What do Sopranos and Singing Teachers Think About Upper High Range Notes?

Despite being widely used by professional sopranos, the emission of upper high range notes is still a subject of considerable controversy both to those who use them and those who study them.

To compare the opinion of sopranos and singing teachers on the emission of upper high range notes.

The participants were asked to answer a questionnaire with objective questions on the emission of upper high range notes and indicate technical aspects involved in their production (singing teachers) and proprioceptive sensations during their emission (sopranos).

The sample consisted of 24 sopranos who were, on average, 28 years old and had 9.08 years of a professional career and singing teachers were, on average, 41 years and had 20 years of professional experience. The questionnaire used was considered reliable (pilot Cronbach's alpha = 0.88). There was no statistically significant difference in breath support, tongue positioning, and body adjustments. The differences that were found regarded laryngeal vertical movement (P= 0.02), articulatory pattern (horizontal mouth widening, P= 0.03; and "imagining a smile," P= 0.02), and auditory aspects (decrease in voice volume, P= 0.03; reduction in voice "size," P= 0.03; and change in voice brightness, P= 0.02).

The proprioceptive description of the sopranos differs from the recommendations described by singing teachers with respect to the larynx movement, articulation, and auditory perception. These findings suggest that the emission of upper high range notes requires individualized adjustments for the emission to occur with good vocal quality and comfortably.