Man, high notes used to kill my throat. Like, seriously painful. Saw Eric’s videos all smooth and effortless, figured I’d just yell louder. Yeah, dumb idea. Voice cracked, sounded awful, face turned red. Total mess. Thought maybe I was just broken.
The “Oh, Wait, Maybe I’m Doing It Wrong” Phase
Decided to actually stop forcing it like an idiot. Started paying attention:
- Belly Breathing: Forced myself to puff out my belly like a balloon when breathing in. Felt weird at first, like a kid showing off. But hey, more air.
- Humming First: Tried just humming super light, like a fly buzzing. Started low, real boring notes (“mmmmm”), then nudged it higher slowly. Less pain? Okay, progress.
- Tongue Jail: Noticed my stupid tongue kept trying to wrestle my tonsils. Made a conscious effort to keep the tip behind my bottom teeth. Felt unnatural, like holding my tongue physically down. Helped a bit.
The Tiny Breakthrough Moment
While humming, found a spot that felt… easier? Not smooth, but less like tearing paper. Instead of trying for a giant note right away, I tried gliding into it from a comfortable mid-range note. Like this weak little slide: “laaaaaaaaaa…”. Pitched it up gently, keeping that buzzy feeling. One time, it didn’t crack! Sounded thin and wimpy, but no pain. Hallelujah. Kept doing that dumb slide over and over.
Actually Trying Some “Eric Style” Bits
Felt brave enough to mimic a short phrase from one of his songs. Picked the easiest one I could find. Key things:
- Vowel Warping: That “ee” sound? Murder. Switched it to a slightly more open “ih” sound (like in “bit”). Instant relief. Voice didn’t feel trapped.
- Super Light Touch: Pretended I was whispering the note, but louder. Less muscle, more air. Less power, sure, but also less pain.
- Short and Sweet: Didn’t try to hold it forever. One quick higher note, like “yeah!”, then escape back down fast. Survival tactic.
Didn’t magically sound like Eric. Not even close. Still shaky. Voice felt tired quick. But crucially: No more throat agony, and I hit the stupid note. Consistency? Ha! Maybe 3 out of 10 tries. But before? Zero. Got a little buzz seeing it was actually possible without destroying myself. Still a long road though.