In the first episode of The Vocal Studio Singapore's podcast, Find Your Inner Voice, Ethan and vocal coach Josse Chema talk about whether we need to sing high notes to be good, as well as how to find and expand your register.

We begin the conversation with whether high notes are "money notes" when it comes to singing, and where it originates. Josse talks about his experience from Latin music, where people male singers sing high notes such that the female audience can sing along with the music, and how the high notes do often get the crowd going.

We then explored the three different ranges most male voices come with, high tenor, mid tenor and baritone from high to low. We started by talking about Bruno Mars and his talking register, taking note that his register even when he's speaking comfortably is already of a higher pitch.

We then listen to Ed Sheeran, where his voice shines with the stylistics of a singer-songwriter type of music. And then we talk about Frank Sinatra, whose voice is naturally at the baritone range.

The biggest takeaways in this podcast were about finding the stylistic that fits the voice register that you sing at, and how to sing higher notes. For Josse, it was singing 7 hours a day, four days a week to expand his vocal range from a mid to high tenor such that he can hit all the top notes in the music.

Transcription

Seow Yi Zhe 0:00

Alright. Hi everybody. Welcome to the first ever recording vlog/podcast of TVS.

Chema 0:08

Yeah.

Seow Yi Zhe 0:10

Okay, right. So I'm Ethan. And this is Chema. So Chema is the coach here at The Vocal Studio. And he specialises in Latin music as you can tell from his wonderful style. And then what what's more important is... So today we're actually really going to cover the topic about male registers. I think it's not a very commonly talked about topic because it seems like a lot of people just want to get higher.

Chema 0:37

Yes, it's like everybody now wants to sing the notes. Someone say that the high notes are the the money notes. Really? Yeah, someone said you can you can find a singer who is doing a great show, right? But when he reached the high notes, so that people is stand up. "Oh, wow." That's the note that it gives you money. I don't know how how true is this? But the real thing is that a lot of people is looking to sing high notes.

Seow Yi Zhe 1:10

Okay, but I mean as a professional singer yourself, how true is that?

Chema 1:16

Okay. It's true

It's kind of the true but it is because the music has been going to that way

Seow Yi Zhe 1:29

That direction right?

Chema 1:30

That direction. So you need to be... You don't need to follow things but you need to be in the in the right style in the moment, right? It's not that you want to sing like Frank Sinatra in Bruno Mars songs. It doesn't match Yeah, it just doesn't match

Seow Yi Zhe 1:55

you can sing Bruno Mars, pitch and register while singing Frank Sinatra songs

Chema 2:00

Is it doesn't match. It's just a style is. Just, I think, the music is going to that direction. Even for the Latin music, you can find a lot of singers singing really, really, really high notes. I don't know why. I mean it's it's beautiful to have a complete voice. It'ss beautiful. It's beautiful (to sing) high note as well as. Okay, it's beautiful but it's more complete if you can have a nice mid range. And yes, all the people is looking for the high notes still in Latin.

Unknown Speaker 2:33

So actually. So, I mean, in in this current day and age, so we have so many different singers in the male vocal range. And I think it's very interesting because a lot of people seem to think that singing higher is better but if we look at the... Across the board, I think the only thing that's lacking nowadays is baritone singers.

Chema 2:56

Yeah, yeah, it's not so common, to see this kind of low, low, low deep voices. Not anymore,

Unknown Speaker 3:04

I think between like the 40s to the 70s, where we're talking about Barry White, we just mentioned. There is Frank Sinatra. There is Dean Martin. There is Leonard Cohen. They're... All these singers were baritone all the way through.

Chema 3:18

Also Elvis Presley.

Seow Yi Zhe 3:20

Elvis Presley. Yes. Elvis Presley.

Chema 3:21

He seems like a mid, but with a good low.

Seow Yi Zhe 3:27

Low voice.

Chema 3:28

Yeah.

Seow Yi Zhe 3:28

Yeah. So right now we don't seem to have much of that but we actually have a lot of medium range tenors. Yes. I mean, like Ed Sheeran. I think part of the reason why people want to go high notes is because of Michael Jackson probably. First Michael Jackson is very high, like he was high tenor all the way through.

Chema 3:43

For example, one producer in Mexico some time told me that in this very, very popular music in Mexico which is Cumbia. And they were looking for massive events. And he said that sometimes they push the singers to high... To sing in high notes because the girls are the ones are singing the songs. So if they can sing the song

Seow Yi Zhe 4:20

Oh...

Chema 4:20

It's like, it is... More...

Seow Yi Zhe 4:23

Impactful.

Chema 4:24

Yeah, yeah, they can feel better the song so it will keep the song in their minds; they can sing it, they can remember the song. So this guy, he said that sometimes they push the singers to have a little bit, to sing with high, sorry, because of that. I don't know if it can be related or you can have some real effect on that.

Seow Yi Zhe 4:49

Well, okay, let's so let's actually go to the video of Bruno Mars and let's find the key.

(Video music playing) Wow, this.

Chema 5:09

Yeah.

Seow Yi Zhe 5:09

That's a what? The highest note was like C sharp?

Chema 5:13

C sharp. Yeah.

Seow Yi Zhe 5:14

C sharp four? But he sounds really really high when he sings this. It's like, it sounds like he's all the way here

Chema 5:22

Yes.

Seow Yi Zhe 5:23

And he seems really comfortable. Like we have one of this like...

(Sings terribly)

I'm like dying here I can't sing that kind of tone, at that register.

Chema 5:35

This isn't a natural. I mean his voice is like that. I mean you cannot sing so natural these kind of notes (when) your voice is low or baritone mode. You cannot make it, it's not possible. You can fake it sometimes and there's people that who can make really high notes in a nice way but not that natural.

Seow Yi Zhe 5:56

How do you know that you can be a Bruno Mars?

Chema 5:59

Try to follow, and if you don't die when you're singing this song, okay!

Seow Yi Zhe 6:05

And what would be the speaking register of a person that typically will be able to hit such... Because my speaking voice is quite a bit lower, which is one of the reasons why I feel more comfortable with baritone. But like for yourself, if you're clearly more mid like medium range tenor.

Chema 6:21

Yes, medium register. I didn't know this guy. it

Seow Yi Zhe 6:25

Have you... What... Let's see a Bruno Mars interview.

Chema 6:30

Let's see.

Seow Yi Zhe 6:35

(Ethan imitating the vice) Good to see you.

Chema 6:38

Yeah, it's like a mid, mid high!

Seow Yi Zhe 6:46

Oh my gosh, yeah,

Chema 6:46

Yes, it's like a natural mid-voice. So, I mean, just like, as you say, Michael Jackson. You never listen, Michael Jackson speaking like (low voice) "Hi, how are you? Good night, everyone." Never right?

Seow Yi Zhe 6:47

Yeah.

Chema 7:03

I think he's not so. I mean, let me let me check it out a little bit more.

Unknown Speaker 7:09

(Video playing)

Chema 7:14

I think it's mid high ride.

Seow Yi Zhe 7:16

It's mid high right?

Chema 7:17

High, it's mid range mid, mid high here. He's natural voice, I mean.

Seow Yi Zhe 7:21

And that's his relaxed voice.

Chema 7:23

Yes. Maybe he when he says excited, "Oh my God!", his voice is more like "Ahhh!" very high. Just talking, just speaking.

Seow Yi Zhe 7:33

Oh, okay so you know that you can sing Bruno Mars only if

Chema 7:38

If you have the same voice.

Seow Yi Zhe 7:40

or like Michael Jackson or that kind of... I think another person who's really popular who sings that kind of range is Adam Levine.

Chema 7:48

Yeah.

Seow Yi Zhe 7:48

Who also has that kind of voice? Yeah, this range the normal voices around this range?

Chema 7:53

Yes. Yeah. Nose and more.

Seow Yi Zhe 7:57

Yeah. And how many students that come along your way seem to actually be able to pull off that kind of voice?

Chema 8:04

Not much, not many, not many students. I mean, most of the times, that is the main problem with it with the students because they they haven't prepared their voice to the mid high range, not even high. To the mid high. So when they try to jump, they break the voice, it's this is a break and then we can go straight to the head voice instead of mixing, because they don't have how... they don't know how to do it. But they have tried to make it so most of them are screaming, just like that, screaming. And they cannot find the easy way to do this connection and to go easy to the high notes. And these guys,

Seow Yi Zhe 8:54

Like Bruno Mars and Adam Levine, and all these kinds of guys.

Chema 8:57

Yeah, it's easy, natural thing for their voice. I don't think I have any student like with this kind of natural voice. I don't have any student.

Seow Yi Zhe 9:07

Yeah. So I think it's also really important because these people were chosen also because of the high voices as to why they became stars. Part of the reason I mean. Part of this is that because they made it seem so easy and so comfortable, but most people cannot do it.

Chema 9:22

Yeah. I think. I don't think it's only because of that is they are good artists in the full word. But yes, I think it has some impact, the high notes, in the people who's buying the music.

Seow Yi Zhe 9:42

Yes.

Chema 9:43

Because listening to the music, they feel attracted by the high notes. I feel like that.

Seow Yi Zhe 9:51

Okay, so but that being said, then what can the people in the middle range which is the most common right? The middle tenor range, which is like yourself. Yeah, is the most common vocal range and probably there is.

Chema 10:02

I think so. I think so

Seow Yi Zhe 10:03

So like so. Talking about that we can talk about Ed Sheeran.

Chema 10:07

Yep.

Seow Yi Zhe 10:08

So but see, Ed Sheeran is popular.

Chema 10:11

Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 10:19

(Video playing)

Seow Yi Zhe 10:27

He's almost a full octave below Bruno Mars.

Chema 10:30

Yes. But the difference that I can... I think his voice is a little bit more round, a little bit more powerful maybe. He doesn't go the same way as Bruno Mars with... The music is not soul.

Seow Yi Zhe 10:58

punchy punchy

Chema 10:58

Yeah punchy punchy, the style is different, but I can see that his low range is more warm, is more complete, I think. I think. And a lot of people and a lot of students think the same about the high notes, and people think that you can only work for the high, to get the high notes. But if you don't work the same way for the low notes, it is never going to get.. you will never have a round voice, a round high voice, high range voice if you don't have a solid low voice. Even in your range, not like baritone. In your range, but your low voice needs to be solid as well.

Seow Yi Zhe 11:43

So is that a big problem that you see also is that people try to keep on increasing their register, rather than working with their current registers.

Chema 11:51

Yes, I think they go through the high notes. And for me go... before go to... before you go to the, to the high notes you need to work in In the other side. So you may need to, I mean, if your voice is like this (shows medium range), you can throw your voice like this (shows high range) in its it needs to be like this (shows low range).

Seow Yi Zhe 12:09

Oh it needs to go both ways.

Okay, so how long did it take for you to be able to start singing the high notes because I know that you used to be first a musician?

Chema 12:18

Yeah.

Seow Yi Zhe 12:18

Then eventually singing right? So what... how long did it take for you to become a singer and being able to hit the high notes? Because I hear you singing at night and hitting a lot of the high notes too.

Chema 12:28

Yes. It's, it's... My natural voice, as you say is mid range. It never is, it never was like high high notes. But as I told you in the Latin music, a lot of people now is doing very high songs. And when you start working in the music business and you don't have your own music, you're following these artists. And people want you to sing the same songs. And you need to sing the same song like three or four times in the same night, which is not your range. But you need to still like this. You need to... you learn by surviving, think ahead and oh, I don't know how to call that. But you learn to make it. I mean, when I, when I started to sing these songs, for me was very, very difficult, at night because it was like, really four or five times, the same song in the same night.

Seow Yi Zhe 13:28

So, actually, so then then how long did it take for you to get comfortable with raising like having to sing at the register regularly?

Chema 13:38

I think like maybe... like around six months or eight months, working

Seow Yi Zhe 13:49

Every night?

Chema 13:50

Almost every night. In that time, I just was working around three times a week or four times a week. But for long, long, periods. I mean, we started 4pm or 6pm in someplace and then we move to another place. And so we finish at 3am.

Seow Yi Zhe 14:08

This is in Mexico?

Chema 14:09

In Mexico. So if you're talking about sets, we were, I was singing around seven sets a day. So, only for three or four days.

Seow Yi Zhe 14:21

So that's why a song, the same song, that is a high register can be sung four to five times because,

Chema 14:25

Yes.

Seow Yi Zhe 14:25

Wow.

Chema 14:27

I mean, I'm talking about one right? In the beginning sounds like that. So sometimes, yeah, you're like, okay. I cannot, I cannot continue like this because I'm gonna die, so you need to learn how to make it in a safe way, right?

Seow Yi Zhe 14:42

So it took you about six to eight months to start practising more and training yourself more to be able to hit those high notes? Or how do you actually find your way to hit those high notes?

Chema 14:50

I think I think working, in as I told you, because one of my teachers told me that, that you can you cannot put the voice only in the in the high notes. It needs the balance, the balance. So when I start with these high notes I started studying the low. And that makes me a little bit more open, makes me feel a little bit more open. And I had a very very bad breathing technique in that moment so my support and maybe was not the...

Seow Yi Zhe 15:30

Strongest at that time.

Chema 15:31

Yes and I think that the daily work. Okay forced, yes it forced me to to reach them. I don't think it was my perseverance that I succeeded. I don't think, really, honestly not. But just for surviving working or I don't know how to how to go. But yes you need to learn to to make it better. And to to put your feet in the in the ground and say okay, cannot continue like this I need to do something and sometimes you don't have the, the all the knowledge right? And how to make it as a human body, you need to find a way to make it.

Seow Yi Zhe 16:10

Cool.

Chema 16:10

So some things like that I think I learn it, from the work, from the daily work.

Seow Yi Zhe 16:18

So it seems it seems like a lot of this is down to daily work, working on a daily, and oh! The other thing is, thankfully, you had a teacher who actually told you what are the things that you need to cover before you went there? Because imagine if you just tried to do the higher voice without going through the lower voice.

Chema 16:32

Yeah,

Seow Yi Zhe 16:32

I think you would have lost your voice along the way.

Chema 16:34

Yeah, because in that kind of music, there was a lot of people who were singing these high notes; really high notes, but but with a really weird sound... not.. not... like a puppet like how "kkkkkk"!

Seow Yi Zhe 16:50

Yeah, like "I am Alvin! And the Chipmunks!"

Chema 16:55

So, what's the point? Okay, you're gonna sing very high but, like that? I think it's not the best way. I mean, you can get the same notes with a full or solid voice, a round voice I think. So I tried to make it like that. And and I think I can.

Seow Yi Zhe 17:14

So this is my favourite, my favourite way of singing like baritone so I think because my voice I like my low voice.

Chema 17:20

Yeah. (Video playing) but I mean...

Seow Yi Zhe 17:25

His normal talking voice

Chema 17:26

Yeah, he's speaking like that. Like that.

Seow Yi Zhe 17:30

Yeah, he speaks of this register like, he doesn't like, it's not as if he's speaking at this register. And then singing at this register.

Chema 17:39

There's a lot of people who's singing in a mid range, but when they have an interview, they took this posture like. "Oh yes, of course. I'm, I'm singing I'm touring and travelling. I have my car," but a voice that is not the real one, right? Yeah. So when you listen, how does he say? Okay, what happened there?

Seow Yi Zhe 18:00

Yeah, no, but that being said that there are a lot of people try to have the lower authority voice outside, but it sounds really weird. And I think a natural baritone voice. I mean, like myself, I can feel my own chest resonance on a regular level. That's a typical bari voice like, I'm not a low bari but I'm a bari.

Chema 18:21

Yes.

Seow Yi Zhe 18:22

But it creates a certain amount of resonance that I already feel on a day to day level

Chema 18:27

Yes, but I mean, I mean, your your voice is natural, like that. You are not faking your voice. That's the point

Seow Yi Zhe 18:34

Yeah but if I were to speak like this. It's my throat.

Chema 18:38

Try singing like Bruno Mars

Seow Yi Zhe 18:40

No, I mean... (Tries badly) No! I sound like Alvin!

Chema 18:47

Yeah it is not natural. Okay, this guy, man.

Unknown Speaker 18:56

(Video playing with trying to find keys)

Seow Yi Zhe 19:00

Yeah, his voice. Yeah. So my speaking voice is kind of matching the register that he's singing right now. And so one of my biggest qualms as a person who loves music is... There're very few songs that I can sing. Everybody is going for the higher register stuff, and I'm like,

Chema 19:19

Yes,

Seow Yi Zhe 19:20

But that's not where my voice is. Like, I would love to. I like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin. All these kind of guys. I love the music, Leonard Cohen. I'm not really a big fan of Leonard Cohen himself only because his phrasing is very weird for me. But I like his music, but I just cannot sing it myself. But like, at least there are some people in the range. This Kevin Mahogany that is, but these are all jazz singers.

Chema 19:48

Yes, because as we were talking at the beginning, the style of the music was like that. In that time, that was the style. So the people was following that style. So the people who wants to follow the music Frank Sinatra I mean, Frank Sinatra has been like the inspiration for many many singers right? And all of them, they in a way, in some way, they will try to sing like him. That was a moment now is Bruno Mars. So everybody wants these kind of voice. That's it that's it. That's what I mean, as you say, there's no song now, it's there's no song with it that register

Seow Yi Zhe 20:34

Yeah in it feels weird even to sing Ed Sheeran song at this, at this kind of register.

It feels weird, like sounds more like opera all of a sudden.

Chema 20:47

It doesn't match with the band, so, is there any other song that can be like that? Like in a like pop music song.

Seow Yi Zhe 20:59

I've not heard about Song of the last 10, 20 years that has a baritone voice involved?

Chema 21:05

Yes. It's like, I think the only one that I remember after these people like Martin and Frank Sinatra was Barry White.

Seow Yi Zhe 21:17

Yeah.

Chema 21:18

Barry White was like

Seow Yi Zhe 21:20

Yeah, but

Chema 21:21

Different different.

Seow Yi Zhe 21:22

It's only like 80s like and then in the 90s it started disappearing. Your boy bands started appearing. But I think if you're a baritone voice singer like what would you give as advice for a person like me, who ends up having to sing Tu Carinito?

Chema 21:41

Power. Needs power. I mean, I think it's about time. It's about... the good thing with our voices is like, we can shape it right? Even if you have a low register or high register mid range. So you can shape it and you can be you can give this sensation that you're singing high even if you're singing mid range.

Seow Yi Zhe 22:08

Oh,

Chema 22:08

Yeah because if your voice is clear, you can you can... it feels like it high is high it's not dark voice. It's different.

Seow Yi Zhe 22:19

So I think like you said if you can accept where you are you build downwards and upwards at the same type. Yeah, you have a very strong foundation, it's a lot easier for you to work with.

Chema 22:26

Yeah is that is that is the theory that I learned. It works for me in a way. Like everything in life, some things will help for some people and some others not. So, I mean, is we are different bodies. We have, another thing that is very strong is our mind. A lot of people start singing, thinking that they cannot sing or that they cannot reach high notes and that is a bad bad bad bad.

Seow Yi Zhe 23:01

Cool. Yeah, so it will limit you from even being able to practice your way there and you trying to get there

Chema 23:09

Yeah before you try the high note you're, you're closed, you're blocked, right? So every everybody's is different. And the tips and the things that we learn from other people may help, may not, but just take it and try.

Seow Yi Zhe 23:27

Yeah, but I think the number one rule is first be comfortable your a speaking voice. Yeah, the register you are in and then you start looking at expanding it and then you need to have the right mindset to be it able to start practising. And then for you, six to eight months of seven sets a day.

Chema 23:40

Yeah, it's like hard training, if you want to train like that I can send you to Mexico.

Seow Yi Zhe 23:47

And you really little money for a lot of work.

Chema 23:49

Yes. And then you will be suffering. Nah... I tell you something. That was a very hard time. Because it is hard work to be a singer like that, it is a really, really hard work. People think that the singers or the musicians are always having fun. Yes we have, but we have tired we get tired too. And that time for me was really, really, really hard. I think it was the hardest time in my life. Working singing, like seven, eight hours a day. Is, is hard. Yeah, it's hard to cope. So look for medicine or be an engineer or something. No no no, sing, and be happy.

Seow Yi Zhe 24:41

All right. So with that, let's end. So thank you for the podcast today. And we'll see you next time.

Chema 24:46

Yes, thank you. Follow us.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai