Ever wondered what it takes to understand what a singing range is? Ever wondered what your singing range is? These are very important questions so let’s try to understand what it means.
The singing range is the singer’s capability to sing all the notes between two notes. A range, therefore, is measured from the lowest note a singer can sing and the highest, creating and defining the ability of a singer to sing. Certain rigid classifications exist to pre-determine what parts a singer may sing but in all cases, a range can be extended if the singer practices for it.
I think there is a great need for us to break down everything. Doing this means and it will allow us to understand this concept and by the end of the article, you’ll know how important knowing your range is and how far you should pursue it in your practice.
Explanation
A singing range can be explained quite simply. A singing range is a difference between the lowest and the highest note that you are able to sing.
Knowing your range is a very important piece of information for you to be aware of. Especially in the beginning because when you are first starting out you will be working on extending your singing range.
It is not something that you can just expect to improve without putting in any effort nor something that you can brush off as something you ought to accept as it is.
In all the scenarios regardless of how good of a singer you are, you are not going to be good at singing both high and low notes. You’ll generally be somewhere in the middle neither too high nor too low. So, working on both ends of the spectrum for your range is going to be the best thing when you’re first starting out.
Even if on the off chance that you are able to sing high notes, you’d still have to work on your lower register and the opposite is true as well.
Why It’s Important
The reason that you need to extend your range is very simple. As I said when we first began, nobody is born with a great range.
The reason you need to extend your range is that you will have to sing songs that require a certain range, even when transposed. Whether you’re singing in a band, choir, or even your own songs, you will need a decent amount of vocal range to do things the way that you ought to be able to.
If you’re not able to sing in the range that you hope to, that is fine, that’s what practice is for, even if you do just 30 minutes of it. Because there is no telling when certain parts will require you to sing low and when high.
The more of a range you have the more ground you’ll be able to cover. The more arrangements you’ll be able to comprehend and the more freely you’ll be able to compose for yourself and the more you’ll understand how tough and what techniques allow you to reach those high and even low notes.
Music Theory
One thing that I would like to point out is that without music theory you’re not going to be able to understand ranges, at all. Because beyond defining what a range is, music theory allows us to quantify and know exactly what notes mean and see whether what we’re practicing is heading somewhere or not.
With that in mind, you have to realize that when you are improving and beginning to make progress without music theory there is nothing to understand. Even naming the notes is something that falls under music theory.
It is also the language that musicians use to communicate with each other. Singers and self-taught musicians are notorious for not paying enough attention to music theory. It’s not something boring when something ‘boring’ allows you to take your skills to the next level.
You don’t need to be a professor of music theory in order to make use of it, the basics will do just fine but the basics should be crystal clear and something that you know you can rely on.
Arrangement
One of the best ways that you can look at music is the arrangement.
It has to do with being exposed, having a skilled ear, and understanding music theory. Because you’ll realize as you listen to different genres, everything has a range.
From the bass guitar to the lead guitar, there is a huge range just between those two instruments. The more that you listen to various arrangements the more you’ll be able to hear how low and how long certain notes and other parts being played by other instruments are.
That understanding of ‘range’ as a whole is going to be quite revolutionary and especially when you realize that one of the most highly versatile instruments when it comes to the range is actually drums.
Choirs
And that leads me to this particular arrangement, something we’ve all heard of and something you should be aware of and even try to participate in if you get the chance, choirs.
As you can imagine a choir is made up of all singers. Duh.
The reason that I suggest that you join one is that they will place you in your appropriate range and you will have sheet music to support all your work and include other voice parts as well.
It will be a visual representation to see how they all work and what part you’ll be playing against them, both in terms of rhythm and the melody that you’re carrying.
It will also strengthen your ability to hold your own ground independently while others are doing their own thing. This exposure will make you understand how harmonies are laid out and beautiful a choir can sound if everyone does their part well.
I definitely struggled with my ‘ear’ and I wish I had time and resources to join a really good choir so if you have the opportunity to do so, do it.
Other Instruments
I mentioned in the ‘arrangement’ subheading that the bass guitar and the regular guitar have a huge range when combined together.
The same is true for other instruments and often the subdivisions are done by the same terminology that we use to differentiate between vocal ranges.
Bass, tenor, alto, and soprano.
The most common instrument that you will find that is so named is the saxophone family. There are tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones and the bass saxophone is essentially the tuba.
It’s quite amazing, isn’t it?
Other instruments and families such as the string family are divided by a range and no particular terminology is given. The upright bass, cello, viola, and violin are their own counterparts for range.
Certain instruments like the horn don’t have a specific range, it’s range is dependent upon your technique and how powerful your lungs are, isn’t that something?
A lot like singing (in principle).
So, What’s Your Range?
So, where do you stand?
Are you going to study music theory and be willing to understand how things work? Test your own range and see how everything works?
There is another great way to make sure you stay on top of your singing and that is through having an online course. The course that I have specified on this page here, will teach you everything that you ought to know about learning how to sing.
The exercise provided in the course will not only help you develop your technique but these same exercises can be used by you to improve your range and become better.
Don’t Let It Distract You
As important as your range is, don’t let it distract you.
Don’t let it become the only thing that you practice, give it time and strive to become better at it but don’t under any circumstance think that this is the only thing that matters.
I would actually say that make it something you practice on a daily basis but not as the primary thing you work on. High frequency and low intensity are what I believe is the winning factor for improving your range.
So, go ahead and learn how to sing, and don’t forget to improve your range!