How to increase vocal range for musical theatre singing

[@echuderewicz]

Your use of language to describe the voice is about the best I have encountered on the internet. And I've watched hundreds of videos. You have a gift for explaining...

[@dancallawaystudio]

I'm so glad to hear this and that it was helpful to you. Appreciate your comment

[@RafhaelCedeno]

This video needs a lot more views. There is so much confusing information out there, people who say M1 or M2 don’t exist, that there is no passaggio, etc. Everything here makes sense and it’s just nice to hear it. I’ve been working on connection in my range and making good progress. Can’t wait to see your other videos!

[@dancallawaystudio]

I couldn't be happier to read this. Thanks for letting me know. If there's anything specific you'd like help with, just let me know. I'll make you a video.

[@ericbrotherson2003]

Dan…I am a voice coach in Utah, and I just love to hear how you talk about the voice. Love it. Also a theatre professional of 25 years…there is so much conflicting information on this platform, I like your open approach.

[@dancallawaystudio]

Really appreciate this comment. Thanks for taking the time. Voice is such a tricky thing to talk about, right? And if we take the time to get clear on what we mean when we say a word, I think that saves us all a lot of time in the long run.

[@gideoncrawford2598]

absolutely brilliant. your usage of vocabulary and metaphors create such a simple (yet elaborate) way to understand the voice. thank you for this!!

[@dancallawaystudio]

so glad it was helpful, and thanks for taking the time with the kind comment

[@Noveleffect]

I can't wait to see your subscribeer count and viewership increasie in the next few months. This is great advice!

[@dancallawaystudio]

appreciate that 🙏 and very glad this helped you

[@dougfig]

To any singers who are feeling stuck in their singing (even after, or especially after, years of voice lessons) and you just don't know how to break through the noise and your percieved limitations - listen to Dan's advice - on repeat - and let these words sink in. Just found you @DanCallaway and look forward to more!

[@dancallawaystudio]

So glad you found this valuable. I know I spent a lot of time feeling confused -- the voice is a super tricky thing to talk about. If I can make things clearer for folks and save them some time, mission accomplished. thanks 🙏

[@user-q8ij3ak9oi]

Omg im so thankful this video ended up on my recommended!!! Thank you this was so helpful

[@dancallawaystudio]

I'm so glad this was helpful to you -- thanks for the comment, and welcome

[@MongolTier7]

Awesome stuff, thank you Dan!

[@dancallawaystudio]

You'e very welcome -- thanks for taking the time to tell me

[@iambrianezekiel]

Love your videos! So insightful. Please keep making them. Looking forward to the vocal exercises video based on your recent upload! :)

[@dancallawaystudio]

thank you and I'm so glad these have been helpful to you -- I have the video recorded, but I needed to divide it into 2 parts because it got quite extensive -- so, I'll upload one very soon with exercises and framework for mode 2/head voice and then I'll share the next one that takes you through mode 1/chest voice examples. Thanks again 🙏

[@MerakiPLyhne]

Low aren't chased? You should see my feed! It's all about that bass! Geoff Castalluchi, Colm McGuinness, Tim Foust, Jonathan Young, Bobby Bass, Peter Barber, Bass Gang, and everybody chasing the dragon voice.

[@dancallawaystudio]

Thanks for telling me about these singers. New voices for my ears. Are any of them musical theatre performers? When I spoke about the tessituras getting higher and higher, I was talking about the expectations for theatre singers these days and a lot of complaints from lower voices feeling like there's not a lot of material written for them now. But hey -- maybe they need to check out these artists for creative inspiration and possibility -- appreciate the new info

[@MerakiPLyhne]

@@dancallawaystudio Peter Barber is a classical trained opera singer, bass, who runs a podcast where he interviews vocal artists, so he's definitely one to reach out to! The others either sing with him (Bass Gang which includes Bobby Bass) or predominantly indie artists and acapella. I think the media evolution indicates it would be to look back when looking at what the expectations for theater singers are because new and upcoming plus aspiring artists look mostly to what's accessible. And that's no longer the gate kept few big stages but the indie economy. The tides are shifting for all art. I'm an author, and readers go to support indie, being fed up with the monotonous drivel of the "big five" because that's what sells. It's the same for music theater. With the talents I pointed you to, many ranging 4 octaves, comfortably, then the future is no longer through that needle's eye. It's accessible through voice lessons by these people, including classical trained singers like Peter and Evylin Hollens, "Big Brev" and many more. The creator economy has grown to become one of the biggest in the world for thinking outside the mainstream and traditional scenes and it's among those you'll find the ones making the big bucks, even though they're not mainstream names. The audience has switched to a subscription based value system with the platforms available to new thoughts, ideas, and voices, and the new thing within voices is sub harmonics.

[@dancallawaystudio]

@@MerakiPLyhne You've opened a door to so much for me to research. One of my dreams is to help MT performers dissolve the rule stories we have about how you have to make your way as a performer, and what you shared here gives me even more hope and perspective on how that's possible. I'm also writing a book and am planning to publish independently for all the reasons you shared. Appreciate this

[@MerakiPLyhne]

@@dancallawaystudio Your dream of helping MT performers in that way, Peter Hollens is the guy. He's been doing that on the side while being the absolute king of acapella. I think he's the one who started the whole trend of layering his own voice. He's also one of the top earners on Patreon, so he knows a lot about the creator economy I mentioned, having pionered some of it. His stuff is incredible, and regarding bass, look up his Misty Mountains with Tim Foust. And then hold onto your chair! And watch the speakers. He's known to blow out subwoofers live at every concert. Just for fun. Just because he can go that low.

[@dancallawaystudio]

@@MerakiPLyhne This is great -- thanks so much for this. I'm going to start a separate file for helpful suggestions from you 🗂

[@angalmeida29]

thanks a lot Dan:)

[@dancallawaystudio]

you're welcome -- hope this was helpful

[@bskeete]

I have always allowed my larynx to move and was told by vocal coaches not to. Thank you for mentioning the importance of movement...now I don't feel like I'm crazy.

[@dancallawaystudio]

Yeah, it's about being able to manage ANY system that we use to sing, right? If you can't choose to let your larynx lower OR raise, then there's some coordination work to do. I do remember the first time Kristoffer Heglund at CVI said, "Oh, yes, the larynx goes up when the pitch raises." My settled opinion rose up like, "Whaaa? No, I don't think so -- you gotta keep that joker still." When I opened myself up to try what he was talking about, I was like DANG. The tube of the tract is moveable, and I think it's terrific to use that to our acoustic advantage rather than insisting on a rigid configuration thinking it creates a uniformity of sound for a certain aesthetic.

[@nancydrew5]

Demonstration please??

[@dancallawaystudio]

@@nancydrew5 thanks for the request -- you mean demonstration of exercises? Methods? I'll do more in depth videos that share some of these. There's also an exercise framework you can grab on the link in the description.

[@fenderfox5080]

Dan i just found your channel and I'm a little stuck on mixed voice of you could help? I was a student of Chris liepe about a year ago for about a year, he's amazing and i learned allot, i had to leave the class because of funds, not because of Chris . He's amazing, so I've been singing maybe 20 years but always in chest voice, a few times trying to sing Zeppelin years ago i was sorta in head voice but didn't know it. The last month of Chris's class i found my head voice again and have been slowly working on it the last 6 months or so. I can get into head voice ready and jump around to notes, when i sing stuff now I'm mainly singing with head voice focusing on the sound coming from my folds and keeping them stretched, I'm able to add chest to it but I'm hitting a ceiling with head voice, crying into notes is also easier but I'm not sure if I'm doing it all correctly, what I've gathered is support+ a little compression, + chord closure, + not staying in any 1 posture or placement, is this all a good starting point ? Do you have any videos that would help me with high mixed voice and adding weight to my head voice. I really appreciate it, got a sub from me😊 i should also mention i sing and play allot of 90s kinda grunge stuff, but also like radiohead Chris Cornell types of songs so lots of raspy but also high clean vocals.

[@dancallawaystudio]

Hey there -- appreciate the question. I'm going to do a few more detailed videos on how I work with and understand registers based on this. Here's a quick exercise that helps you understand head/mode 2 and chest/mode 2 as being connected along a continuum of possibility. You may have seen the link in the vid already kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHvdlpuCZdaYm6M

[@dancallawaystudio]

I also have found the tools that Complete Vocal Institute teaches to be supremely helpful for all singing styles -- especially for effects you'd need for 90s grunge, distortion, rasp, etc. Love my 90s music. completevocalinstitute.com/complete-vocal-technique/

[@dancallawaystudio]

There are tons of factors that could be limiting you here -- if you wanna hop on a 15 minute chat with me, I'm still doing those through the summer. Totally free -- I can hear what's up and give you some things to do -- completevocalinstitute.com/complete-vocal-technique/

[@fenderfox5080]

@@dancallawaystudio thanks so much, I'll get back to you about that call and I'll check these things out, I appreciate the help 😊

[@caleguillory5451]

My vocal range has expanded ever since I began taking voice lessons not long before I turned 13. I just turned 25 last month, and I want to expand my vocal range further because I’ve been inspired to become a singer by singers of all voice types and almost all music genres, including musical theatre. As a result, I envision my own songs as requiring a wide range. I also envision my own singing style as requiring both the diaphragm pulsate and the larynx to jump, rock, stretch, and pulsate. Is it possible to do this without damaging my vocal cords?

[@dancallawaystudio]

Versatile musical theatre singers are good evidence that you can make all kinds of sounds in sustainable, balanced ways. Always super important to ask yourself -- is this a sound I can make repeatedly? Does it feel efficient, balanced and free? Important to get trustworthy ears to walk the road with you -- someone who listens and understands the kind of things you want to do and collaborates with you to get from A to B -- wishing you well in your singing

[@caleguillory5451]

Well, for my personal singing style, a jumping rocking larynx is much more about looks than sounds.

[@caleguillory5451]

Pulsate means to repetitively expand and contract.

[@joshdaniels2363]

It may well be that one of your students is my current teacher. 😅

[@dancallawaystudio]

that's terrific -- Are you my vocal grandchild, then?

[@joshdaniels2363]

@@dancallawaystudio LOL, I guess how that works. Anyway, been working with him for a little over a year, and he's truly a great teacher; having watched a few of your vids, I now see the through-line.

[@dancallawaystudio]

@@joshdaniels2363 so glad to hear that -- for real though, teaching is a generational event, so we have to be conscious as we can of what's being handed to us and what we're sharing -- keep on sangin

[@pamulawallace4330]

❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊

[@dancallawaystudio]

thanks hope this was helpgul