Vocalist.org archive


From:  Naomi Gurt Lind <naomi@n...>
Date:  Thu Nov 7, 2002  4:42 pm
Subject:  Re: Why am I tense for my high notes?

>I am having such a problem hitting high notes for some
>reason. At school, I can barely get up to a E above
>high C. And anything above g feels like I am
>pushing, or struggling. However at home, I have no
>problem with high notes, I am not tense or anything.
>I dont know what my problem is.
>2 years ago, I was vocalising up to f# above high c
>with no problem. Since then I have changed voice
>teachers, (not by my own will), and it was downhill
>from there.
>Could this be an effect of stress or I dont know,
>something else...
>Please give me your thoughts and some possible remedies.

It seems to me that you are answering your own question. You say you
have problems in your extreme high range only at school but not at
home. You also say that your change of teacher was not under
circumstances that you chose. You are probably right to suspect
stress as the root cause of this problem.

Without knowing the specifics of your situation, I can certainly say
in a general way that you need to find a way to reduce (or at least
manage) the stress in your life. My suggestions range from
large-scale disruptions to small-scale changes. Not all of them will
be practical at this moment, but the more of them you are able to
enact, in a way that feels right to you, the better for your life and
your voice.

The suggestions:

+ Change schools or change teachers
+ Talk to your present teacher about your problems and try to improve
your relationship & learning
+ Practice yoga
+ Practice meditation
+ Change your schedule so that you have some down time
+ Get good sleep every night
+ Decrease caffeine and alcohol use
+ Study Alexander Technique or Feldenkrais
+ Before you begin a practice session at school, do something to
consciously relax (30 long deep breaths, for example)
+ During your practice sessions, whenever you notice the tensing up
on high notes, stop and redirect your mind toward relaxation (30 long
deep breaths)

It occurs to me, too, that those notes you're worried about are not
the most important notes in your life. If they are really driving
you crazy, take a break from them until things calm down. You won't
lose them even if you don't sing them for a week or two. (Though
they may feel a little rusty when you first come back to them.) And
continuing to emphasize them while you're under so much stress will
only reinforce the tension into your singing habits.

Good luck! I'm sure you can figure this out; you're already halfway there.

Naomi Gurt Lind



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