How to Sing Higher, Freer, and With Better Tone and Pitch on Your Own
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Here are some effective techniques I used to teach myself to sing higher without a vocal coach, using simple strategies that require training the mind to let go and applying them consistently. Practicing these techniques regularly until they feel natural can make singing higher much easier and noticeably improve your vocal tone.
1. Lift Your Chest High
Keeping your chest elevated takes tension off the throat and frees your voice when singing higher. This technique reduces strain, improves breath control, and allows the breath to reach the diaphragm, enabling a smooth inhalation and letting the stomach and ribs expand properly. Maintaining a high chest position is essential throughout each phrase, both for inhaling and exhaling. Just be sure not to add tension as you do this.
2. Keep Your Chin Parallel to the Ground
Keeping your chin down and parallel to the ground helps release tightness in the throat, making high notes easier to reach. A parallel chin position allows air to flow upward more freely, taking pressure off the larynx and allowing a cleaner sound.
3. Create Open Space in the Back of Your Throat
Imagine there's a sock in the back of your throat while you sing. Keeping this open space enhances your tone throughout the phrase and allows your voice to resonate better as you go higher, reducing strain. It’s common to want to squeeze or close off this space—something I often struggle with—but keeping it open brings out a fuller, richer sound.
4. Inhale with a Lifted Chest, Filling the Back, Ribs, and Lower Abs
This position promotes vocal freedom, steady breath control, and better pitch and tone, allowing you to move smoothly through your vocal range. It’s a key element for excellent singing, often overlooked because it seems too simple to be effective. I used to think, "It can't be this easy," but it can be. Avoid adding unnecessary tension by eliminating incorrect movements. Trust the technique, and let it work.
5. Release Tension with Yoga and Stretches for the Jaw, Tongue, and Neck
A relaxed body produces a beautiful, free-flowing tone. I know this firsthand. I work out often, and my jaw tends to be tense, which sometimes strains my voice. Regularly practicing jaw stretches, yoga, and full-body relaxation techniques can open up your voice, creating a clearer and more resonant sound.
Remember, all this takes consistency and mental focus. Your mind may resist, but keep visualizing the success you want. Use our Guided Affirmation PDF for Musicians and create a singing plan with our Structured Skill Building Journal to Singing & Instrument Mastery to help stay on track.
Happy practicing!
Sign up below for my free guide on how to sing, play, guitar, and write songs with 15 minutes of your time a day and also get free guided affirmation journal made specifically for singers/musicians.
https://mailchi.mp/creators-
Jay Koostix,
Singer Songwriter
Founder of The Creator's Arena
