning, crying, laughing and sighing. Next, if you have a pitch pipe or piano, try to look for the nearest pitch to the vocal sound you just made. After that, speak monosyllabic words such as mm-hmm, aha or uh-huh. Then, find the pitch again using the instruments.
This time, utter simple sentences like your name or your hobby. Find the matching pitch again using your instrument. Normally, the pitches of the non-speech sounds and your speaking voice would be the same. Some people, however, speak using a lower register than what their normal pitch should be and that is really unhealthy for their voices.
Explore your voice more and try to reach the lowest possible sound you can make. That would e when you produce a sound that is gravelly or what is known to be “vocal fry”. Do not try to sustain that note and the healthy, regular sound should be about four or five steps above your lowest note.
After that, this time, try to speak paragraphs or sentences in different pitches. Note when you feel strain and where you feel most comfortable.
Whenever you use your chest tone, you will feel sound vibrating in the chest. To be sure that you are using your chest voice, place your hand on the upper chest with the thumb and fingers resting on the collarbones. Then, yawn and as you exhale, produce a “hee” or “hoo” sound staring from your highest register down to your lowest note. You will then be feeling the vibrations as you reach your chest voice.
Although it may appear as though the resonance or the vibrations are in your chest, it really is located in the mouth and throat. These vibrations are caused by the air moving from the lungs going across the vocal folds.
To exercise your low range, do the fifth slide. The fifth slide means you have to start from your middle range then expel air with your lips puckered and slide down five steps. In the C-major, it will be from G-C. Try to make the slide as smooth as possible. Repeat the process again but this time with a half step below than the original pitch you started with.
Creaks or tension you might feel when doing this exercise might mean that you are holding some tension. When that happens, pause for a bit and do some facial relaxation exercises like massaging the throat and face.
After this, try to sing an octave higher using the buzz or “vaw”. As you go up the scale, let the jaw drop and the mouth open a bit wider. This may be a bit harder for you so it will help if you try to imagine or expect that the notes will go up and prepare for the attack.
The arpeggio might be another exercise for perfect for you.
Exercising your lower range might take a bit of time but through lessons and practice, you will definitely have the low notes you desire.