r/Carnatic • u/HeronAntique4532 • 1d ago
TECHNIQUE Difficulty Singing High Notes as Swaras - Please help !
https://voca.ro/1gsGRWNauq9uI’m attaching my latest lesson, which is Shankarabharanam across all three octaves.
I’m struggling with the high notes when I sing them as swaras. My throat starts hurting, whereas when I sing in Aakaram, it sounds better and causes much less discomfort.
I’ve tried changing my singing technique[over this last week] in many different ways now, and I think I’ve confused myself. My throat is currently sore coz i kept trying today, I am frustrated and I’m no longer sure what I’m doing right or wrong.
I’ve been learning Carnatic music for about 1.5 years, and I’m 33 years old. I would really appreciate some guidance on what I should be focusing on, especially for singing the higher notes without straining my throat. I do not have anyone else to ask to and my class is a group of 5 they are just going fast, and I feel so lagging. Please hear this and give me your honest feedback. I feel I am too old to be learning :(
- What technique to use to reach these notes ?
- How long does it take to sing them comfortable to some extent ?
- What is right way to practice this without straining my throat?
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u/motomotou 1d ago
Take some time to figure out which shruti you are comfortable singing in. Singing in the upper sthayi for the first time can strain the vocal cords a little bit, but if you are straining too hard, lower your scale a little. Nothing wrong with doing that. You may end up damaging your voice if you try to sing at a higher shruti. Practice long sustained notes in the upper sthayi in a relaxed way before you jump to exercises. You are not too old to learn.
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u/HeronAntique4532 1d ago
Hello ..Thank you for your kind response.
If I lower shruti its not bad ? But teacher sings in G sharp and that it is the usual for women I thought somehow i need to get it by practicing.
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u/motomotou 1d ago
No it is not bad. There is nothing like a "normal" scale for men or women like many people say. The scale you sing in is unique to you. You can start with a lower scale and experiment later. Down the line if your voice agrees to reach g# it is fine, otherwise you can continue in a lower shruti. Discuss this with your teacher as well, see what she says.
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u/HeronAntique4532 1d ago
Oh ! I never knew this and always felt bad about not being able to reach high pitch.. Thank you very much !
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u/Wide_Beyond_8512 1d ago
So do you think it's ok for males to sing in A# or B generally? My friends and even my guru don't really like it when I sing in A# and say I sound too feminine but when I sing in C, my gamakas loose their flow and sound so bland. A can't do brighas in a higher Shruti like B or C at all.
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u/motomotou 1d ago
I have not seen men sing in A#, but if is your natural scale I guess it's fine? Can't say for sure without listening.
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u/Acceptable-convo-18 1d ago
Seems like there is more air in the higher notes as another person also said.
1. Try to hold on to the higher Sa, Ri for longer, and try to “hear” how you sound and how comfortable you are.
2. When you do the higher notes like Ri, Ga etc you will feel a vibration in your temple/head, hence the term head voice. It should not sound shrill or like you are straining yourself.
3. Also, try reducing shruti and see how that works.
4. Another way is to sing lower notes for longer so you have warmed up your voice enough.
I think I know which academy you are learning from, have heard a few of their class formats. All the best
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u/Alarmed_Repeat_781 1d ago
Hey so when we are singing or using our upper register and using our head voice, is our head voice supposed to sound breathy or strong ?
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u/Acceptable-convo-18 15h ago
Not breathy, it has to sound consistent like how your chest voice sounds, same/similar volume. If it’s breathy, it means you are not using your head voice effectively, and if it’s stronger than your chest voice, it means you are straining yourself
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u/Quirky_Smile_6753 1d ago
- Rather than jumping right up, try gliding to high notes.
- We need a solid base for the strength to sing high notes, practice mantra saptak sadhaka. Low notes steady long practice.
- We normally use our head voice when we go up to high notes. But the voice then becomes too thin and airy. Try some head voice exercises using various syllables to strengthen your head voice. (Plenty available in youtube).
- Identify your vocal range. That's important. Dont push yourself more than your vocal range . Or try gradually improving .
Hope it helps!:)
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u/iamaspringchameleon 1d ago edited 1d ago
Watch some videos about using your head voice. Also look at yourself in the mirror and make sure you are using your mouth and tongue properly. Most singers don’t open their mouth enough and end up using vocal chords to move air, which makes it harder to generate volume and in the end also not be able to use the vocal chord for other stuff. It’s a chronic problem with even professional Carnatic musicians, voice culture is rarely taught. But there’s plenty of free western classical voice coaching online. I heard your voice clip, you are going nasal, which means you need to open the mouth more, air basically escaping through your nose is inefficient so voice has to do more work
Don’t force your voice too much and hurt it. Polyps can form and create a much bigger longer term issue for you. And singing in lower sruti is perfectly fine, screeching and straining is never the answer. Good luck!