Hitting the high notes
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As the singer in an enthusiastic new rock band, I've been putting my voice through its paces lately and have the sore throat to prove it. The band formed in November and prior to that I hadn't sung properly for a few years. I know I can sing, because I used to do so regularly, but getting back into form has been something of a struggle. And, in short, it hurts!
I confess I'm a little worried about it. We're already talking about gigs and have half a dozen original songs that are nearly ready for performance. The main thing that's letting us down at the moment is my inability to hit some of the high notes. Vocals aside, the band sounds fantastic so I'm especially keen to find a way to improve and not let them down!
Anything I sing in the mid-range seems fine. I can manage the basics without any major issues. My only problem there is remembering the lyrics! It's when I aim higher that the problems kick in. The notes I'm aiming for aren't beyond my range, but it's taking a lot more effort than it should for me to hit them, and my voice is at breaking point by the time I get there. At that point, if it cracks—which unfortunately it often does—I end up forcing out some ghastly cacophony that sounds like I've just been it in the stomach with an accordion.
Perhaps I'm being overambitious. It's me that writes the vocal melodies after all, so in theory I could just write something simpler. The trouble is I'm quite stubborn about these things. If I've come up with something that I know would sound good, I'm loathe to change it to something easier, but less satisfying. In some ways this is a good thing as it's pushing me to develop myself further. But with potential gigs on the horizon, and an increasingly sore throat, I do wonder at what cost it might come.
I could do with more rehearsal sessions. It's difficult to practice at home as I can't get up to the volume I need to without upsetting my family and the neighbours. In the meantime, I'll be investing in some books and training CDs on the subject in the hope that they can help me out! What I could really do with is a soundproof space in which I can put them to the test!
Vocal concerns aside, I'm really looking forward to getting back on stage. I'm so excited to be back in a band situation again, and the other guys are so talented that it really is a huge privilege to be working with them. As always, the key is practice. As a new band, we all have a few creases to iron out to make sure that our sound is as good as it can be. My main goal right now is to make sure I don't sound like somebody standing on a cat when I go for those high notes. I've set my sights on a high B in one of our songs, which I keep missing, and I'm determined not to give up. I guess time will tell...