Vocal Exhaustion?/bass?

Josiahjjr

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First off, I'm 15, so I expect a little vocal inconsistency. But I don't know if it's supposed to be to this degree.

Not to give an American Idol audition story, but i've been singing pretty much whole life. My dad is a music minister at our church and a beautiful tenor with amazing range,( the bass E2 to the tenor high C ) and my mom is a sultry alto. I'm a relatively musical guy, I enjoy singing.
I went through puberty and my voice dropped noticeably, and I'm a bass guy.

My voice changes some based on the day. On a lazy day like a Sunday, I belt G's and F's all day, but after a day at school per say, I have trouble projecting an A. Plus it's just not comfortable. You know when you song a note and it just feels good? That just doesn't happen after a long day. I understand the whole body not fully developed thing, but should there be that much variation based on what I do?

Does anyone else have these problems? Maybe a solution.

Sorry for the wall o' text. Any feedback is appreciated :)
 
Have the same problem. I used to sing bass in a barbershop quartet. Morning is always better for me. I can belt out Old Man River like Paul Robeson in the morning, but by 10 am, forget it.

I have decided to be a baritone and be happy with that.

I had a vocal teacher tell me once that if I worked hard, I might be able to add 1 step to my lower range. Not worth it to me.

Hope this helps.

Erik
 
Have the same problem. I used to sing bass in a barbershop quartet. Morning is always better for me. I can belt out Old Man River like Paul Robeson in the morning, but by 10 am, forget it.

I have decided to be a baritone and be happy with that.

I had a vocal teacher tell me once that if I worked hard, I might be able to add 1 step to my lower range. Not worth it to me.

Hope this helps.

Erik

I have kind of the same problem in that my voice is a lot lower in the morning, but I strive for high bari/tenor range if I can. So really, after 10am is my best time. I'm only 15 as well, but I've taught myself to kind of deal with the inconsistency. I had to train myself, because I reached puberty fairly early in the 6th/7th grade, and I loved singing, so I gradually reached back for my old range, which I've almost achieved, so now I'm at a whopping 3 1/2 octaves. I've never had a vocal coach, so I think it's just a simple matter of patience. If you sing, or even talk, enough, that inconsistency will gradually be shaved off, leaving you with a pretty much set-in-stone range.
 
Hey guys.

In terms of reaching the low notes, morning is certainly better - though it's not so much the time of day but how much you use your voice that affects your range the most: talk/sing more = less lower range.
Certainly, training and better breath control can help you reach those lower notes more easily later in the day.

I find i'm good for a low E maybe Eb in the morning. By the end of a rehearsal, concert or practice session, I'm comfortable to a low G and can reach a fairly solid low F.

As you said Josiah, your age will be a big factor in this as well. I've found my range has solidified and reached higher as I've gotten older. I think for many - particularly once you reach middle adult hood 35 or more - you'll get a bit more lower range as well.
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I have noticed that morning is always better for my lower range. It's like Jamie said, less talking means a more relaxed voice.
I'm hoping you're right, I'd like a bit more low end. Bass is just so much fun to sing :)
 
The voice tends to deepen with age...no need to rush it! Morning has always been better for my low range too. Once in a while it's decent in the evening, but that varies a lot depending what I experience on any given day.... the air and allergens around you, what you eat and drink, how much you've used your voice, and the general state of your sinuses. It helps if your not all stuffed up....some people are just naturally more tolerant of allergens, while others are susceptible..plus it can vary throughout your life. You can try to avoid things that you know irritate your voice or stuff you up. Stay hydrated, avoid super dusty areas, some neutral saline sprays might help. A lot of it is simply beyond our control, and/or not practical to control.
 
I like the low notes too, and I can do a G or an F. However, I find that almost all the music I have is written too high for me. Of course I can transpose, but why should I? I wonder why they don't write music for the different voices--sorta like hymnals, but each voice in an appropriate key? If a book is for singers, why couldn't the melodies be written for all four voices?

Another thing that makes me wonder is why do so many American men sing in falsetto? Men in some other countries (notably Russia and Eastern Europe) sing a lot in low pitched, men's voices. We have some great operatic basses, of course, but our pop singers sing like girls--weird. I liked the BeeGees a lot, but I still think it's kinda strange. I have almost no falsetto. I have raised my top end a bit, but I'm a forever baritone.

I really enjoy the operatic bass solos. Some of them can make the windows rattle. :eek:ld:
 
Vocal exercises - works magic for me when I take the time to do them. Warmups as well. Same principles when you are going to tax any "muscle." I use "Vocal Workouts for the Contemporary Singer" but here are lots of free tutorials on YouTube

https://www.google.com/#q=vocal+exercises+for+singers+youtube
 
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Are you warming up properly. And if you are tired you will probably not sing as well.

You need to look after your body if you want to sing well all the time. Don't abuse your voice. Take care of your vocal health if you have a lovely voice especially because many singers have lost their voices from incorrect use.

You are young and you should really understand the issues. Last year i strained my voice and didn't know what i did exactly and it cost me a lot to find out what damage i'd done and how to fix it. At least it wasn't vocal chord damage but not i still have ot be careful with my breath to make sure i don't trigger the same problematic vocal response.

Always warm up properly, get plenty of sleep, keep well hydrated, don't smoke. Don't strain. Use correct vocal technique.
 
I agree with much of the advice here. I've been singing professionally for over 20 years now, and there are still days when I wake up and I'm not feeling it like the day before. But if you're 15, it is pretty normal for inconsistencies to arise as you're growing in bursts. Key is to take it slow in the mornings. Practice gently sliding in and out of vocal fry. A nice way to do scales that get you through your bridges from chest voice to head voice is to do them on "brrrrrr" sounds. This minimizes strain and keeps your vocal folds in a safe configuration as you warm up. Try not to do big interval leaps or reach for belt notes before you are fully warmed up. This can cause strain. If you want some decent (and sometimes funny) demos of vocal fry and these types of scales, a chap called Eric Arsenault has some good ones on YouTube (I might have misspelled is name). He has a warm up sequence you might want to try. Best of luck in your singing and have fun!
 
FYI - this thread was create back in October 2011, and is nearly 5 yrs old (as of the time I am posting this here) and I have not seen the folks in the first 6 posts here on UU at all since I joined this forum in April 2013 (3.5 yrs ago), so I just wanted you to be aware that if you are expecting a reply from the OP, it is likely that they are long gone from UU.
 
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