What is the difference between a high pitch voice and a tenor timbre?

I can't sing higher than a D4?

• I am about to be 15 years old and ever since puberty, I haven't been able to sing a note higher than the D right above middle C. I MIGHT be able to pull through for an E, but it's really uncomfortable for me to hit the note. In fact, even middle C, for me, is hard to hit, and yet the quality of my voice sounds more like that of a tenor's. I've been told that this happens, but things improve after a few months, but it's been two years, and I feel like there's really no difference in my voice. Did I develop a vocal nodes or is this really just natural? And if it really is natural, will my voice ever be able to settle into a tenor? Or can I expand my voice to become one, because I find it very funny (and by that I mean not at all) that my voice has the tessitura of a bass and yet the timbre of a tenor.

• Answer:

  Hello, there. I am a guy too with a bass timbre but a range or a tessitura an alto 2. You mean be wondering how that's possible. It's because I learned how to sing really high notes (notes normal to an alto 2) even though I'm a guy. I plan to explain to you how I sing high notes. But first, I don't know what your background is about the voice so I must start at the beginning. I apologize if you already know this information. What you're experiencing is the vocal break or the bridge in the voice. In the voice, there are 2 registers called chest voice and head voice. The chest is the heavy, normal speaking voice and the head is the airy, feminine sounding (falsetto) sounding voice. The location where these 2 registers meet is called the break because they don't meet off exactly; there are notes in between that can be sung in head or chest and usually those notes are not the best of any singer. Usually, a singer wants to be able to sing in chest throughout their entire range but the break prevents them from doing that. What you're experiencing is your vocal break (which the normal break notes for a guy). Ideally, a singer wants to be able to sing over that break and higher. There are 2 ways to expand the chest range. You can either use the belt method or the mixed voice method. The belt method is bring the chest voice up beyond normals boundaries while still be controlled. This is the method I use to sing to high notes. It's works well me see as I can see up to the high C (the C an octave above the middle C). However, this method is also the harder method singing high notes. The other method is mixed voice. This combines the chest and head voice into 1 voice where you can sing any note in your range with easy and comfortability. This method makes hitting high notes MUCH easier, however, this process takes a lot more skill than belting which makes it harder and longer to learn how to sing in mixed voice. Now for belting, for lack of a better word, it's basically screaming. Your taking your chest voice up through that break and higher. You must take a deep breath to support your sound. While doing this you'll notice a rising larynx and rising volume in your voice. Basically, you gotta deal with tension in your throat and gotta deal with being loud. If you're not loud enough, you won't be able to hit the high note. It must be noted that tension and strain are 2 two different concepts. You SHOULD feel tension, you SHOULDN'T feel strain. Tension just lets your body know that something is going on with your voice, not necessarily bad. Strain lets your body know that you;re doing something bad and wrong with your voice. THIS METHOD IS NOT FOR EVERYONE!!!! Because belting is like screaming, it can risk injury to your chords if not taught and done properly. Also, many singers can't tell the difference between tension and strain and end up hurting their voice. I was taught how to belt by my voice teacher in the proper and healthy manner. Ever since then high notes have been a breeze (if I'm not sick). The main thing to remember about belting is that you gotta breath, you can't be afraid to be loud, and you gotta relax. Once you relax your chords and have fun with it, you'll be amazed at what you can do. Belting is supposed to fun if done properly. So have fun with. Have fun with experimenting with your range. Also remember that range doesn't define a singer. What makes a singer great is their natural tone color and their ability to convey the message in the song. A person with an 8 octave range who can't sing a simple melodic line is as great as person with a 1 octave range who can sing that same melodic line with a great tone and a beautiful interpretation.