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On every voice teacher's FAQ list is, 'Can you show me how to hit those high notes?' And the answer is, 'Maybe and maybe not.' The please continue. 'I'm in a rock band, and we're getting good local buzz, but unless I can sound like Steven Tyler or Christina Aguilera, we won't get the record deal.'

One friend of mine was told that a hit record requires a high, edgy male vocal because it cuts through best on the cheapest car radio. Or it did, in the analog days; and commercially the preference has stuck.

Pushing the upper limits of the voice, or straining to sound low and husky, remind me of Procrustes, a nasty ancient Greek guy with an odd sense of hospitality. He required all his guests to fit the same bed. Short visitors were roped to the bedposts and stretched limb from limb; those who were too tall got their feet chopped off. This is not a pretty story, but it's all too similar to the demands of some musical fashions.

The obvious message is that straining your voice in either direction might win an immediate gig or contract, but it can hurt your voice in the long run. A cello can't be played effectively in piccolo range, any more than a Sumo wrestler can dance ballet en pointe. Each voice has built-in limits, and we make our best music by respecting those limits.

Muscular Acoustics

Let's start with a quick review of some anatomy. The vocal folds (commonly called 'vocal cords') are actually small, semi-elastic muscles. When you sing a scale or melody, the vocal folds are stretched longer and thinner for higher pitches and allowed to relax and thicken for lower pitches.

When the vocal folds are inflamed and swollen (e.g., during a bad cold), all of us sound lower than normal. Conversely, people typically sound higher than usual when they're excited or anxious, because stress hormones tend to increase tension in the vocal folds, tightening them just like a guitar string.

The pitch-control muscles are not conscious or visible from the outside, so we learn to control them by ear. Different pitch ranges also require some modification of breath support, but this is less significant than the length and tension of the vocal folds. With careful practice over time, the vocal folds can become stronger and more supple, but their flexibility is not infinite.

Measuring Up

How do you find out what singing range is realistic for you? One way is to visit a speech laboratory, which can be found at some universities and research-oriented medical centers, and ask for a phonetogram or Voice Range Profile. You'll sing various notes into a microphone attached to a computer and end up with a graph showing what notes you can produce at what range of intensities.

The Voice Range Profile offers a detailed, visual view of what pitches are strong, weak, flexible, or completely out of bounds for the singer. However, it doesn't take into account the musical variables of melody and phrase length. Producing a single high C in the laboratory doesn't mean you can hold that note for a long phrase or project it over a screaming guitar riff six nights a week.

Another, do-it-yourself option is available if you have access to a computer-based hard disk recording system that can analyze the pitch of an audio signal (e.g., Opcode's Studio Vision with its Pitch-to-MIDI function). Simply record different notes in your range, from the lowest to highest notes you can comfortably sing, into the computer. Then, convert this audio information into MIDI data and display the result on the screen.

Of course, this won't tell you the range of intensities with which you can sing each note, but it will give you an idea of your practical pitch range. (As you perform this experiment, notice that it is difficult to sing your lowest notes loudly and your highest notes softly.)

Answer the Question

An even simpler method of determining your singing range requires a detour into speech. You'll need a friend to help you and a pitch reference such as a keyboard or pitch pipe. Your friend's job is to ask you simple questions that you can answer affirmatively and that you genuinely care about. (For example: 'Are you motivated to make good music?') Your job is to answer spontaneously and energetically, using the spoken slang 'Mm-hmm.'

Let your friend ask a few such questions, and answer each one with an enthusiastic 'Mm-hmm!' Gradually extend the 'mm-hmmmmmmm' into a humming/singing tone that you can match to your pitch pipe or keyboard. Alternatively, you can use a system such as Studio Vision to analyze the pitch. The reference pitch you identify this way is typically one-fourth to one-third of the distance from the bottom to the top of your speaking range.

Now, start at this reference pitch and sing down to the lowest note you can produce with good tone; notice how far you can go in terms of the number of half-steps or a single musical interval (e.g., a perfect fourth or fifth). You can realistically expect to go two or three times as far up from the reference pitch before you reach the first 'breakpoint' of your range. You might be able to sing an octave or so above that point, but it will be in a different register (more in a moment).

Keep in mind that your basic range will fluctuate slightly from day to day, even from morning to evening, according to your health, mood, and level of stress. So for the most reliable measurement, repeat this process at several times of day and over several days, then use the average result.

Registration Please

You've probably heard the terms 'chest voice' or 'belting' contrasted with 'head voice' or 'falsetto.' And as you experiment with singing in different pitch ranges, your voice might sound quite weak or strained on a particular note, but then something shifts inside your throat and your voice stabilizes a note or two further up (or down) with a different tone quality.

Voice scientists and singing teachers do not yet agree on a precise terminology for these register changes, and the science can be complicated. 2008 UPDATE best in depth discussion here http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-human-instrument. But the sensations and 'throat feel,' can parallel the manual transmission of a car. As the driver accelerates in, say, second gear, the engine revs faster. This is roughly analogous to the normal increase in effort and vocal-fold tension as someone sings up a scale.

Then, at a convenient point, the driver shifts into higher gear, changing the ratio of power and speed. Each car's transmission shifts fluidly at a slightly different speed, and the driver gets the feel of it with practice.

Similarly, a shift from chest voice to falsetto takes pressure off the vocal folds and requires subtle adjustments in breath support (fuel). Just as a driver has a 10-15 mph range in which it's safe to shift gears, changing vocal register can be accomplished within a small range of pitches, depending on the lyrical and musical context, and the individual's own range.

Classical, jazz, gospel, and pop singing generally require a consistent loudness and smooth transition between registers. (This is one of the many strengths of Whitney Houston's voice.) But other genres, such as country, bluegrass, and some folk styles, incorporate more abrupt register breaks (think of cowboy songs, Swiss yodeling, and early Joni Mitchell recordings). Sarah McLaughlin's vocal style is marked by contrast between her registers, which she uses to express wide-ranging and conflicting emotions.

Your own break points will fluctuate (lower in the morning, when relaxed or when ill; higher when you're happy, wound-up, adrenalin-pumped). Get familiar with these shifts, avoid forcing your voice through the transitional areas, and develop each register fully on a foundation of good overall technique. Then the transitions will get easier, and you'll be able to use a greater variety of tones for your own creative purposes.

Musical Solutions

Now that you know what notes you can realistically use, and where your voice is apt to change register, go through your repertoire and transpose each song to best fit your voice. Thanks to synthesizer technology, this is a lot easier than it used to be. If you're in a band, work as a team to find the right key for each song, instead of just retaining whatever key the song was first written in. This might seem like extra work at first, but eventually, fitting the music to your voice should be as routine as an athlete selecting the right shoes. And experimenting with different keys and instrumental voicings can make all your music more appealing.

If you haven't yet had much training, working with a private teacher will get your voice in better shape and tend to increase your usable range a bit. And if you're already using reasonably good vocal technique, singing scales every day at medium loudness, with proper posture and breath support, and on a variety of vowels, can gradually add a whole step or two at the top and/or bottom of your range.

Classical singers and MTV divas are expected to use a two-to-three octave range, gig after gig, with both power and subtle control. But the average pop melody rarely requires more than an octave or a tenth, not counting key modulations and vocal ornaments. For example, Tracy Chapman sings in a relatively small range, but most listeners don't notice or care because of her rich timbre, bluesy flexibility, and deeply honest presentation.

Using your true voice in a healthy range will ultimately sound more powerful and expressive than shaping your vocals to the arbitrary demands of the marketplace. Fiona Apple doesn't try to sound like Stevie Nicks, and Luther Vandross is (sadly, was) no Johnny Cash. Your voice is already a custom design, so keep it healthy and let your unique music shine through.