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Two must-do's for singing deal with expanding the vocal apparatus (voicebox, chest, diaphragm) in the outwards and downwards directions:

  • Puff out ribs when inhaling air as well as during singing
  • Lower the diaphragm downwards when inhaling, or firm it up when needing support for hard notes

How about expanding the vocal apparatus (upwards somehow) so that your voice doesn't sound like it's stuck below "a glass ceiling"? I saw it described this way in a video, so I do not know how to express what I mean in a proper way, but I hope somehow knows what I mean, or can rephrase it with a better-known description of it. That feeling that there is something "at the top" of your vocal apparatus that is holding down or suppressing your sound: What body technique is there to blow past that glass ceiling in order to have an unsuppressed voice during singing?

(this question is not about pitch, vocal range, or hitting high notes. Re: an edit I had to rollback: While it is about vocal power, it is not limited to strengthening just the existing upper vocal range since that merely would fall into the category of vocal range as well)

user610620
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  • Let me see if I understand. You make clear you're _not_ asking about extending your range. Is it that you want to know how to strengthen the sound at the top of your existing range? – Aaron Mar 02 '21 at 18:28
  • yeah vocal power, but moreso *body technique*. what body technique is there for opening the vocal apparatus *upwards* in order to have an unharnessed sound? – user610620 Mar 02 '21 at 18:29
  • This is a bit confusing as you claim that the ribs should be puffed out. Really it's the diaphragm. –  Mar 02 '21 at 18:33
  • ribs and diaphragm are two obviously very different movements and techniques in much different directions. ribs are positioned left and right of the vocal apparatus, whereas diaphragm is at the bottom of the vocal apparatus. Here i'm asking about *the top* of the vocal apparatus, not to be confused with voicebox or high pitch, since the palate is even higher than the voicebox in terms of the vocal apparatus – user610620 Mar 02 '21 at 18:34
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    "power" is a red herring. It comes from resonance. When everything is resonating the power comes easy (with little input force). One thing that is crucial is the shape of the mouth and the soft palate. Correct facial expression helps with this. –  Mar 02 '21 at 18:34
  • ok so what to do with the mouth, soft palate, and facial expression in order to blow past the glass ceiling for the entirety of a performance, not just for hitting high notes? Basically need a full, whole, unsuppressed sound – user610620 Mar 02 '21 at 18:37
  • here's where "glass ceiling" was described, reaching with release and without fear without pushing: https://youtu.be/WtKgalo3iSc?t=128 – user610620 Mar 02 '21 at 18:46
  • Those Cobain examples are 'split notes'. That has nothing to do with power or volume. I didn't listen to the vlogger long enough to figure out what he was trying to tell us, I wasn't sure he actually would know... – Tetsujin Mar 03 '21 at 19:07
  • The "glass ceiling" has nothing to do with the physical size of your vocal tract. Breaking through the glass ceiling also doesn't come from "pushing through". The metaphor seems to describe the feeling encountered, when trying to push the voice beyond its limits. In this case, the "glass ceiling" is a warning sign that you're trying to go in a direction the vocal instrument is not made for. There is no way to break through. The only way is to step back and really work on building the proper coordination, which in the long run will allow you to sing with more power with less effort. – Fid Rewe May 25 '21 at 19:22

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