Singing help?

Question

when i sing i can never reach the high notes i used to be able to reach and my voice sometimes is strained and hurts after a while. does this mean that im not 'singing from my diaphragm'? cos i used to have really gd singing lessons and i used to have a much higher range then i do now. also, my voice used to be a lot stronger and im finding that songs i used to be able to sing strongly then are now too high. have i permanently lost those high notes? what do you reccomend i should do? start singing lessons again? im really confused, help? x

Answer 1

Have you not sung as much lately? Your vocal chords are like any other muscle. You have to keep them in shape. Also- you didnt mention how old you are, your voice might be changing if you are still a youth.

Answer 2

As you hit puberty, your voice deepens, but only so much.

"Singing from your diaphragm" is singing from your gut - it's where you're supposed to sing. Sometimes, people end up singing from their throat or nose. This is bad.

To work on that, practice your solfeges (Do Re Mi, etc) by starting off like this:

Stand up straight, with your feet apart. Place your hand over your stomach with your thumb slightly above your belly button. Take a deep breath and sing.

You know you're taking a breath from your diaphragm when you can feel the muscles there restricted. Also, concentrate on NOT lifting your shoulders when you take a breath in - if they go up, you're not getting air from the right place.

Go through different warm ups following this pattern. After awhile, you'll be comfortable with singing from your diaphragm.

As for singing high notes, it's a lot harder to do them because you have to strain your vocal cords more. Do you have a piano or electric keyboard? Do practices on there. After warming up (for about 5-6 minutes straight,) start pushing yourself up. As a Soprano, I'll go 'Do Re Mi. . ' starting from the middle note. When I get to the next octave, I'll continue up about three notes. Then I'll start over.

Doing this in both directions helps strengthen your ability over a wide range of notes.

Practice is important, whether professional or not.

Answer 3

Your voice could be changing deeper. I would practice singing everday. It'll help you get your voice to hit those soaring notes like Mariah Carey. I am certain that if you'd practice..... Your voice will be great. Good luck!