• Look people in the eye.
    Avoid negative people.
    Remember other people's birthdays.
    Buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yards.
    Take responsibility for every area of your life.
    Plant a tree on your birthday.
    Count your blessings.
    Keep it simple.
    Stop blaming others.
    Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
    Never refuse homemade brownies.
    Be forgiving of yourself and others.
    Leave the toilet seat in the down position.
    Wave at kids on school buses.
    Make new friends but cherish the old ones.
    Learn three clean jokes.
    Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
    Return all things you borrow.
    Leave everything a little better than you found it.
    Wear polished shoes.
    be there when people need you.
    Return borrowed vehicles with the gas tank filled.
    Carry jumper cables in your trunk.
    Drink champagne for no reason at all.
    Sing in the shower.
    Plant flowers every spring.
    Rekindle old friendships.
    Feed a stranger's expired parking meter.
    Commit yourself to constant improvement.
    Floss your teeth.
    Strive for excellence, not for perfection.
    Sing in a choir.
    Dance like no-one is watching. Sing like no-one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt.
    Over tip breakfast waitresses.
    Compliment three people everyday.
    Keep your promises (no matter what).
    Use the good silver.
    Say "thank-you" a lot.
    Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation.
    Ask for a raise when you feel you've earned it.
    Don't be afraid to say "I made a mistake."
    Always accept an outstretched hand.
    Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
    Don't be afraid to say "I don't know."
    Call your mother.
    Send lots of Valentines Day cards and sign them "Someone who thinks you're terrific."
    Be the first to say hello.
    Have a firm handshake.
    Say "please" a lot.
    Compliment even small improvements.
    Don't expect life to be fair.
    Marry only for love.
    Watch a sunrise at least once a year.
    Keep secrets.
    Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.
    Never underestimate the power of love.
    Have a dog.

Find your vocal range

Your range


Your range is the highest and lowest notes you can sing comfortably. Most of us have a feel for where we can sing best but may not know what the range is called.

Vocal ranges overlap a lot, as you can see by the chart, yet all ranges span roughly the same number of notes.

  • Soprano – the highest-pitched range, usually female.
  • Mezzo-soprano – many women sing in this range.
  • Alto – somewhat lower than soprano. Altos can’t usually hit the higher soprano range; conversely, sopranos have trouble with the middle to low alto range. Usually female, but some men can sing a low alto part.
  • Tenor – the highest men’s range. Few men are true high tenors.
  • Baritone – overlaps the bass and tenor ranges. This is the commonest men’s range.
  • Bass – the lowest common men’s range. Few men are true low basses.

Want to find your range? There’s a handy tool at https://playback.fm/vocal-range that can get you started. Or just ask your accompanist before practice one day.

Your change

Your voice has a distinct point at which it changes from one tone to another, often towards the top of your range. As you sing a rising scale, you’ll feel the change; you make your sound in a slightly different way. Singing across your change takes practice and work, so many singers opt to sing either down or up an octave to avoid it. That can push you out of your range, though, with unpleasant consequences for the sound of the song. The best bet is to practise singing over your change, until you can sing above, below and through it with ease. Try some of the Warmup tips like the Arpeggios, Solfège Ladders or Sirens.

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