Why Men Struggle To Sing High Notes?

Why Men Struggle to Sing High Notes

I’ve written about this topic from a number of different angles, but here I want to hit it directly.

The number of men who come to me wanting to improve their range is striking. Yes, some arrive with issues around pitch, stamina, or general vocal weakness, but for the vast majority, the primary driver is range — specifically the desire to sing higher, often to match their vocal heroes. Classical, rock, pop, R&B, soul — the style varies, but the goal is remarkably consistent.

Men from 18 right through to 70-plus get in touch wanting to dramatically extend their upper range. The good news is that this is completely doable. But to do it properly, we need to understand what the real obstacles are — and how they’re actually overcome.

How the Male Voice Is Built

Most men have around one and a half to two and a half octaves of usable range in their chest voice. Chest voice is the lowest register of the voice and typically extends up to Eb4/E4 — the E above middle C on the piano.

Continue reading “Why Men Struggle To Sing High Notes?”

December 4, 2025December 6, 2025

Vocal Problems and Vocal Technique Troubleshooting

This guide explores common vocal problems and vocal technique troubleshooting need to deal with when their voice feels weak, tired, or unreliable. If your voice seems to have changed with age, illness, or overuse, these articles will help you understand what is happening and what you can realistically do about it.

Everything here is written from the perspective of a working vocal coach, so the focus is always on practical cause–and–effect and what you can change in your day-to-day singing.

Why voices become weak, tired or inconsistent
How age, illness and habits affect vocal strength
Technical causes of strain, shouting and instability
Practical troubleshooting for everyday singing

Editor’s Picks

Start with these core articles if your voice feels weak, inconsistent, or harder to use than it used to be:

What causes weak voices?
– Why some voices lack strength, and which causes are actually changeable.
My voice seems to have got worse as I’ve got older
– How ageing, habits, and training history affect the way a voice develops over time.
How different illnesses affect the voice
– What colds, COVID, reflux and other health issues really do to your sound.
How loud should I be singing?
– Understanding intensity so you’re not quietly straining or loudly shouting.
Shouting masquerading as singing
– Why “just pushing harder” often makes things worse, not better.
What happens to our voices in each decade
– How our voices change, when, and the physiological reasons why this happens.

If you’re interested in learning more about vocal technique, you can read more about our own vocal technique approach, or you can also browse our vocal technique article cluster.

When you’re ready for targeted help

If your voice has become weak, unreliable or harder to control for a while, it can be hard to deal with vocal problems and vocal technique troubleshooting by yourself. I work one–to–one with singers who want clear, practical steps to rebuild strength and stability.

July 12, 2025July 12, 2025

Why learning to sing can feel so hard

Why Learning to Sing Can Feel So Hard

Short Version: You’re building an instrument you can’t see or touch, while also learning to play it.

Long Version:
Singing feels natural — but mastering it is anything but. Here’s why developing vocal skill is uniquely challenging, even for otherwise talented musicians.

You have to build the instrument, and train it to respond precisely in real time, while having no access to its moving parts.

Most instruments give you feedback. You move a key, press a string, shift a valve — and you see and feel something change. You can then try again and again until it feels right.

The voice offers no such feedback.

You sing a note, and you hear what came out a fraction of a second later. Then you try to internally feel what muscles created it.

You can’t see it, touch it, or directly manipulate it. It’s like building a model ship inside a bottle, with chopsticks, behind your back.

The level of precision required is extreme. You need to coordinate several muscle systems, simultaneously and precisely, across a wide range of intensities.

Most people never need that kind of motor control in their daily life. That’s why it feels so alien at first.

Continue reading “Why learning to sing can feel so hard”

July 5, 2025August 1, 2025

Singing Voice Expertise

Expert Advice on Singing Vocal Development

Drawing on years of experience as a professional vocal coach, this hub consolidates key insights, corrections to common misconceptions, and proven techniques for developing the singing voice. Whether you’re just starting out or refining your technique, you’ll find answers and direction grounded in real-world expertise.

Why Trust My Advice?

I’ve worked with hundreds of singers across a range of styles—from beginners to professionals—helping them unlock their natural sound and overcome deeply held vocal limitations. My approach is grounded in evidence, clarity, and practicality. There’s no fluff, no mysticism, no false promises. While you can’t learn to sing from just reading and watching YouTube videos, my hope is that these articles give you an insight into what it takes to build and grow a voice.

June 17, 2025August 1, 2025

Effective Voice Training and Technique

If you’re serious about building a voice that works, and works reliably, you’re in the right place. This is not about gimmicks or viral trends — it’s about real technique, real training, and real results. While we cannot build a complete voice just by reading content online, whether you’re just starting out or refining years of experience, the articles below should help you understand your voice, your habits, and the pathway to real progress.

Voice Training Fundamentals

Can AI Replace a Real Vocal Coach? – What’s the difference between an AI coach and a real vocal coach?
Top 5 Questions About Singing Lessons – The most asked questions, answered
Speech Level Singing Vocal Technique – How our vocal technique works, from top to bottom

Vocal Health and Longevity

Why Do I Keep Losing My Voice? – Struggling with losing your voice or feeling sore?
Six things beginners don’t get – What most beginner singers don’t understand about building their voice

Volume, Power, and Control

How Loud Should I Be Singing? – Understand what an appropriate volume level is and why
Shouting Masquerading as Singing – Why many singers are just yelling, and what to do instead

Range, Pitch, and Placement

Why Do High Notes Feel So Different? – What’s actually happening as you sing higher?
Vocal tips and tricks: MYTHS – Why people want tricks, when they don’t actually work

Repertoire and Song Choice

The Importance of Song Choice – How choosing the wrong song can sabotage your progress
Optimise songs to sound your best – How to identify and optimise songs for your voice
Ordering your set list – Arrange your set list to make singing as easy as pie

June 8, 2025August 23, 2025

Pavarotti: Singing, Range and Vocal Technique

Pavarotti: Singing, Technique, Training, and Influence

Luciano Pavarotti remains one of the most iconic tenors in history—not just for his voice, but for his insights into the craft of singing. This cluster of articles explores Luciano Pavarotti’s singing, his approach to training, technique, and how his legacy continues to shape modern vocal teaching.

1. Pavarotti on his Singing and on Training Your Voice – Insights into his disciplined training journey, including at least six years spent mastering vocal control.
2. Pavarotti and the Covered Sound – A look at his hallmark tonal approach and how he balanced richness with clarity.
3. Changing the Nature of Your Voice – Examines how singers like Pavarotti evolve their singing tone and technique over time.
4. Two Great Singers on Their Mixed Voice – Includes reflections on Pavarotti’s vocal blend and comparisons with other greats.
5. Same Song, Three Different Singers – Features Pavarotti among a trio of interpretations, showing stylistic nuance.
6. Five of My Favourite Books on Singing – Several selections reference or draw from the teachings and technique of Pavarotti.

If you’d like to read more like this selection on Pavarotti’s singing, we have other select articles on beginner singing techniques, and advanced singing techniques.

May 19, 2025December 3, 2025

How to sing louder without straining?

How Can I Sing Louder Without Straining?

To sing louder without straining, you need a balance of vocal strength, resonance, and smart key choices. With correct training, your voice becomes more efficient—producing more sound with less effort and no pain.

How to Sing Louder Without Straining

We all want to know how to sing powerfully and effortlessly like our favourite singers. In many cases we can be left wondering, how do they sing that loud without straining?

There are three key reasons — but they’re not overnight quick fixes. They take time, training, and smart choices in your singing voice. Here’s what makes the biggest difference:

1. Training to Be Stronger Vocally

The best singers with the strongest vocal stamina are incredibly fit—at least vocally, and can sing louder without straining. Their voices and bodies are in sync, trained like endurance athletes.

Great singing isn’t about “just hitting your voice harder.” Singers who try to muscle through often burn out quickly, suffering from vocal injuries (think Adele, Sam Smith, etc.).

To sing at all, your voice must function correctly. Singing low notes requires the vocal folds to contract and thicken; high notes require them to stretch and thin. The smoother this adjustment, the more range and finesse a singer can develop. More finesse means greater endurance—and greater endurance brings more dynamic range (the ability to sing both louder and more softly).

It’s part endurance, part strength training… but it’s done with finesse, not force. Some singers naturally have louder voices, but everyone can train to improve their vocal facility and dynamic range. Just remember: it’s not about “lifting heavier weights” (i.e. singing louder and louder). It’s about refinement, control, and consistency.

2. Resonance

In the first point, I mentioned the importance of strong vocal musculature. But great singing isn’t just a muscular effort.

The best, most enduring singers rely heavily on resonance to produce volume. I’ve discussed resonance before—it’s a complex and subtle concept, especially if you haven’t felt it in your own body yet.

As a singer improves, their body begins to vibrate in sympathy with the sound in a much more vigorous way. This means that over time, even though they may be singing the same notes as they did years ago, they require less effort to produce more sound.

Put simply: the better your technique and resonance, the more sound you’ll produce for less effort. It’s not just about volume—it’s about tone, intensity, and quality. That’s why great singers seem to get louder and more vibrant as they age: their instruments become more efficient.

3. Picking the Right Keys

All of this is for nothing if a singer chooses the wrong key for a song.

You can take the greatest singer in the world and make them sound weak simply by forcing their voice into a key that doesn’t suit it. If the melody demands things your voice doesn’t naturally do, you’re setting yourself up for strain.

Whether your voice is trained or not, choosing the right key is essential. Getting the most volume is closely tied to getting the most ease and quality out of your voice. Avoid keys that are too high or too low. Instead, choose keys you can sing in for long periods without fatigue or discomfort.

Smart key choices = greater volume, better tone, and less strain.

If you’d like to discover this for yourself—both building your voice to have better tone and picking keys to sound great in—you can book in using the button below.

May 12, 2025December 17, 2025

How to sing into a microphone

Understanding Microphone Types

When it comes to singing into a microphone, understanding the type of microphone you’re using is crucial. The two primary types are:

Stage Microphones: Typically dynamic microphones, these are generally handheld and used during live performances. They are durable and less sensitive to ambient noise.

Studio Microphones: Often condenser microphones, these are more sensitive and usually mounted on stands. They capture a broader frequency range, making them ideal for studio recordings.

While these microphones differ in design and application, both require proper technique to achieve the best sound quality.

Essential Microphone Techniques

Regardless of the microphone type, adhering to the following guidelines will enhance your vocal performance:

Understand the Components: The microphone head houses the sound transducer which picks up your voice, the body contains circuitry (and with handheld microphones is for holding), and the XLR connection is where the cable connects.
Sing ‘On-Axis’: Direct your voice into this sensitive transducer portion of the microphone head. This will generally be a grille mesh, protecting the sensitive transducer inside it. Handheld mics need you to sing into the top of the grille, while condensers are generally sung into from the side. Doing this ensures the transducer accurately captures your sound.
Proper Grip: In the event it’s a handheld microphone, hold the microphone by its body, and avoiding cupping the head with your hand, to avoid muffling or distorting the sound, or creating handling noise.
Distance Matters: Maintain a distance of approximately 1–6 inches from the microphone. Handheld dynamics are less sensitive, so you generally need to be closer. Condensers in the studio are MUCH more sensitive and you’ve got a lot of wiggle room. Closer proximity increases volume and bass frequencies (known as the proximity effect), while being too close can cause distortion.
Manage Plosives and Sibilance: Sounds like “P” and “S” can create harsh noises. Use pop filters in the studio or foam covers on stage to mitigate these effects.
Consistent Positioning: Keep the microphone at a steady angle and distance to maintain consistent sound quality.
Don’t Rely Solely on the Microphone: Merely holding a microphone doesn’t automatically amplify your voice – it’s not a magic wand. You must sing into the microphone to be heard.

Final Thoughts

Developing good microphone technique is essential for any vocalist. It takes time to learn, but it’s really not that tricky. Once you get it, it becomes a piece of cake… and actually quite a lot of fun.

As you practice this, try moving closer to or further away from the microphone. Distance and angle plays a huge part in tone shaping, but that’s something that only you and YOUR voice can figure out through repeated practice.

Category: Vocal Technique

Discover the Foundations of Great Vocal Technique