How can I make my voice stronger?

How can I make my voice stronger on high notes?

• I'm a baritone, and I've never been able to figure out how so many singers do it. A great example is the high D in the song "Trouble" by Ray Lamontagne. My voice has a natural rasp to it, like his, but I have to change registers around D and that mixed voice I normally sing in just doesn't have that powerful, bluesy quality to it. I have no idea how to learn/practice that without vocal damage.

• Answer:

  Here are some tips: Sit or stand up straight with your muscles relaxed. Keeping your back straight and your posture neutral will allow your diaphragm and lungs to expand properly as well as encourage air flow. Since your singing power originates in the diaphragm, making a point of relaxing the rest of the body will help you refocus your attention on the parts of the body that matter. Make a special effort to relax your stomach. Resist the urge to hold or suck it in, as this will make your breathing unnatural. Using your thumb, push the larynx from side to side gently, allowing your vocal chords to loosen, thereby putting less stress on them when you begin to sing. Breathe from your diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle beneath the lungs that contracts whenever you breathe in, allowing your lungs to expand into that space. Expelling air is therefore a question of allowing the diaphragm to relax in controlled, gradual manner. To test what it feels like to breathe through your diaphragm, bend over at the waist and sing. Notice the feeling in your stomach and the sound that you create. Don't ever breathe in through your nose; it will make it harder to reach high notes. Warm up before starting to sing. Make nonsense sounds (ex. expelling air to forcibly flap your lips by and create a b-b-b-b-b or p-p-p-p-p sound, making a prolonged shhhhh sound, and so on), covering different consonants and vowels to engage different facial muscles. This produces a richer, less strained sound. (When you blow up a balloon, it is much easier to stretch the balloon before blowing it up; your vocal chords function in much the same way.) Start with songs that are in your vocal range. Covering territory you’re already comfortable with will continue to warm up your voice before you try to train it to do anything new. Consider choosing a song that has a few notes slightly above your usual range and make these your goal. Practice scales, gradually increasing the pitch each time. Remember that your vocal chords are delicate membranes and must be eased into any new techniques. Train your body to hit the high notes. As you sing the note, press your lower belly in but keep your upper belly out; this is called a “lower belly boost.” Drop your lower jaw dramatically but keep your mouth opened narrowly. Bend your knees slightly to make yourself feel like you’re moving downwards as your voice goes up. Try to minimize the height to which you lift your larynx up as you increase your pitch; though this is what people naturally do when raising their voices, this strains your throat and can cause your voice to crack. Monitor this by placing your fingers above your larynx while you sing and adjusting your technique to keep the larynx down. Don’t look up while you sing high notes; keep your vision directly in front of you to avoid bending your throat and straining the sound. Sticking your tongue forward may help give the high notes a richer sound. Always remember to not strain your voice. Don’t try to force yourself into a much higher register too quickly; there are often serious consequences when you do. Remember to always drink water before a performance or practice, which will keep your voice steady. Keep one near you for emergencies as well.