How can I safely extend my vocal range?

Question

What type of vocal exercises should I be looking for?

Are there any temporary influences to the vocal range, like having had a drink?

Answer 1

If what you want is to improve your vocal range, I would recommend these exercises:

1. Warm up. Always warm up for a while before starting the actual exercise, doing easy vocalise in the middle of your vocal range.
2. Scales, Thirds and Fourths. All types of scales that go through your entire vocal range. Practice them as often as you can. This will gradually strengthen both your current vocal range and its boundaries.
3. Hum. While practicing the scales mentioned before, try to hum them. This has proven to be the most effective exercise for this to me, specially for higher pitched notes.
4. Push the boundaries once in a while, but not too much. You don't want to end up with a raspy voice at the end of your practice time.
5. Try to sing it right. Breathe with the diaphragm and use your breath to support your singing.

Finally, remember to take into account your physical limitations. You might be able to widen up your vocal range a bit, but there's always going to be a limit. Good luck!

Answer 2

Similar to humming, another type of practice that makes you comfortable while singing is praticing akaras, eekaras, oookaras, like you sing aa...a....in akaara practice, eeee....eeeeee in eekara and ooo....oooo.... in oookara practice. As all languages cover the words with these or any one of these syllable or sound, this enables singing all kinds of langauge in the world. This has worked out the best for me.

Answer 3

Always warm up in the middle of your range and gradually approach the limits of your range with upward and downward moving repetition of motifs.

e.g. C3 D3 E3 D3 C3--- | D3 E3 F3 E3 D3--- | E3 F3 G3 F3 E3--- | and so on...

Even a single warm up with ascending and descending exercises will temporarily increase your range for a time.

Exercises that cross vocal registers are also helpful (and arguably even more important)