How to sing high notes without straining

One of the most common reasons singers struggle on high notes isn't breath support or range — it's larynx position. When we reach for a high note, the larynx naturally wants to rise, and that upward movement creates tension that chokes the sound before it ever gets a chance to ring.

The fix is simpler than you'd expect. Practicing your high notes on a dark [u] vowel — think "oo" as in moon, but rounder and deeper — encourages the larynx to stay low and relaxed. When the larynx isn't climbing, the throat stays open, and high notes that used to feel like a fight suddenly have room to exist.

This is one of the first things I work on with new students, because the results are immediate and the concept is easy to apply on your own.

Ready to take this further? Book a $25 trial lesson with Ian Sabourin Studios and we'll build on it together.