Soprano vocal ranges?!
Question: I am a soprano 1 in my choir at my high school and I really would like to know what my vocal range SHOULD be. I'm 17 years old. My instructor told me that my voice has a range of middle B flat to high C. Is that good? And what could I do to broaden my range?
Answers: I am a soprano 1 in my choir at my high school and I really would like to know what my vocal range SHOULD be. I'm 17 years old. My instructor told me that my voice has a range of middle B flat to high C. Is that good? And what could I do to broaden my range?
every voice has its own built-in natural limits, so it's hard to say what Should or Should not be.
Instead of quantity, go for quality. Are all the notes you mention absolutely usable? ( would I want to pay money for a shreaky high note, or a grumbly low note, or would I pay for a quality note?) The range you mention is absolutely within the parameters of a good first soprano. You can try and extend your range by a couple of notes at either end, in order to stabilze the inner ones and ensure their usability, probably more at the top end for you than the bottom end.
for this it might be an excellent idea to take singing lessons from someone who knows how to handle the extreme upper female register. ( This might be outside your chorus director's knowledge, but I don't know that for sure, so ask)
since you are still rather young, in singing terms, there is a lot of room for vocal growth, and singing lessons are a way to get that going. If your chorus director is not a singing teacher already, ask around to see what tips you can find. Perhaps there are other people in the chorus who already are taking lessons. Ask them if they are satisfied with their teacher. See if you can book a trial lesson with one. If not there, then check around in your community. often local community choruses have a coach or trainer that works with them. Or check your local college or university, supposing they have a good music department. If not, stick with the community choruses. Or church choirs.
As a first soprano, you could ( not should, mind you) work your way up to the high F. It's within the realms of possibility, but not a necessity.
Scales and arpeggios are an excellent way of stretching out the voice. I would advise caution at the beginning, and take the step-by-step scale rather than the jump form of arpeggio, simply because it takes th sting out of the idea of high notes. Once you know that those notes are reachable, then try for the arpeggio method. Never try and push them out. They should ( and I use this word sparingly) just continue to float out of you. If you have to push or force, then something is wrong. Figure that one out, and go back to the idea of letting your notes float out on your breath stream.
don't forget, to balance the héight of a note, you need to have the feeling of being anchored in your body and breath support. You will feel an increase in your body energy to support these notes, and that starts around your waist in all of those wonderful abdominal muscles we use for good singing breathing.
If your uni/college has a good music library, look up the book Training Soprano Voices, by Richard Miller.
( you can buy it on-line from your favorite bookstore, but it's pricey, so try the library first)
He's got the answers to all your questions there, and I quote him extensively.
There's no way your range should be. Everyone has its own range. And of course that it's good to have that range. If you want to extend your range, you must practice the part of your voice that you know you can handle. Being a soprano, I think you should practice your higher notes, but if you feel that you could extend your lower register, too, than okay! Do what you feel that you can do ;) good luck!
Edit: oh, I forgot something :) arpegios are helpful. like do - mi - sol - do ;) exercise them