S-Rank Difficulty!? A Compilation of Songs with Wide Vocal Ranges
There are many factors that make people say someone is a good singer, but being able to sing with a wide vocal range is one of the easiest indicators to understand, even for those without musical knowledge.
This time, we’ve selected particularly challenging songs from among those with wide ranges.
Rather than simply being high, these picks consider both the high and low ends of the range.
Since the goal is to sing them at karaoke, many well-known pop songs are included.
Find practice songs that suit you and give them a try.
S-Rank Difficulty!? A Collection of Songs with Wide Vocal Ranges (1–10)
HeavenMrs. GREEN APPLE
Mrs.
GREEN APPLE’s new song “Heaven.” When it comes to Mrs.
GREEN APPLE, Motoki Omori’s high-tone voice is arguably the most striking feature, and this track makes full use of his upper register throughout.
In addition to extremely high mixed voice and falsetto, the song even opens with a very low phrase.
The low part is brief, but the overall vocal range of the piece is exceptionally wide, making it no exaggeration to call this an extraordinarily difficult song.
Trace that dreamNEW!YOASOBI
Ano Yume wo Nazotte has a very wide vocal range.
It’s written in a range from D#3 to E5, with the low notes extending more than in other YOASOBI songs.
Speaking of YOASOBI, you probably think of especially high choruses! They’re a perfect fit for this theme.
The A melody stays in the low range, but even there, keep your throat open and let your breath flow.
Making a surprised face helps open the throat—try to maintain that state as you head into the chorus.
In the chorus, you’ll encounter long sustained notes, so engage your lower abdomen to keep your body steady and send your voice straight out with confidence.
That way, your breath will flow well and you can sing smoothly without your voice catching.
Give it lots of tries!
proofNEW!flumpool
It seems this was the set piece for the 2011 (78th) NHK All-Japan School Music Competition, Junior High Division! The vocal range is quite wide, from A2 to C5.
The falsetto parts appear in the chorus.
The melody line is easy to follow, building nicely through a verse (A), pre-chorus (B), chorus, and final chorus.
First, the A section sits quite low, so be careful not to overuse your throat there.
If you watch choirs or singers’ facial expressions, you’ll notice their eyebrows and facial muscles are lifted quite a bit.
Simply lifting your facial muscles like this helps open the throat and makes singing a bit easier.
It also helps you transition smoothly from chest voice to falsetto.
In addition, make sure to fully support and release your breath on the high falsetto notes.
Aiming your voice straight up toward the top of your head makes falsetto easier to produce.
With just a small shift in awareness, the song becomes much easier to sing—give it a try!
Heralding springNEW!yama
This song, Haru wo Tsugeru, is what suddenly brought yama into the spotlight.
Some of you might recognize the opening phrase.
That said, when you actually try singing it, it’s famous for being difficult because of the drastic ups and downs in pitch.
The rhythm is crucial and the tempo is on the faster side, so it’s best to learn it slowly, piece by piece, at first.
YouTube lets you change the playback speed, so I highly recommend using that! When you sing, try not to push on the high notes; if you stay relaxed, you’ll be able to make good use of your falsetto.
It might help to practice singing lightly, with a bouncy feel.
As you get a feel for the melody line, you’ll naturally figure out where to add accents and where to cut the sound.
Once you’re comfortable, try using a bit more breath; that should help you switch smoothly between chest voice and falsetto.
Fu re te Fu re ruNEW!TK from Ling tosite sigure
The B-side to “unravel,” which could be called TK’s signature song, is actually “Fu re te Fu re ru.” It explodes even more with high notes and falsetto than “unravel,” and it’s one of my absolute favorites to sing at karaoke.
Rather than a clean falsetto, TK’s falsetto pierces like a cry, so unless you can normally hit high notes, it’s a tough song to pull off… That said, it’s a super cool track, so if you think of it as a way to practice falsetto, I definitely recommend it for rock lovers! It’s fine to start with a weak falsetto.
Just keep practicing using a lot of breath over and over, and gradually build your explosiveness—that’s the idea!
UNDEADYOASOBI
YOASOBI’s new song “UNDEAD.” Released as a theme song for the Monogatari Series, it emphasizes electropop elements even more than their usual tracks.
The trickiest aspect of this piece is, above all, the intense leaps in pitch.
The vocal range is quite wide, but even more challenging is the switching between chest voice and falsetto.
Since the song demands considerable pitch control, it’s best to listen closely and thoroughly before attempting it.
LuluAdo
Ado’s hit number “Ruru.” It’s a track that vents frustration at the absurd rules of society, characterized by a very hard-edged musical style.
This piece also spans a very wide vocal range.
While many singers can handle songs that are simply high, the standout trait of this one’s high parts is their sheer roughness.
It’s not just straightforward high notes; the expressive palette is broad, including things like falsetto mixed with shouts, so solid fundamental vocal technique is required.
If you’re confident in your singing ability, definitely give it a try.