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I've sung for pleasure all of my life, then started working with a vocal coach for the first time about 7 months ago, and with proper technique my range has opened up a fair bit. Modal register is currently F2 to D#5 (C#5 reliably), falsetto goes out to D6. While I'm fairly happy with all this growth, I have heard and read horror stories about male singers who blew out their voices with overuse of the extremities of their range.

My question is how do I manage this risk? I haven't brought it up with my vocal coach because we focus our limited time on more immediately practicable things, but I've been wondering on my own time--should I be trying to work at these extremities to get my voice used to them and incorporate them into my regular arsenal? Or are the notes at the fringes of your range something to treat gingerly, to use only as often as needed to maintain the ability to reach them when performance demands it? I suppose I would apply this question to high falsetto notes, too, although I hardly feel like my falsetto range goes far enough to warrant the concern.

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    I think you should go ahead and ask your teacher.
    – L3B
    Mar 11, 2017 at 0:25
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    With a range such as this, there is surely no need to ge close to the edges of your range.
    – Tim
    Mar 12, 2017 at 11:56
  • Can anyone clarify the 'blew out their voices' part? I never heard of it and I always assumed you can either sing a note or you can't. If it should be a separate question, let me know.
    – MeanGreen
    Feb 28, 2018 at 16:01
  • By 'blew out their voices,' I am referring to singers who were known for their range experiencing dramatic reduction in vocal range and quality due to the strain of such performance. Steve Perry of Journey is one example, Cedric Bixler-Zavala needing surgery on his vocal folds is another.
    – user242007
    Mar 1, 2018 at 18:05

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Notes at the extremity of a range should not be feared, as long as the voice has been properly prepared for them. Specifically, this means thinking carefully before deploying them in a song, ensuring that the voice is properly warmed up and making sure this is not after a recent illness like flu.

Like a sportsman working on the edge of their physical limits, if controlled correctly can bring them to a new level of physical performance, if used inappropriately can cause more damage than good. I would, therefore, make sure you have a routine in place to prepare the voice for working on at these extremes of the range, something that is built up slowly over time with patients and careful monitoring of how you voice is coping.

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