Article · Vocal technique

How to Sing High Notes in Anime Songs: A 4-Week Plan

1. Start with the 90-second TV size

Most anime openings and endings are first made as a short “TV size” version for broadcast. A music producer explained at a 2018 industry talk in Tokyo that 90-second versions of opening and ending themes became the standard for Japanese TV.

That short version is a gift for singers. In 90 seconds you meet the whole story of the song: a verse, a build-up and the big chorus with its highest notes. Master the TV size first, and the full version becomes the same song with a few more lines.

Try this: find the TV-size version of your favorite opening and sing along once, just listening to where the high notes arrive. Mark those seconds on your phone’s timer.

2. Open your vowels on the high notes

Japanese has five pure vowels: a, i, u, e and o. On a high note, these clear vowels are your best friends. Let the jaw drop a little and keep the vowel shape steady, and the note opens up.

“a” and “o” are the easiest vowels for high notes. On “i” and “e”, relax the corners of your mouth and leave a little more space inside, as if you are about to yawn. On “u”, keep the lips softly rounded.

Try this: sing the highest line of your chorus on vowels only, without consonants. When it feels free, add the words back one at a time.

For the five vowels in detail, read How to Pronounce Japanese When Singing Anime Songs.

3. Take a full breath just before the chorus

Anime choruses often run long lines at a fast tempo. The secret is to fill up just before the chorus starts. Take one calm, low breath into your belly during the last beat of the build-up, then let the air flow steadily through the whole line.

Try this: speak the chorus lyrics in rhythm on one breath. When you can finish the line with air to spare, sing it.

4. Choose the key that lets your voice shine

Every voice has its own best range. Many karaoke systems and music apps let you change the key in half steps. Start two or three steps lower, enjoy singing the chorus with a free voice, then raise the key one step at a time as your voice grows.

A song in your best key sounds more like you, and that is what listeners love.

5. Your 4-week plan

Practice 10 minutes a day, five days a week.

• Week 1 — Listen and map: Sing along with the TV-size version. Mark where the high notes come and where you breathe.
• Week 2 — Vowels and breath: Sing the chorus on vowels only. Practice one breath before the chorus.
• Week 3 — The highest line: Work on the single highest line: vowels first, then words, in a comfortable key.
• Week 4 — The whole 90 seconds: Sing the full TV size from start to finish and record it on your phone. Listen back and pick one line to polish next month.

This is the same rhythm as our Monthly Program, where week 3 focuses on high notes, fast lines and long tones.

6. Bring your chorus to a coach from Japan

Every ANIME SONGS JAPAN lesson is one-on-one, online, for 25 minutes, with a professional vocal coach from AtoNO Records — a Tokyo music school and label founded in 1995, with 30 years of voice training and over 50,000 students taught.

Our coaching is led by founder Tarnar sensei (Naoto Tanaka), whose students include winners, the Rookie of the Year and the “U18 Big Four” of TV Tokyo’s “THE Karaoke Battle.” His method, “100 × 100,” looks at 100 features of each voice and chooses the right training from 10,000 combinations — so your high-note practice is built for your voice.

In your lesson, sing your chorus once. Your coach hears where the note opens and where it tightens, and gives you one clear focus — the vowel, the breath or the key. You can write to us in English, and lesson times are set in your own time zone.

Start with one lesson, or grow step by step with four lessons every month.

Book a Single Lesson — $99Join the Monthly Program — $249/mo

FAQ

Can a beginner learn to sing the high notes in anime songs?

Yes. Beginners start with the TV-size version in a comfortable key and build up the highest line step by step. In a 25-minute lesson, your coach chooses the first focus for your voice.

Should I sing in the original key?

Start in the key where your voice feels free, then raise it one step at a time. Singing in your best key makes the song sound like you.

What should I prepare for my first lesson?

Choose one anime song and the line with the highest notes. Bring a computer or smartphone with a microphone for Zoom. At checkout, tell us the days and times that suit you, and we confirm your first lesson by email.

Next step: How to Memorize Japanese Anime Song Lyrics: A 7-Day Method

More questions? See the FAQ, or ask us anything in English.