I have a tendency to tense my throat when I sing and that makes my voice tired and notes harder to hit and sustain. My larynx also rises very high when I sing high, even in my best days (when it feels and sounds just fine).

I'm thinking that exercising support, bullfrogs and placement would help. Also massaging and stretching neck and jaw to get them relaxed. Am I on the right track here? Any tips? More exercises? :) By the way support is a bit hard thing for me to get a grasp of..

I'm not an expert.

In jaime's book, there are 3 main exercises that build the voice:
- falsetto then slide down
- transcending tone: start in falsetto extremely softly, then intensify the tone until it's in full voice
- siren: start on a note in full voice then slide it up one octave.

those exercises will build all the things you are wanting to fix.

don't jump into your notes, practice your high notes in falsetto with the least tension you can, then swell them into full voice. that's transcending tone, and i find that to be probably the best exercise for me, BUT you must do all 3! And check where your placement is by pinching your nose, if your tone changes it means your being "nasally". try to aim the tone in the upper back roof of the mouth pinch your nose and your tone won't change.

Everything i just said is all in his book and in greater detail. you should re-read it. i've read it several times and still find things that i've missed. follow every detail in the book.

feel free to correct me if i'm wrong anyone.

Falsetto slide is specially good to drop vocal weight so that your throat doesn´t tight up and get the relaxed vocal coordination needed.

Thanks guys! Yeah I've noticed that even just singing anything in falsetto opens up the voice and the throat a bit..

I recorded these today while practicing. First (starlight) is pretty easy to me, the range isn't bad and there is really not much pushing here. In my bad days those highest notes could be pushed but as I recorded these it felt easy. I think this isn't bad at all..?

http://www.filefreak.com/files/191370_blfkn/starlight.mp3

Then here is something else, here is paradise city! Some higher range :) I tried this many times and this is the best I got out! And even at my best I can still see the veins in my neck bulbing at least a little bit :D And it didn't feel bad really but my voice get's easily tired after this kind of stuff. And I mean this high register! And most of the time I feel my throat tensing at least a bit.. But it doesn't sound that bad still! I want to be able to sing this stuff more "effortless" and improve the sound more!

http://www.filefreak.com/files/191369_3eknn/paradice%20city.mp3


Feel free to comment on anything! Tone, color, range, technique, style, anything. Tips on how to make the high notes easy? Starlight clip is quite much what my voice sound at its best right now and in the most comfortable range (or little bit high).

The problems you are describing are all very common and the foundation of singing. Before you see any results, you have to do the exercises in the book as they are described and for a certain period of time so you can retrain your body and build positive muscle memory. If you're not sure that you are doing the exercising properly, book a lesson with Jaime or myself. Good luck!

Val