Why can't I sing high notes as a young female?

Question

I am 14 years old and want to become a singer.
I have seen that most female singers can usually hit these amazing high notes with no problem whatsoever. Like, for example, Hasley can do somewhat high notes, and you can actually hear that she is doing it effortlessly. I have even seen that some male singers can hit the high notes that I can't, which is really embarrassing for me. But I feel that with my super small vocal range, I just can't.

The lowest note I can do is an F3 with a lot of force, and my highest is probably a B4. I have tried so many exercises, but I have no voice coach because money is tight. So I need to try to teach myself, but I find YouTube videos useless – I do what they tell me for weeks and months, and it's the same, I strain so much. I need help getting better at singing higher notes without sounding like I'm a dying sheep because my strains are so big, and I really don't like them!

Answer 1

You could be not reaching those high notes for any of these reasons:

• You are young and your voice is still developing
• your vocal technique is bad
• you're doing the wrong exercises and over-straining your voice
• you have a naturally low voice, and you'll never hit those notes

Only a qualified voice teacher will be able to tell you which of these is the case, or if you have other problems. Otherwise you're just wasting your time and risking damage to your voice.
If your parents really can't afford lessons, your school might be able to help you.

Answer 2

To be realistic, different people have different ranges. If everyone had the range of Mariah Carey or Axel Rose they would use it. However Taylor Swift only has just over 2 octaves and she has managed quite well.

As others have said; don't strain but remember that falsetto or even whistle registers might be available to you. This is a way of getting extra octaves but with a different tone from your normal head or chest voice.

Here's a tip that I haven't seen elsewhere but discovered by accident. When we talk with a lot of expression in our voices, we naturally change pitch a lot, and without strain. Try saying, "WHAT?" as though you've just heard something completely unbelievable and your voice may naturally go much higher than you're used to. If that happens, say it again but instead of stopping, continue singing that high note. A lot of strain comes from forcing the muscles rather than just letting them do what they do naturally.

Good luck and enjoy your music!

Answer 3

Keep straining only if you want no decent voice - ever! At your age and stage of development, it's gently gently. My baby's learned to walk - time to teach him how to jump over hurdles. Absolutely not.

It may just be that you have a low voice with a low range. Nothing wrong with that. Except we all yearn for something we don't have. It's called being human. Keep on singing whatever you can, in the key you can. And be well aware that that means you're not going to sing along with some of your favourite singers, in what's essentially their key - not yours.

Practise scales, along with an instrument if possible, so you keep a tab of where you are. Don't expect your range to enlarge overnight - we're talking years here. Which might equate to a semitone each three or four months! Not world shattering, but realistic - if you don't strain. You are standing up, aren't you? Your chest is out, shoulders back, and head up, aren't they?

On the realistic side of things, don't hold out hopes too much. Even with a vocal coach, your voice may never have a huge range - you are what you are, but what you'll end up with in your late twenties, can still be a voice worth listening to. Not all great and famous singers had that much of a range, by any means.

Answer 4

I have been seeing that most of the singers that are females can usually hit these amazing high notes with no problem whatsoever.

1. they worked hard to make it seem easy,
2. voice of every person is different.

Find a good teacher and take singing lessons. There is no better way to address your specific issues.

Answer 5

As a classically trained, Major Label (all of them) Music Producer, I would like to reinforce much of the good advice hear. Specifically the advice about not straining. If you have any discomfort while singing, you should stop immediately (mid note if needed) and assess what you are doing and your motivation for singing in that way. Again being a good and compelling singer actually has nothing to do with the singer's range. It hinges much more on your ability to emote and communicate. The point about your being 14 and most female voices not maturing until mid to late twenties is also important, being patient with yourself and allowing yourself to enjoy the process of singing. If you are not enjoying singing, no one is going to want to listen to you. So take the time to enjoy what you're doing when you sing. The two main take aways is don't strain… EVER, and always take the time to enjoy what you are singing. I'll leave you with one other piece of advice. I personally, and some of my artists have had a lot of success with Roger Love's "Set You Voice Free" (full disclosure Roger is a friend and colleague of mine). Best to you and enjoy your journey of being a life long singer!

Answer 6

Apart from all the good advice already given: keep in mind that music is art, not a sport! There are great singers with all sorts of different ranges. Actually, I love the contra-alto voice of legendary singer Kathleen Ferrier (check out her version of "Blow the wind southerly", for instance). I don't know what her range was, but as a contra-alto it can't have reached very high: though that is about as relevant as, for instance, a president's shoe size. What matters is that she was a phenomenal artist.

I hope you'll keep at it ... go and make wonderful music!

Answer 7

We all have naturally a "head voice" and a "breast voice". Little children naturally "know" to use their head resonance.

When starting school many children (girls and boys) are losing or forgetting their head resonance and lose singing in higher ranges - consciously or unconsciously the mean it is uncool speaking or singing in higher ranges!

You can win back your higher range by singing on vowels like ihh, uuh, oooh, sighing, whistling and imaging you have a bird in your head that is singing there. Sing through your nose n, ng, hm. Always piano.

Stand on a chair or on the table and howl like a wolf. Don't mind what others may be thinking. You will feel that your head is resonating and you will be able to sing a fifth or an octave higher.

Answer 8

I trained for classical singing at Juillard and can tell that your singing range is not simply set. I started at a bass-baritone, but instructor worked with me (a lot) to increase my range so I could preform pieces previously "too high" for me to sing.

Training and practice can increase your range, both up and down. That said, not all women can be sopranos no matter how much they train. As other posters have said, you'll need to find a teacher who can help you find the ideal range for your voice as well as strengthen it to increase that range to some degree.

Answer 9

Are you taking lessons at all? Or just trying to sing along with recordings?

It takes proper technique to hit these notes. As others have stated you might still be developing but even if not you need to learn (1) how to support you voice with your diaphragm, (2) get the correct shape in your mouth and palate to generate resonance in the right place, (3) understand where the resonance should be felt in the head.

For many people singing in their speaking range comes naturally but this is only a fraction of the possible notes you can hit. With training you can hit notes both below and above your speaking range without force. Good volume and tone come from technique and once you've learned that technique it will be effortless.

My cousin was a vocalist and vocal coach for her entire life and occasionally gave voice lessons to pop and rock singers. They would usually search for training only after hearing from a doctor that their career was over if they kept singing with bad technique. The people you idolize might be properly trained, or might be damaging their voices and in a few years not be singing any more.

I think taking lessons is the first step. If you have been taking lessons for a while and not progressing that is more of an interesting question.

EDIT:

I missed the comment in your question about money being tight. If things are not working with YouTube then take a break because you could damage your vocal folds. Correct singing technique needs to be felt internally and that is hard to convey in a video. I takes classical voice lessons and this is a real struggle for me. Trying to understand what my coach is talking about and how to convey to her what in inside of my head and chest feel like. When it clicks it works. Try looking for something online where you can join a group. The rates might be better. Or you might consider some kind of community group where professional teachers donate time for lessons. Just to get started on the right track.