Adding color and texture to the voice is a sure-fire way to add life to your singing. The best way to get full control over texture and color is to master control over your breath. The best way to get control over your breath is to master good cord closure. The best way to get good cord closure is to do your exercises every day!
This amazing little coordination can do wonders for your voice. You will notice that if your habit is to sing too loud, it will automatically take you back to a volume where you can manage this sensation. What sensation you say? The sensation of a cry…..or a moan…..or a sob……or all three!
First, the “cry” is doing something very helpful to the vocal folds by “thinning” and “stretching” them. It is helpful to be able to control your air through this vocal cord set up because you helps you sing higher pitches without flipping into falcetto. You can also get this sensation by doing a high pitch puppy dog whimper.
Second, add the “moan” or “groan” sensation with the “cry” and you get the added benefit of keeping a neutral larynx. Sometimes the “cry” sound makes you raise your larynx too much, which can block the sound and create tension and tightness in the throat. This is not ideal. Instead, try an even balance of the “cry” with a “moan” or “sob” feeling. This is a great way to learn how to sing higher in your mix. Don’t push it. Feel the balance and practise at a volume that you can manage through your entire range.
Questions? Why not drop me a line!
The female voice has so much potential. Typically our range extends much farther than the male voice, and because of this fact, the first passagio (or your break) can really feel like it divides your voice in two.
Men don’t have to deal with the same sensations at the first bridge. As the male voice drops after puberty, it is usually clear to them what their “chest voice” is. Then the challenge is usually how to negotiate their register shift so they can sing higher. Without the ability to thin out their vocal cords (mix) as they ascend, they may feel strain, or they may “flip” into falcetto. There are many great exercises available to singers who want to increase their range from their chest voice up.
However, ladies…..your scenerio can be much different.
Quite often vocal training for ladies starts with focus above the first bridge (rather than in the chest voice which is below the first bridge). In other words, from about E above middle C to F or G above high C. This is a common range when working with female voices in a choir. Your first bridge is around A or B above middle C and your second bridge starts around E flat. Notice that this range of pitch encompasses TWO passagios. Included with this traditional approach is the purity of Italian-formed vowels and a low tongue (open throat).
What you might notice is songs requiring you to sing below middle C are breathy or light. Or, you might notice that some songs have the sensation of singing from the bottom and going up……..while other songs have you feeling like you are singing from the top and going down…..giving you the impression of two different voices; a low voice for low songs, and a high voice for higher-pitched songs. Does this ring true for any of you?
I draw attention to this because knowing how to negotiate the first passagio from the bottom up is important when singing certain styles of music including pop, musical theatre, gospel and R&B. Working from the bottom up will usually have you using less air, and work muscles that require the larynx to tilt as you sing higher, which in turns will let you move through your passagio without flipping into your “other” voice.
Do you experience this? If so, please leave a comment. Tell me what it feels like and how you handle this break in your voice. Susan
I’ve been a huge fan of Speech Level Singing for over ten years, and continue to be. I’ve studied with some of the best SLS teachers in the world, and I use SLS exercises continuously in my studio. I think the method is superb and was even certified for two years. I vocalize with the SLS technique daily.
What SLS is: A fabulous vocal training method to keep the vocal folds in tip top shape. This can allow you to sing any genre you wish.
What SLS is not: A vocal training system that teaches you how to sing any genre you want in a safe, effective way.
The problem with SLS is that it doesn’t help singers build their signature sound. It is a fabulous way to keep the voice in shape, but it doesn’t allow the singer to learn how to make sounds that are specific to their genre. For example I like to sing country, pop and rock. There is no way I am going to sing a high C in a song the same way I sing high C when I vocalize. My preference is to use more chest voice “in my mix” and keep the resonance near the front of my face to achieve the sound that I want. I even prefer to allow my larynx to rise a little and tilt. This gets me the sound I like in a safe and effective way. Lots of twang and great breath control.
I think SLS could take the next step in helping the artist develop their signature sound in a healthy way. I believe Brett Manning’s organization is much better suited to a variety of vocal sounds than is the Seth Riggs Organization. Brett is getting loads of country singers in Nashville so you can bet he is helping them achieve the sound they want in a safe, effective way. Seth Riggs, on the other hand, is a pure and very specific vocal training system to teach singers how to sing from the bottom to the top of their range in a balanced way. This is a fabulous thing, but I think some students may be confused about what the voice can and cannot do in terms of making healthy sounds that suit their specific genre.
If you are a rock singer and have been vocalizing with the SLS method for some time, consider this? Are you happy with your high notes? Are you able to get the sound you really want without straining? If not, then the next step is looking at safe ways to make those specific sounds. I believe some SLS studios can do this, if they understand what you want. Communication with your coach is definitely key here. If your current teacher isn’t equipped to help you with these sounds, then you may need to consider other coaches. There are ways to build your chest voice higher in your mix in a perfectly safe way. And, I’m not talking about belting. That is a very different way of singing.
SLS will always be a fabulous singing method. But singers need to be clear about what it is, and what it is not.
The body is an unique instrument and these are unique times.
The voice can make soft, loud, breathy, scratchy, raspy, whiney, yelly, low, screechy, shouty, deep, high, thick, shallow…..sounds. That’s right. We can make almost any sound we want. There’s no right or wrong. Only safe.
Think of a ventriliquist. He can make some amazing sounds and we don’t even see his lips move.
Think of a cartoon character…Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fud, Scooby Doo. Can you make any of these sounds?
Think of an impressionist who can sound like your favourite celebrity. What a well-respected talent to have!
The voice is an amazing instrument, and some people can do amazing things with it!
I truly believe the naturally-gifted singer is the one who can copy with great accuracy and feeling. The one who learns to take risks so they can grow and evolve on their own. I also believe the naturally-talented singer is the one who learns all about their own instrument. The singer who is “self-aware” and totally intune with their mind and body.
Christine Aguilera is one of those. She follows her instincts when she sings, and you can hear it in her performance. She learned to copy her favourite singers when she was young. She is passionate and a risk-taker. She sings how she wants and her fans love it. She has learned how to make her unique sound that no other singer can match. I can’t think of another singer who sings as “hard” as she does in her chest register. (Well, actually, that’s not true…I can think of a few….)
Here is my take on what’s going on. When I hear Christine’s voice, I feel “her pain”. No, I don’t mean her passion for the song, (although I get that). I mean I feel and hear the vocal constriction and effort in her sound quality. You don’t hear it on recordings so much, but you do hear it in live performance…raw, sing-it-from-your-heart-now live performance. Oh, how we as an audience love to hear a singer “let it all hang out”; expose absolutely everything they have to give us in a song. We welcome that energy and passion and commitment.
However, years of bearing her soul have taken a toll on Christine’s voice. I believe her days of Lady Marmalade are soon over if she doesn’t achieve better vocal technique. In order for Christine to continue with a successful career she will need to find a new way to entice her fans. With some knowledge and direction, Christine’s voice can be more seductive and more sultry than it ever was. And, we her fans are ready for it!
Here’s my advise to Christine (and every other singer out there!)
1) A daily guided selection of octave-and-a-half exercises starting from A below middle C and ascending. These would include lip rolls, tongue trills, light hums (sirens), goos and nays. These are just a few important combinations. Easy does it. Do them everyday, often.
2) Seeing a master vocal coach regularly to learn how to mix the voice and stay “in the mix”. In other words, Christine needs to learn how to access her head register even when she is belting. Learning the `mixed`approach of a careful balance of the two registers will keep Christine`s voice safer and healthier for years to come. And, as most of you know, she is already working with one of the best vocal coaches in the world, Seth Riggs.
3) Breathing exercises to take excessive weight off the vocal cords are important. And, of course, a daily regimen of eating healthy, staying hydrated and gettings loads of rest.
It will be interesting to hear Christine’s next album. Will her voice still stretch the boundaries of what vocal experts consider safe? I think it’s highly likely she will still continue to wow us with her deep, thick, sultry vocal cords. However, only Christine will know what her throat and voice feels like at the end of the day. Only Christine will know if she is going to be able to duplicate those superhuman sounds again tomorrow.
Hi everyone,
I watched the American Music Awards last night. Very entertaining but I tend to over-analyze the singers’ voices instead of just enjoying the show.
I can’t help but wonder if some of these singers know the difference between their head voice and their chest voice. I have a hard time listening to singers who don’t mix their head voice (high voice) well with their chest voice. There is no doubt that the chest voice is what is predominant in all these singers, but some know how to mix much better than others. On the other hand, fans have fallen in love with Christine Aguilera’s shouty chest belt, so why would she bother to try and sing “better”?
Now, let’s define what “better” means to me. And to do this we need to make sure that everyone understands the difference between their head voice and their chest voice.
Your chest voice is the voice closest to your speaking voice. If you sing near the pitch that you talk and put your hand on your chest, you will notice that it vibrates. The resonance is mostly coming out your mouth. The “resonance” is the sound that we hear after our breath goes through the vocal cords, and reflects off bone, teeth, sinuses and soft tissue. As you start to sing higher, the resonance should shift from you mouth to higher up in your head. It actually splits and feels like it is going through the top of your head, as well as out your eyes, nose and mouth (the front of your face). This is a sensation that not all singers are familiar with.
Instead, a lot of singers will not “allow” the voice to shift gears into this split resonance, and instead they try and keep that “beefy” sound that they can create in their chest voice. This is the average singers interpretation of “power”. What they don’t realize is that it is definitely not the best way to get power out of the voice, and frankly, I think it’s very unpleasant to listen to.
To find your head voice, one just has to do a light sigh on a pitch above their “passagio”. The passagio is the “break” or “bridge” between the chest voice and the head voice. For men this is around E flat to G (above middle C), and for women the bridge is around A flat to C (above middle C).
MIXED VOICE: Of course, no one wants to sing just in their head voice….well, unless you are an operatic soprano or one of the Bee Gees. However, it is important to be able to sing in your head voice….to become familiar with it. Without your head voice, you cannot sing “in the mix” and mix is where it all happens. The mix is a wonderful blend of both the chest voice and head voice. Some singers find this naturally, and others struggle endlessly. Without a good mix, singers will fatigue quickly and struggle with pitch and consistency. Without a strong mix a singer is always missing a part of their voice.
Thanks for reading. I welcome your comments. I will try and blog more about “the mix” next time. Susan
Hi everyone,
I was speaking with the mother of a student yesterday, and the subject of Justin Bieber’s voice came up. She was going on about how he couldn’t sing well, and how annoying it was to listen to.
I didn’t interrupt her but let her finish and go on with her day. However, here is what I was thinking at the time.
Let’s face it, everyone’s interpretation of who is a good singer is going to be different. For example, most singing coaches in the classical world might not consider anyone singing on contemporary radio to be a good singer. Technique can be a crucial indicator to singing coaches, but not even a consideration to the general public.
I want to share with you what I classify as a good singer.
A good singer is someone who can sing in their mix, or in their head voice, or in their chest voice as they choose. And a good singer is someone who can make me, the listener, believe them when they’re singing.
If someone isn’t able to sing in their mix (which is the middle voice of chest and head voice combined), then straight away I don’t believe them. In general, my ears cannot enjoy a voice that is strictly in chest voice, or only head voice. I prefer the sound of using the entire registration.
Justin Bieber does that just fine. No, I don’t want to buy his CD’s, but my daughter certainly does! I can relate to what this mother might be feeling as she listens to the same songs over and over and over. However, from a technical point of view, Justin Bieber is a very talented singer and will only get better and stronger as he goes through puberty.
On the other hand, I can think of many voices on the radio who can’t sing well in their mix. Let’s take Taylor Swift for instance. She has definitely made her mark in the world of song writing, but she is bad news for all those young girl singers out there trying to copy her. It’s these young girls who buy her CD’s! They love her stories about heartbreak and boys. But, the bad news for these singers is that her songs are easy to imitate. By that I mean, these young girls don’t have to sing in their mix. They can sing any of her songs in their chest voice alone. This is extremely detrimental for young singing voices.
I imagine you will start to notice Taylor Swift’s range increase in the next album or two as she learns how to mix her voice better with the help of Brett Manning. He is, as I understand it, one of her vocal coaches. As her middle voice strengths she will be able to sing higher notes, but most likely this will present in her songs as a chest belt. This is typical of many singers in contemporary radio music. That happens to be the type of voice that music producers love to record, because they sell lots of CD’s!
I can think of some great singers who can belt well in their mix. Celine Dion is, of course, the master. And, let’s not forget Kelly Clarkson, and Adam Lambert. Oh my, how we love to listen to the mixed belt!
Style of music is a definite indicator as to the type of voice you may be listening to. Let’s take the beautifully-controlled and balanced voice of Barbra Streisand. Wow, is all I can say. This is “mixing heaven” to me, lol.
And, what about the voice and style of Leanne Rimes. Why do we love her so much? Well, she has a unique voice that is not only well balanced in the mix, but she can also do this fabulous flip (yodel) between her chest and head voice. This yodel is sooooooo smooth that it has really become her signature, and it really sets her apart from most other singers.
Well, that’s it for today. I want to thank the mom I spoke with yesterday for inspiring me to blog on this topic today. I welcome your comments. Bye for now. Susan
Once good technique is memorized by your vocal cords, then and only then, should a singer really “lose their technique” in a song. A good singer is one who has control of their voice.
A good singer knows their voice. They understand their chest, mix and head voice, and they know how to get through their entire range with ease and balance.
Test yourself….are you a good singer? Try a siren….start in your high voice and take it down to the lowest note you can sing while keeping the tone, the feeling and the vowel the same.
So you want to go into musical theatre. You’ve studied voice and music in university and now you are ready to work……….Ahhhh, too bad you didn’t taking some acting classes too. The director is looking for the whole package……….well, unless you just want to be in the chorus.
The director not only wants you to read some lines, but he wants you to belt a song…..that’s it……..show us your best belt. Do you know how to do it? If you studied classical voice then you’re in trouble. You don’t learn how to belt with classical training.
A good belt is when your chest voice can carry up into “the mix” through your second bridge and beyond. Notice I said “the mix”. That means there is head voice in there too, however it’s just not predominant. Without the head voice you end up with this sound that is quite unpleasant. It is strained, dark and sounds like you’re yelling.
Belting is something that can be learned. Classical training is not going to strengthen your belt. Try speech level singing. Learn how to get into “the mix” and strengthen your chest register up through your 2nd bridge.