How to increase vocal range?

How to increase your lower vocal range?

• I have quite a small vocal range, although it's easier for me to attemp high notes than low notes. I was placed in the alto section and that's okay with me since our low notes rarely pass the G under middle C and I can strain to hit an A. But straining low notes hurt alot more than high notes. Also, my low notes all sound "artificial" because I have to use what I think is my head voice again to hit the note. Singing low feel like my voice is tightened and clogged and painful. How would I be able to get a lower vocal range? (Also, maybe my voice is naturally high because when my choir speaks in a monotone voice to read the rhythm, I struggle to keep my voice as low as theirs as to not stand out, but maybe thats just a mind thing. I would still really like to learn to go lower)

• Answer:

  My first thought was whether you're tilting your head downwards to try and reach lower notes. If you're doing this, watch yourself sing in the mirror. If you are trying to reach low notes by tilting your head down, you're essentially squishing your larynx, which limits what it can do. To combat this, you need to aim for a feeling of wideness in your throat when you're singing low notes. It'll sound a little bit classical, but once you've heard those notes in your voice and your voice has learnt how to make that sound, it might be easier to manipulate the sound to make it how you want it. Hope this helped. I'm a soprano too, I completely sympathise.