[High-pitched warning!] Songs with high notes that are hard to sing
The Japanese music scene is known for having a relatively low emphasis on groove, but an unusually large number of high-pitched songs.
In particular, since Japan has finally started earnestly incorporating overseas music in recent years, the overall level of songs has risen dramatically.
With that in mind, this time we’ve picked out Japanese songs that are on the higher side.
From songs with a wide vocal range, to tracks that have pinpoint high parts, to songs that stay in the high register throughout, we selected from a broad set of perspectives—so be sure to find the tracks that suit you!
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[High Pitch Warning!] Very high songs that are hard to sing (291–300)
-ness; typicality; the quality/essence of being [X] (as in “X-ness” or “X-like character”)Ofisharu Higedan Dism
![-ness; typicality; the quality/essence of being [X] (as in “X-ness” or “X-like character”)Ofisharu Higedan Dism](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YFzG-JABlnw/sddefault.jpg)
This song, chosen as the theme for the animated feature film “100m.,” is a quintessentially Higedan-style tough piece.
The rhythm is relatively steady, but there are lots of words, making breathing difficult, and the range is extremely wide.
In the C section and the chorus, many listeners will probably think, “It goes up here?” Once you start singing, there’s almost no break—the melody just keeps coming one after another—so you’ll need to be really prepared (lol).
First, make sure you thoroughly memorize the lyrics and melody! The A section seems manageable to sing gently, but from the B section on, it gets hard unless you plan your breathing spots.
Instead of singing everything at 100%, aim to release your voice little by little and then let it all out on the high notes—that balance works well! Don’t miss any fleeting moments where you can catch a breath.
Also, when dropping from high notes to low notes, pitch tends to fall and you might strain your throat, so try singing with your eyebrows kept raised!
Akatsuki SakuraGARNiDELiA
This is GARNiDELiA’s 18th digital single, released in October 2023.
It was produced as the 7th-anniversary song for the mobile game Onmyoji.
It’s an upbeat, pretty cool track with a striking Eurobeat-style arrangement! In the song, vocalist MARiA delivers a voice that never loses its edge while clearly expressing dynamics across phrases and parts.
Including its melodic development, it’s quite a challenging piece to sing, which makes it an ideal choice when you want to draw attention from those around you.
The dust on the shade extendszutto mayonaka de ii no ni.
ZUTOMAYO is a band that enjoys overwhelming support from listeners in their teens and early twenties.
They specialize in songs that blend catchiness with emotional depth, and among those, the track I especially recommend is Shade no Hoko-ri wa Enchō (The Dust of the Shade Extends).
It features a large number of mixed-voice sections and very few rests, so it demands strong stamina and precise pitch control in the high range.
Definitely consider adding it to your repertoire.
sparkling brightlyikimonogakari
Ikimono-gakari released their seventh digital-only single in August 2020.
While Ikimono-gakari often gives the impression of having many upbeat songs, this track has a somewhat calmer vibe.
It doesn’t require piercing high notes throughout; the higher range is really only needed around the end of the chorus.
Still, being able to nail those spot high notes is an important point when singing it at karaoke, so for women who are good with high notes, this is a song where you can fully showcase your strengths.
If you listen closely to the original, you’ll notice that even in sections with the same melody, the singer skillfully switches between high chest voice and high falsetto (head voice) depending on the expression.
Try to pay careful attention to that and reproduce it when you sing!
UnstoppableSooYoung
Sooyoung, an idol who thrived as a member of Girls’ Generation, has recently made her solo debut in Japan.
Her new song, Unstoppable, evokes early-2000s R&B and maintains a sensual vibe throughout.
The tricky parts include the falsetto near the end of the chorus and the mixed voice transition from the bridge into the final chorus.
It also features multiple instances of runs—an advanced R&B technique—so it’s likely difficult to pull off unless you’re accustomed to singing Western pop and R&B.
The Spider’s ThreadTomei
Singer-songwriter Tomaki, whose edgy musicality impresses hardcore music nerds.
Although she’s strongly associated with Suzume no Tojimari, her sound is actually quite sharp, and some of her works are extremely challenging.
Among them, the one I especially recommend is Kumo no Ito (Spider’s Thread).
It evokes Japan’s jazz scene of the 1950s and features an astounding number of falsettos.
The melodic leaps are fairly intense as well, demanding exceptional pitch control—making it a truly difficult piece.
[High Pitch Warning!] Difficult High Songs to Sing (301–310)
Venus bugHoshimachi Suisei
Since the hit of “Bibidebaba,” Suisei Hoshimachi has been consistently dropping hit tunes.
One of her signature charms is the seamless switching between head voice (falsetto) and chest voice, and her new song “Venus Bug” showcases that appeal throughout.
While the falsetto itself isn’t extremely high, it appears so frequently that the song boasts a high level of difficulty.
Low falsetto in particular is prone to issues with pitch control and volume, so if you can sing this piece with ease, you’ll almost certainly have mastered low-register falsetto.