You wanna sing higher, louder, and not blast your throat to pieces? Cool. First thing: it’s not about forcing your voice and sounding like a strangled cat. It’s about letting your body do its thing—without choking off the magic in your throat.
Everybody’s born with a certain vocal range. Blame (or thank) your vocal cords for that. Long cords? You’re probably rocking the Barry White end of the scale. Shorter cords? Hello, Mariah Carey notes. But here’s the kicker: you can actually stretch that range with the right kind of training. Not overnight, but it happens.
Singers—yeah, they’re basically Olympic athletes but for their face and neck muscles. The more you work those tiny muscles, the stronger and more flexible your voice gets. And let me tell you, your voice absolutely feeds off your overall health. If you’re running on Red Bull and three hours of sleep, don’t expect to belt out Celine Dion.
So, what do you actually need? Technique. A bit of discipline. And a body that’s not falling apart. Do it right, and suddenly you’ve got more notes, bigger sound, and you’re not dying after one Adele song.
Here’s what I’m talking about today:
- Posture that doesn’t make you look like a sad shrimp
- Lifting the soft palate (that squishy bit at the back of your mouth)
- Shaping your mouth and jaw so your larynx doesn’t freak out
- Using your whole body instead of just your throat
- Breathing like you mean it (yes, into those lower lungs)
Let’s get into the nitty gritty—my 5 legit secrets to boosting your range and power:
- Stand Like You Own the Place
Seriously, don’t slouch. Good posture is key. You want that neck long, chin tipped a little bit down, head floating above your body—not jutting forward like you’re searching for the WiFi signal. Your feet? Hip-width apart, knees chill (not locked like a robot). Tuck your pelvis, pull up tall from the waist, chest up but not stiff. And for the love of all things musical, don’t tense up. The taller and more balanced you are, the more your sound opens up. Trust me, it works. - Lift That Soft Palate (No, It’s Not a Dessert)
The soft palate gets ignored until you realize it’s blocking your high notes like a bouncer at a club. Here’s how to find it: Run your tongue along the roof of your mouth, past your teeth, til you hit that soft, squishy patch. That’s the spot. Now, try a fake yawn—see how that bit lifts up? That’s your soft palate in action. Practice that move. Watch yourself in the mirror if you need to. It feels weird at first, but it’s a game-changer for opening up your range.
Another trick? Pretend you’re about to sip from an invisible glass. Do it slowly, and notice how your throat drops and that soft palate sneaks up? That’s the movement you want when you sing those epic notes. Subtle, but it’s the key to not sounding pinched or nasal.
- Oval mouth and long jaw for laryngeal resistance
Alright, let's talk laryngeal resistance. Basically, it's just a fancy way of saying, "Hey, keep your larynx chill and low when you’re belting out those high notes." You want to keep your larynx from flying up into your brain every time you go for the big ones, because if you don’t, you’ll end up sounding like a strangled cat. Trust me, nobody wants that.
Now, this isn’t something you just force in the moment. You gotta train it in. Like, muscle memory style. You ever try yawning with your finger stuck right at the top of your throat? Go on, give it a shot. Try to yawn from the back of your throat, not just your jaw. Maybe do a bit of both. Check yourself in the mirror—does your finger and throat slide down as you yawn? That’s the move you want.
Another weird tip: imagine you're about to sip from an invisible cup of water. As you fake-drink, does your throat drop? That’s the feeling. We all do this stuff every day, so it's not some freaky new thing. You just need to make it automatic before you sing high notes. Don’t go nuts with it. If you tense up, you’re just making everything harder. Tiny, chill movements work best.
Seriously, don’t try to muscle those laryngeal muscles down. That’s a one-way ticket to sounding like you gargled gravel. Train them gently and properly. If you need help, I made some Singer’s Gift Vocal Warmups with full demos—just saying. When your larynx sits lower (and you get there by practicing), you’ll have way more control over your high notes. No more voice cracks that make you want to crawl under a rock.
Getting the hang of all this comes from consistent practice, like with the Cole Vocal Method. It’s basically my magnum opus after 40 years geeking out on vocal science. If you’re curious (or just desperate), check out more on the Cole Vocal Method and the Singer’s Gift Warmups. Your neighbors will thank you.
- Use the body for support
Here’s the thing: way too many singers ignore their bodies and end up singing from the throat. That’s how you torch your voice and sound like you partied with whiskey and cigarettes all weekend—even if you didn’t.
You want to get your whole body in on the action. When you connect to your core (not just your nose or your forehead or whatever), your sound gets so much richer. Pushing everything “into the mask” might make you sound bright but also thin, nasally, and honestly, kind of annoying. The real magic happens when your voice resonates from your body, not just your face.
If you want your sound to have more “body,” you literally need to use more of your body. I talk about something called the C-Shape Placement—it lives up behind your soft palate. Once you find that sweet spot, everything gets easier. Seriously, it’s like unlocking cheat codes for your voice.
Think about athletes. Would you see a runner ignore proper form and coaching and still expect to set world records? Nah. Singers are athletes too—just with tiny muscles doing all the work. If you don’t anchor your sound and align your body, you’ll end up tired, hoarse, or even injured. Not cute.
A strong voice starts with alignment and support from your trunk. That means getting your posture right, anchoring the sound, and letting the right muscles do their thing. When you’re lined up properly, you get more power, a bigger sound, and way less tension. Plus, singing gets a whole lot easier.
Most folks walk around with their heads poked forward and their chests caved in. That’s a recipe for vocal strain. In singing, you wanna lengthen the back of your neck, drop your chin just a bit, and balance your head over your body—like it’s just chilling there. At the same time, stretch out your lower back. Good posture isn’t just for looking confident, it actually makes you sound better.
Try this little alignment check:
First, just stand up, yeah? Pay attention: is one side of your body working overtime while the other’s just chillin’? What about your feet—are you hanging out on the edges, maybe more on your toes, or kinda leaning back on your heels?
Now scan your body—tight spots anywhere? Legs, hips, shoulders, back, neck? Is something just… off? Like, maybe one hip’s twisted (yep, that’s a project for another day).
Sneak a peek at your knees—are you locking them out? Jot that down mentally. Try tightening them up, then letting go. Same deal with your butt: squeeze it, then just let it go slack. Feels weird, I know.
Let’s adjust this mess:
Plant both feet, right in the middle. No playing favorites.
Loosen up your knees—don’t be a statue.
Think scarecrow: your head just chillin’ on top of your spine, not pushing forward like you’re searching for snacks.
Tuck your pelvis a smidge.
Lift up from your waist, like someone’s pulling you up by your shirt.
Let your shoulders drop down and back, like they’re heavy, and you’re tired of carrying stuff.
Stretch your neck tall.
Imagine there’s a string on the base of your skull, pulling up toward the ceiling.
Keep your head level, not jutting out like a turtle.
Dip your chin down just a little—no one needs to see your nostrils from across the room.
While you’re standing like this, check again: does one side feel like it’s working harder? Any tension, pulling, or weird aches? Those tight spots are basically your body waving a little red flag. Make a mental note—those are the spots that need some love (aka stretching).
Next up: lengthen the back of your neck. Seriously, grab your hair at the base (if you’ve got any) and give it a gentle lift. Drop your chin just a tad—can you feel that stretch in your back?
If you start feeling tense, take a quick step back and try to relax those areas. It’ll get easier with practice. Before you sing, run through this alignment check, and while you’re singing, pay attention to what your body’s doing. Jot down what you notice—you’ll thank yourself later.
Wanna really see what’s up? Try the Wall Test:
Stand with your back to the wall, feet about hip-width apart and a foot away from the wall.
Push your hips into the wall, straighten your back up against it.
Now press your lower back into the wall—does your head pop forward? If it does, congrats, you’ve got some compressed back action and maybe a forward head thing going on. That messes with your alignment, breathing, and honestly, your singing just sounds more strained. When your head’s shoved forward, you choke off your sound and everything gets stuck in your throat. No thanks.
Now, step away from the wall, but try to keep that tall, stacked posture.
Honestly, working on your alignment does wonders for your voice. If you want to really feel the difference and stop fighting against your own body, check out my free 4-part Better Voice Challenge (shameless plug, but it’s actually helpful).
5. Breathing time.
Ever had someone try to explain “diaphragmatic breathing” and you just nodded along, pretending you got it? You’re not alone. So many singers and even teachers just don’t get it.
If you’re already doing my Singer’s Gift Warmups, you probably get the gist. But let me spill the real secret:
It’s all about moving your ribs.
Here’s a quick hack:
Slap your hands on your ribs.
Blow all the air out.
Now, grab your ribs and breathe in slowly, pushing your ribs out against your hands. Feel that? The ribs expand outward, not just in your belly. Go slow and steady—no gasping.
That’s the start of real diaphragmatic breathing.
To really nail it, you wanna breathe into the “lower triangles” of your lungs. That means you’re expanding those lower ribs in every direction, like you’re wearing a giant inflatable donut under your ribs. When your ribcage expands out, your diaphragm drops, and boom—more air, less tension, better singing.
Easy? Not at first. Worth it? Absolutely.