Vocal Range Is Everything Right…Wrong!
So you work for months,
Totally focused on getting that big vocal range, bigger than your friends…
You tell yourself once I have a vocal range of 4 octaves or more then people will respect me I will be a great singer.
So what happens when you finally get your 4 octaves of vocal range?
Nothing you still sing exactly as you did before just with a bigger vocal range. You feel in yourself that actually maybe the vocal range was not the answer that you were looking for.
This is exactly the problem a new student (Rob) had when he first came to me.
Rob told me about how he had sung in front of his friend and was laughed at (not something that any singing likes to have happen) and it really hurt him.
Rob decided there and then that he would show his friend by becoming the best singer he could. And of course, everyone knows that to be a great singer you need a big vocal range so he used the good old lip trill and just worked on his vocal range day in day out (respect to his commitment) and after 1 year of this he got up to 4 octaves in vocal range.
So he went back that friend and sang to him again. The friend still laughed until he demonstrated his vocal range that is! So for a moment, his friend was impressed as Rob slide up and down over his 4 octaves. Then when Rob went to sing again…
His friend started to laugh again ( you have to ask yourself was this dude really a friend at all! anyway back to the story)
Rob was Gutted!
Rob was totally gutted all that work and still, his friend gave him no respect but what went wrong, Rob was totally confused he now had the vocal range so automatically he was a good singer right?
The problem is that vocal range is not what makes great singers. There are many singers over the years how have had limited vocal ranges but are total legends when it comes to singing.
A great example would be Frank Sinatra. He effortlessly sang a song and would draw you in for the ride. This is singing.
Singing is about escapism. When a singer loses themselves in the song with emotion then you are sucked in and lose yourself too. This is what music and singing is for us it’s escapism a chance to lose yourself even just for one moment in the singer’s voice.
This is want every great singer can do… suck you in and take you for an emotional roller coaster ride.
Next time you are listening to your favourite singer…
Ask yourself is it the vocal range that held your attention, is it the words, it is the music, all these have a part to play but the real power is in the emotion that the singer is feeling and this flows through in to their words and the energy in those words flow through the air and move you in some way, transporting you to another world.
So the next time you sing. Record yourself down and listen back, does your singing have emotion in it or not, do you feel emotion filling every part of your body as you sing or are you focused too much on the vocal range, or how to breathe, or where you are resonating as all these are really just a distraction from what you should be focused on which is losing yourself in the music.
Think if it like this. if singing was not fun and was all about focusing on vocal range then it would not have lasted as long as it has. Do you think those singers in the old days around the campfire had great big vocal ranges to capture their listeners? Know they had emotion and a great story.
Believe it or not but I have just told you the great secret of singing. It’s so simple yet so difficult to do. But it’s just that.
Sing with emotion and people will love you for it and follow you forever and a become a die-hard fan.
Oh and Rob spent 1 year with me, and when he sang to that friend after that time what do you think happened this time?
The dude laughed at him again! not a real friend at all! LOL just joking actually that friend ended up coming to me for lessons too!
Have fun with this and let me know how you go.
Vocal Coach Dylan signing out Yo!