Isn't belting pushing your chest voice into your head without straining? I am a Mezzo-Soprano, and that's how I belt, and it doesn't hurt my throat. My style is Musical Theatre (With a jazzy-soul feel to it.)
@TheDollyTube - well yes and no. A "belt" is really just a note sung with a powerful and thick sound. That can be in chest or head resonance. But yes most "belts" occur in the "mix area" at the tail end of chest resonance / beginning of lower head resonance. Most belts are "mixed notes".
Belts are easy to do and have NO harmful effect to the voice of the throat is open and relaxed and the breath support is solid from the sides and back muscles.
So, it has been two months since i last commented and i have been working really hard on developing my "head voice" and trying to connect both registers, which somedays works out better than others. My question is if it is normal to sound thin and gets fuller overtime or once you get the coordenation it should sound as full as chest tones? I have tried practicing with certain higher songs, which have notes past high C and when i sing those notes they still sound thin, unlike the original...
@DeathTunes28 - it depends on what songs and who is singing them. You see some singers are born with high voices so their high notes sound fuller when they sing them than the rest of us who are born with lower voices.
Notes above Bb4 will always sound thinner than notes at least a 1/2 octave lower (5-6 notes). Unless like I stated you have a high male speaking voice.
@RocktheStageNYC Well, i have been singing for about two years now and have had some breakthroughs, but i still am unable to sing above high c in a full and powerful voice. Surely if I am a tenor and those who are able to sing in full voice above high c are also tenors, i should be able to right? Then again I may just be perceiving the notes higher than they are by the timbre or something...
@DeathTunes28 - two years is still nothing in terms of technique training. Notes above High C are hard to train to sound full and strong as they are inherently lighter and weaker head voice notes. It takes time. Lots of it. It takes daily practice. Every day.
Not all tenors can sing above High C. That's a myth. Actually a lot of singers you hear singing above high C are probably baritones. Tenors are a small percentage of male voices.
btw kev..would it be possible to post a video on glottal compression since it seems like this is an essential placement to higher mix or covering. Thanks.
@winwin997 - covering is not quite the same as mixing. "covering" refers to darkening the sound as you go through the passagio. "Mixing" has various compenents to you. You cam "mix" light or heavy, high or low.
I have been struggling with "mixed voice" for a while and have been seeing a singing instructor for the past month and she tells me that mixed voice doesn't exist - there is only your "natural voice" and falsetto, which you don't need to develop because you will never use it. As for the resonating, she says it cant be learned and will come naturally as it is completely intuitive and either way it is impossible to get much more than a 2 octave range in your "natural voice". I'm so confused :S
@DeathTunes28 - RUN! RUN! RUN! from her as quickly as you can. She hasn't a clue about teaching the voice for the 21st century. She's an opera singer with her head stuck in the 18th century. ANY teacher that says you can't learn resonance is a fraud and is just taking your money.
Ask her to explain what "pharyngeal resonance" and "vocal cord adduction" are. If she can't, leave and never come back. She won't teach you what you need to know.
@RocktheStageNYC I'm sure you are right. She also told me that the majority of "light" singers (anyone who doesn't sing opera) sing incorrectly and use an "elevated voice". I then asked her to demonstrate this "elevated voice" and she told me it's not something i should learn and refused to show me. I then asked her if it was possible to mix falsetto/head voice (it's all the same to her) with your "natural voice. She said no and then did a scale with me in which i transitioned without any breaks
...She then made me do it as loud as i could and i broke into falsetto and then said "See, i told you it wasn't possible". She then defended her theory on "light" singers by saying she also knew about "modern" music and then gave an operatic performance of "I will always love you" (which isn't exactly "modern" in my eyes).
@DeathTunes28 - dude, in looking at the music you have on your channel - there is no way in hell she can ever teach you what you need to know. Ask her to describe and demonstrate "appoggio" at your next lesson. If she cannot, she's not even a good opera teacher. "Appoggio" is the classical method of breath support and if she doesn't know even that she can't teach you a damn thing to sing 2st century music.
She may be local and inexpensive but you're just wasting your money with her.
by just practising on my own and it was something that really frustrated me and brought me down, that is why i started to see her as she had been recomended to me and seems to be the only vocal coach in the area. I'm more relaxed about it now, but apart from some breathing techiques i don't feel i have learnt or can learn very much more from her... I just dont know what to do or where to go as far as improving my range :/
@DeathTunes28 - ask her if she knows "appoggio" technique. If she does, then only learn that from her. That will help you a lot to gain freedom and range in your voice. But avoid her teaching her tonal approaches. You'll end up with a voice completely contradictory to singing modern music. The fact that she could not "turn off" her Opera tone to sing a contemporary song tells me she doesn't know how to sing anything other than Opera.
@DeathTunes28 - RUN! as far away as possible. Unless you want to sing opera, don't go back to her. She hasn't a clue how to teach contemporary vocal technique. If any supposed "teacher" cannot answer a question or refuses to show you a technique they describe, they are frauds and ripping you off. No teacher should ever say to a student "you don't need to learn that" and refuse to show them something.
@RocktheStageNYC Thanks, this has really helped me make up my mind. She kind of made me feel like an idiot even bringing up terms like "mixed voice" and she was claiming everyone who could sings higher than an A- B above C is singing in falsetto. The thing is i have always been a "screamer" and feel really comfortable where i am at as far as that goes, but my cleans are really lacking range and power towards the top end of the scale and i felt like i had reached a dead end...
@DeathTunes28 - she hasn't a clue about modern vocal technique. Her idea of singing is stuck in the 1800's. You should ask her to explain what falsetto actually is - if she doesn't explain it as a tonality, she's clueless to real modern singing techniques.
@RocktheStageNYC After a (final) conversation with her she pretty much confirmed everything you said about her. I asked her what falsetto actually was and she told me it is a sound produced by the false chords which are never used when singing in your "natural voice" and you are to only use your "true" chords when singing. She told me that if i want to sing high, i should sing in falsetto and by doing so will get more power in my falsetto range, however it is absolutely impossible to connect...
@RocktheStageNYC the falsetto to the natural voice because they are two different types of chords which cannot activate simulataneously. I then asked her how some singers can sing in falsetto range with their "natural voices" and she told me that those people sing in falsetto, but because their "natural voice" is similar you can't tell the difference (this sounded very strange to me). As i said, this will be my final visit and i will have to look into alternative methods. I feel really lost now.
@DeathTunes28 - Oh my God@! She doesn't have the slightest idea how the voice actually works. I quite shocked really that she believes she can teach other people. Falsetto is produced by the false cords?! WTF? I have NEVER heard that one before. Wow. She needs to be exposed as a fraud and thief for taking people's money posing as a vocal teacher. Does she have a website? I'd like to ask her some questions.
@RocktheStageNYC I also asked her about the appoggio technique.She told me it was the classical and correct technique which she uses to teach her students, which involves breathing with the diaphragm and pushing the air into the "resonating chambers", which are opened by correct articulation and mouth and tongue positioning.
@RocktheStageNYC She then showed me a book, which pretty much explained what she was talking about and when i asked about certain things the book listed, such as "joining the two registers" and she said that it wasn't relevant. She also said that it would take 3 years to correctly learn the technique and as a "short tenor" i wouldn't be able to gain much range, which I find very hard to believe. She is a local teacher from the village and doesn't have a website-i don't even know if she has inet.
@DeathTunes28 - what was the book? I'd love to see where it says falsetto is created by the false cords. Anytime a teacher says something in a book is "not relevant" that means they don't know how to teach it.
There is no such thing as a "short tenor". I'm a bass/baritone and can sing to Soprano C in full voice. The human voice is incapable of amazing things if you train properly.
3 years is nonsense. I could teach you proper support put an octave on your voice in about 4-6 months.
@smparsons111 - not a fan of the band as I don't like sing/scream music (pick one and go with it) but he's OK as a vocalist. He's a chest singer with no real high notes to speak of. Not that high notes make you a great singer but only singing in your chest voice is quite easy.
How can I tell if I'm pulling up chest voice or mixing? When I try this, it sounds like it's pulling up. I doesn't hurt, however it feels very "tight". According to Singing Success, when chest voice is pulled up, resonance is trapped in the mouth. Does that mean pulling up chest voice will have very little or no nasality? When Brett Manning demonstrates pulling up, he does just that. But it sounds so silly, and I don't think I've ever heard any untrained singers sing like that. Thanks. :)
@smparsons111 - I would have to hear what you are doing to say 100% but the general rule is; if you are "pulling chest" you cannot go any higher- your voice hits a wall and you cannot sing higher from that position. If you are "mixing", your voice can continue to climb in notes until you are in pure head resonance.
Brett is right - when you "pull chest" you are essentially trying to sing in head resonance from your chest resonance. It will not go and your voice gets "stuck" in your mouth.
@RocktheStageNYC If I purchase Breaking the Chains, would I be able to every now and then send you recordings of my singing voice, and you could help me out with stuff? (Because I know I can't do that now since I'm not one of your students)
@smparsons111 - yup. I encourage buyers of my program to record "before, during and after" recordings of their voice as they go through Breaking the Chains.
@batmayn123 - Nope. Training a vocal mode like distortion take personal coaching as there are a 100 ways to do it wrong. A coach who knows how to do it will guide you through the process without damage. But be warned, its very hard to learn how to sing with distortion if your voice does not do it somewhat naturally.
Just a quick question- I can hit that G you demonstrate, but if I try and slide it an octave down, there's a huge break. Is this lack of compression, or am I singing in falsetto? Cause it sounds like head voice, but it's like I'm leaning back on the note a bit too much. Thanks-
@BruisedEyeSockets - there's no way to know unless I heard it. But if you are breaking on the way down there is a lack of connection either from laryngeal connection or breath support.
@RocktheStageNYC Ive tried many ways to access this vocal sound but this does help clear it up, I still struggle to hold the technique for long periods however. Presuming thats down to bad habits and just simply a learning curve. Its annoying because a lot of metal/rock songs flip up into exactly what you instruct here, its that effortless sound in the high notes which makes it exciting.
great explanation. I studied opera in my early 20's, but was frustrated with the mixed voice sound because it was so light - I thought it was falsetto. Now I'm finding all that training was good stuff. Q: are the chords more apart on lower mix voice notes, and more together as you go up? This is how it feels, and might explain why I'm currently having more trouble placing the lower mix notes (Eb-F) than the higher ones (G and up).
@greenblueman - Mixed voice is all about resonance blending not the vocal cords. Lower mix has more chest resonance and upper mix has more head resonance. Its a matter of how much you mix the resonances as you ascend from chest to head resonance. Thus why they call it a "mixed" sound. You are blending resonances in different ratios as you go from low to high while keeping a balanced and constant air flow.
@nahtecojp - sure. Its all about the depth of your throat space. This example is very heavy on the chest resonance. If I "lift" the sound a bit out of my throat and bring it more into the mouth and soft palate I get a less chesty tone but it still sounds strong and full.
@RocktheStageNYC I never really understood the idea of placing or lifting the sound out of the throat, because it can't really be" directed" to a certain place, right?. Unless in addition to a throat space configuration, vowel modification/shadings/diphthongs can be used to alter the placement? I'm looking for a really specific kind of resonance that seems to sound far back and up. Singers like Sam Cooke, Steve Perry, and Lou Gramm all have this in their tone in places, mostly on the "ah" vowel.
@wildcataosw - "placement" is all about letting the resonance rise or fall within the vocal tract (vocal tract extends from the larynx to the soft palate)
You can "place" or "direct" your resonance by all of the things you mention. Tonal changes in the voice are a combination of throat space, vowel mods, palate position.
To start to get that "Back and up" tone work scales with the "NG" sound.
Very very interesting. I actually had this right naturally, it just felt really weird and I didn't think I was doing it right. o.o anyway, I come to this video with a question; how does M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold use his voice when singing high? His voice sounds grainy and almost broken, but still in tune; take the bridge of "Seize the Day" or the outro of "So Far Away" for instance. And he makes it look effortless, even live. Why does it sound like that?
So is a true operatic voice just a VERY covered voice? And is covering easy to do? I mean, if I have a very powerful voice and can sing to an F5 with ease, and use it in songs with no problem, then could I easily hit a C5 with that very covered, operatic sound that Pavarotti has? Or is he ACTUALLY singing in his chest voice? (I assume not, since you have said before that this is damaging to the voice)
@AtariMaxiToriyama - the optimal sound for an operatic voice is a covered one in the lower head voice. It creates what Pavarotti called an "elegant" sound. Singing past G5 with a covered sound takes years to get right as it requires a lot of heavy breath support. A very wide open throat.
Going to a C5 in a covered sound can take years to achieve. Its much easier to brighten the sound a little, by lifting the soft palate and allowing a little nasal resonance to lift the resonance into the head
So i'd like to learn how to mix head/falsetto and chest voice to get a mixed voice. My goal is to become a countertenor, my normal range is of a baritone(G2-A4), and my falsetto/head voice is of a soprano(B3-D6), and i have a strong high falsetto(from D5 and up), but below this it sounds weak and barely audible, so i'd like to learn mixed voice to get more volume. And i cant afford vocal lessons, so i was wondering if you could give me some advice, or excercises.
@RPDLTS - first piece of advice - get out thinking about registers and more about resonances. Getting a strong mix is all about resonance and breath support. Secondly: falsetto and head voice are not the same thing. Falsetto is a vocal mode and head voice is a register. Third - if you can sing to an A4 you are already in mix below that - namely from E4-A4.
What I think is your problem is your head voice is not supported enough. This video addresses the proper way to support mix.
@RocktheStageNYC But how can i blend falsetto and chest voice? I know how to blend my chest and head voice, but i dont know how to blend falsetto and chest. This is what i want to learn. Do u know how to do it?
@RPDLTS - your mistake is thinking falsetto is some place you can go. You cannot. Falsetto is a vocal mode like fry, twang, sob, distortion/rasp. What you want to do it blend upper chest voice resonance gradually into lower head voice resonance - that is called a "mixed" resonance.
Thank you, thank you for this demonstration. Finally I can match the terminology with something concrete and specific. How do you do this, though, without totally ripping your cords apart? Also, am I right in thinking that this technique requires a lot more air flow?
@syndetic - Thanks. I have found that many vocal coaches cannot explain this in simple to understand terms for some reason. Weird as its not that hard a concept to grasp.
Its not about the volume of air you are using but how much you compress it in the body, combined with a relaxed throat.
@RocktheStageNYC Okay, so what does one do to compress it in the body? I would guess that you'd first need to adopt good body posture (right?). But then what? Is it something that can be felt? Like a feeling right in the center below where the two ribs come together (where they form an inverted "V")?? I really liked your explanation where you make the "Uh!!" sound. It's as though it opens up my cords more fully or something, although that could just be an illusion.
@syndetic - the "Uh" sound is one way of compressing air in the body. Do it and feel the center of your body contract and tighten - thats compression. Your body tenses while your throat remains open and relaxed. The way it should be.
The notes you use as examples apply to tenor range, right? I am an alto and have trouble in this same area but have trouble applying this sort of phonation to my own singing.
@caroljm36 - actually the notes I use here apply to all ranges except maybe a bass singer. G4 is between Middle C (C4) and Male high C (C5), every voice type has to sing within this range. Most singers have a problem getting strength or have some kind of vocal glitch in this area. What I am demonstrating here can be applied to all voice types. This type of "pressed" phonation" takes months to develop properly. Uts a delicate balance of two resonances.
Thank You so much for all your counseling. I am just starting to take lessons to help me sing using a mixed voice and have the contemporary placement. It's a welcoming relief so far.
Will you have to do scales continuously to build these "covering" and "hu" muscles in your throat? When I try that, my voice flips and becomes really unstable.
I'm a girl :'] but I literally have a man voice. My chest voice range is so low for a girl, and my head voice (or falsetto) is thin and not nice. I thought I found my mixed voice when I sang in my head voice but made it stronger, so I'm trying to add the "HURR" on that! :'D but I find that I'm just shouting in my chest voice! :'D how do I link the head voice to the mixed voice with the "HURR"? because it just keeps breaking D:
but this video is SO helpful, I know what I'm trying to do now :] x
@Jebusjoose - No it does not hurt. I'm not straining here just "pushing" a bit. I did this video at the end of about 6 hours of teaching students. I could do it better with a fresh voice.
I've been trying for months to get a solid sound above my E4 (I've been singing and studying for about nine months) but with that single explanation I easily made a strong belt-mix sound up to a B4, and THANK YOU SO MUCH. Somehow the first six minutes of the video helped me understand the belt-mix concept (then again, I've only tried Bret M's singing success program, which only helped my vocal bridge a bit, and I can't afford private lessons as of yet.).
kevin I have been training with a different home study program now for about 6 months 1 to 2 hours a day and it has help me but I am more intrigued by your way of teaching and explanation is that enough time training vocally to be able to purchase breaking the chains? The ENT doctor said I was A o.k to train also.
@mikecantwell85 - No way to know if you're ready for BTC. It would depend on where your voice is now. 6 months is very little time in the grand scheme of things vocally. How long have you been singing overall?
@RocktheStageNYC I have been singing for about 8 months but only started training my voice 6 or seven months all the exercises I was run through I can do with ease . But if six months isn't long enough what should I keep doing to prepare myself for your BTC home study program? Do you have a beginner program?
Hey kevin I added you as a friend so i could message you about your Breaking the chains but I will ask my ? on here I have played sports my whole life served in the miltary and have put alot f strain on my vocal chords. Will I benenfit from your breaking the chains and How will I know if My chords are damaged. Thanks
@mikecantwell85 - the ONLY way to know if your vocal cords are damaged is to see an ENT doctor. As to if it will benefit you, that all depends on where you are now as a singer. If you're a beginner, NO. Breaking the Chains is geared toward more experienced singers looking to take their voice to the next level.
As far as I'm aware ignoring resonance Chest voice vibration occurs along the whole length of you chords because they are fully open . In head voice the chords are closed and vibration occurs accross a smaller length . Now what actually happens in mixed voice. Does it occur when the chords are closed a certain amount? Or is it just simply a result of applying resonance? If (theoretically) no resonance is applied, how would mixed voice be defined based off whats happening in your throat/chords?
@knuckle9 - wow that's a loaded question! Mixed voice is ALL about resonance blending not about what the vocal cords are doing. It's a blend of upper chest and lower head voice resonances. You take a light lower head voice note and add "press" chest resonance into it. This way the light notes have power and a solid core.
If you didn't apply resonance you're voice would slip into a very light, head voice tone. Choir-like.
You're video's have helped me so much just in the few days i've been watching. What i thought was a falsetto and useless for me to use i found was actually my head voice and i have alot better range then i thought i did. How much do your skype lessons cost?
@pero1736 - Not quite. This is only part of the process to getting a strong and powerful mix. There's much more to singing in the mix than what I show in this video
@RocktheStageNYC i know that nazaliti low lyrnx,air flow and all that think...but i wanna say that you demonstrate all options of mixed voice you can here my cover of whitesnke if you wanned...i need to practice mouch more tehnick....thanks good on people like you who helps me a lot :D
I've been practicing singing Steve Perry songs for an open mic, but I'm having a hard time capturing the warmth that his voice has. I find my high notes sound a lot like those of Kenny Loggins, with a lot of cry and brass. Of course I'm not trying to copy Perry, but I notice his tone is round and full but not in a similar manner as to your mixed voice demonstration. It seems like he does a lot of covering especially with his open vowel choices, but I'm also very confused with his "placement"
@wildcataosw - Perry was a light tenor so his placement was lower in the vocal tract than most male voice which are naturally lower. That's what gave his seemingly high notes warmth. Unless you have his speaking voice you're not going to duplicate his voice. BUT you can add warmth to your own voice and be comfortable with that. Trying to sound like someone else only leads to frustration. Get to know your voice and make it the best it can be.
Thanks so much for doing this video, I've always wanted to know when Christina Aguilera belts out her mid/high notes is she using her head or chest voice? I would be completely amazed if it is chest, because how can she not ruin her voice like that? Thanks so much, I subscribed!
But I've listened to her recently doing belting with a very LOW resonance... in fact she screams a lot, with a raspy and raw voice (but that's a choice) but the use not so usually the mix register. She goes VERY high totally in chest (or belting...) even in notes like a C5 or a E5, or she uses falsetto (or sometimes her head voice) so I think she's great 'cause even though she "screms" and "growls" a lot, she still sound the same in the years, becoming the best vocalist for a lt of her collegues
such an excellent vid, thank you! what i love about it is, i can take this technique to any genre of music i sing- if i choose. this is great help, it was exactly what i needed help on the most.
Is mixed voice what heavy metal singers use? not when they're doing there headvoice screams, but how bruce Dickinson makes it sound like hes singing high noted in chestvoice?
@MetalD94 - Dickinson is a high chest belter and very loud head voice belter. Mixed voice is used more by Pop and Country singers as thats where their songs are usually keyed.
@pie0my - if you are speaking of A above middle C (A4), you can use pure head voice for that note but I prefer a slightly mixed sound. I bring in some chest resonance to make it sound more powerful, darker. In classical terminology this is called "covering" the sound. Lowered larynx, open throat.
@RocktheStageNYC So if I was going to sing a song like "I Can See Clearly Now", which has an A4 as it's highest note, would you recommend I use pure head or a more mixed sound, or does it matter?
@pie0my - that would all depend on where your voice is now and how comfortable it feels to you. A4 as a mixed note might be too much, so a pure head voice would better. And Vice Versa.
@p0kgai - actually there both mouth, stomach vibratos. The preferred type is mouth vibrato which is produced by the larynx and has a sort of "spinning" motion. Stomach or diaphragm vibrato is heavy and less pleasing to the ear.
Then there is the "staccato" or "machine gun" vibrato that pulses very quickly and you sound like a sheep. Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac has this vibrato. Yuck.
@RocktheStageNYC oh ok thanks for the help. My vibrato (larynx) at the moment seems to turn on and off a few seconds each time, i cant seem to keep it constant.
@RocktheStageNYC I think the CVT terminology would be tremolo. Can you put pharyngeal qualities on G4, Ab4 and A? I think that would make the sound more twangy and less hooty.
@Bjoerrelli - sure you have to put some pharyngeal on notes starting at F#4 to help them blend from chest voice. If you don't, your head voice notes will sound hollow and "choir-ish". Not suitable for Rock, Pop, Metal singing.
@RocktheStageNYC Would you agree that what Ken Tamplin call "Glottal compression" is what you and Vendera and others call "Pharyngeal voice" or "reinforced falsetto"you can hear it in "Ken Tamplin Vocal Academy Sample In Studio Lesson With Phil Bardowell" at about 7:10-7:18 into the video. I´m just ciurius cause I tried to copy his sound on the G5 and go down to G4 with the same voice and it felt good even if the volume were naturally decreased.
@Bjoerrelli - Nope. Glottal Compression is not "pharyngeal voice" or "reinforced falsetto". They are all completely different things. Pharyngeal is a squeezing of the pharynx (not the glottis) to create an edgier, brighter sound (think The Bee Gees). "Reinforced falsetto" is a partial closing of the glottis (falsetto) with a lot of air pushed through it to create a high raspy sound (think Steven Tyler of Aerosmith).
Glottal compression is a pressing of the vocal cords to adduct or "zip" them.
@RocktheStageNYC in Techniques for Judas Priest screams he sais quote it´s like reinforced falsetto or what some call Pharyngeal voice 2:00-2:10 into the video. So he is wrong?
This is incredibly intriguing, as I had never really understood what compressed head voice sounds like. I can now hear the difference between this and pure chest. I wonder if Don Henley uses some kind of mixed technique? He seems to have a somewhat brighter tone for his high notes. I know he's not a very technical singer, but he may have figured out a version on his own. Do you think so, or does he just pull chest?
@RocktheStageNYC Okay, thanks, I sort of thought this might be the case but I wasn't entirely sure. I've always thought it was interesting the way he sang in such a high range of notes the majority of the time without having a higher than average speaking voice.
@Pegazus13 - Tips? Yeah but not in this forum. Dio had a very unique sound and thats not something easily taught at all. Especially in an open forum like YouTube where beginners could try it and hurt themselves.
@wildcataosw - Some people feel the resonance in the back of the head or mouth. It should feel like its shooting out across the roof of your mouth. That way you know you have the "placement" high enough in the vocal tract but not too high where the sound would be too "heady". You want more of a head voice note that sounds like a chest belt.
@RocktheStageNYC Ah, I think i figured out one of my biggest problems I've had. I've been using my placement and resonance sensations as my primary indicator of whether or not I'm singing correctly, but doing this has made me very inconsistent. I find I can be much more reliable when I focus on a steady airflow and then feel the correct resonances as a result, instead of concentrating so much on them. Trying to drive the resonance leads me to really squeeze or tense up my throat.
@wildcataosw - Resonance and placement will NEVER happen consistently if your breath support is inconsistent.
Your voice is a wind instrument so your air flow is THE most important aspect of getting it to work correctly. If you have your breath support consistent and steady the voice generally falls into place without much more effort.
Nice to hear you sing Kevin, sounds great. Great educational video here. I think your "cover" very well actually. Great, covered low head tones. Good vowel work.
You´re not just a great teacher and singer, you´ve got an awsome taste in music too. Never thought that Queens 1977 song Spread your wings would be heard anywear outside the album, let alone in a singing instruction video!
If i were a girl, I´d totally fall in love with you (please don´t take that in the wrong way). Anyway, you, the video and that song is just great. Thanks alot for this.
@LoverofLiszt - "Spread Your Wings" is not only a fantastic song from Queen its also a great song to use in mastering high mix. The song's major parts fall right between G#4 and C5 - a really hard area to sing in with nay power. Freddie was a master of this area and for a natural baritone like me its a difficult place to sing without sounding "heady". Great area for high mix belts.
This is the type of high notes I want! I am currently with a vocal coach that gives internet lessons (he's pretty good and respected and you know him) but I don't see that much progress (2-3months now). Am I being impatient or I just have the wrong technique?
@rockerforlyf - it can take anywhere from 90 days to 6 months to see true progress in your voice. Your progress depends on your natural ability to grasp the ideas and implement them, toss away old habits, experiment with your voice and what your practice schedule is like. The more you put in, the more you get out.
You can also try a few skype lessons with me and see if you like how I approach things better.
@rockerforlyf Interesting, I agree with Kevin, it takes... for most people, about 60-90 days of great practicing, good teaching and a little bit of intuitiveness about extreme singing techniques.
You might want to communicate with your voice coach and let them know how your feeling that would likely direct your training in the right path...
However, I know Kevin is solid and if you work with Kevin, you will be in good hands as well. Remember, you have to do your part and PRACTICE!
@roblunte and @rockthestagenyc : thanks! It's nice to advice from both experts in this contemporary vocal techniques. I might have to try some lessons from both of you sometime. Since my teacher almost teaches the same thing, you guys might have other perspectives in terms of my voice. Thanks again.
NICE! My voice maxes out right now at G#4. That's because I'm pulling my larynx up. I've been working on keeping my voice lighter. And adjusting the resonance to get a higher pitch without resorting to shouting.
@xscottmcdonaldx I can sing in head voice but I still pull my larynx up a bit. When in mix however it stays stuck in chest for too long in my upper range.
@xscottmcdonaldx - as I explain here this is "compressed" head voice, not pulled chest voice. I give an example of pulled chest here where I sound "shouty", where it sounds free and open, that's full on head voice with compressed vocal cords.
@xscottmcdonaldx - I am singing in chest and head voice here. The high belts are a very compressed head voice. I am "pressing" a bit more than usual to get a very chest voice sound. I would NEVER demonstrate "chest pulling" as something that's correct.
@xmaddict - start from a light place a few notes before G4 to get the process going into head voice. So scales simply in a light, almost vocal fry type sound, go through your breaks into head voice. This vocal fry type sound helps keep the larynx more stable. Its OK if it rises a little bit (like a half inch) you just don't want it disappearing under your chin.
Isn't belting pushing your chest voice into your head without straining? I am a Mezzo-Soprano, and that's how I belt, and it doesn't hurt my throat. My style is Musical Theatre (With a jazzy-soul feel to it.)
TheDollyTube 2 weeks ago
@TheDollyTube - well yes and no. A "belt" is really just a note sung with a powerful and thick sound. That can be in chest or head resonance. But yes most "belts" occur in the "mix area" at the tail end of chest resonance / beginning of lower head resonance. Most belts are "mixed notes".
Belts are easy to do and have NO harmful effect to the voice of the throat is open and relaxed and the breath support is solid from the sides and back muscles.
RocktheStageNYC 2 weeks ago
So, it has been two months since i last commented and i have been working really hard on developing my "head voice" and trying to connect both registers, which somedays works out better than others. My question is if it is normal to sound thin and gets fuller overtime or once you get the coordenation it should sound as full as chest tones? I have tried practicing with certain higher songs, which have notes past high C and when i sing those notes they still sound thin, unlike the original...
DeathTunes28 4 weeks ago
@DeathTunes28 - it depends on what songs and who is singing them. You see some singers are born with high voices so their high notes sound fuller when they sing them than the rest of us who are born with lower voices.
Notes above Bb4 will always sound thinner than notes at least a 1/2 octave lower (5-6 notes). Unless like I stated you have a high male speaking voice.
2 months is nothing, worry when its a year
RocktheStageNYC 4 weeks ago
@RocktheStageNYC Well, i have been singing for about two years now and have had some breakthroughs, but i still am unable to sing above high c in a full and powerful voice. Surely if I am a tenor and those who are able to sing in full voice above high c are also tenors, i should be able to right? Then again I may just be perceiving the notes higher than they are by the timbre or something...
DeathTunes28 3 weeks ago
@DeathTunes28 - two years is still nothing in terms of technique training. Notes above High C are hard to train to sound full and strong as they are inherently lighter and weaker head voice notes. It takes time. Lots of it. It takes daily practice. Every day.
Not all tenors can sing above High C. That's a myth. Actually a lot of singers you hear singing above high C are probably baritones. Tenors are a small percentage of male voices.
RocktheStageNYC 3 weeks ago
thank you! u actaully explained how to do it unlike other youtube videos!
ilovesgirlz 1 month ago
btw kev..would it be possible to post a video on glottal compression since it seems like this is an essential placement to higher mix or covering. Thanks.
winwin997 1 month ago
@winwin997 - its already on my channel. "Classical vs Speech level singing" and "powerful mix"
RocktheStageNYC 1 month ago
Thanks I was watching "Robert Lunte's" channel where he uses the term covering instead of mix.
winwin997 1 month ago
@winwin997 - covering is not quite the same as mixing. "covering" refers to darkening the sound as you go through the passagio. "Mixing" has various compenents to you. You cam "mix" light or heavy, high or low.
RocktheStageNYC 1 month ago
This has been flagged as spam show
thank you so much, this tip has instantly improved my singing by a mile :)
shavemangin 1 month ago in playlist Favorite videos
Have you got any tips on how i would use this in a song? i can hit a note with it but i cant sing notes in series
TheWalrus835 1 month ago
I have been struggling with "mixed voice" for a while and have been seeing a singing instructor for the past month and she tells me that mixed voice doesn't exist - there is only your "natural voice" and falsetto, which you don't need to develop because you will never use it. As for the resonating, she says it cant be learned and will come naturally as it is completely intuitive and either way it is impossible to get much more than a 2 octave range in your "natural voice". I'm so confused :S
DeathTunes28 3 months ago
@DeathTunes28 - RUN! RUN! RUN! from her as quickly as you can. She hasn't a clue about teaching the voice for the 21st century. She's an opera singer with her head stuck in the 18th century. ANY teacher that says you can't learn resonance is a fraud and is just taking your money.
Ask her to explain what "pharyngeal resonance" and "vocal cord adduction" are. If she can't, leave and never come back. She won't teach you what you need to know.
RocktheStageNYC 3 months ago
@RocktheStageNYC I'm sure you are right. She also told me that the majority of "light" singers (anyone who doesn't sing opera) sing incorrectly and use an "elevated voice". I then asked her to demonstrate this "elevated voice" and she told me it's not something i should learn and refused to show me. I then asked her if it was possible to mix falsetto/head voice (it's all the same to her) with your "natural voice. She said no and then did a scale with me in which i transitioned without any breaks
DeathTunes28 3 months ago
...She then made me do it as loud as i could and i broke into falsetto and then said "See, i told you it wasn't possible". She then defended her theory on "light" singers by saying she also knew about "modern" music and then gave an operatic performance of "I will always love you" (which isn't exactly "modern" in my eyes).
DeathTunes28 3 months ago
@DeathTunes28 - dude, in looking at the music you have on your channel - there is no way in hell she can ever teach you what you need to know. Ask her to describe and demonstrate "appoggio" at your next lesson. If she cannot, she's not even a good opera teacher. "Appoggio" is the classical method of breath support and if she doesn't know even that she can't teach you a damn thing to sing 2st century music.
She may be local and inexpensive but you're just wasting your money with her.
RocktheStageNYC 3 months ago
by just practising on my own and it was something that really frustrated me and brought me down, that is why i started to see her as she had been recomended to me and seems to be the only vocal coach in the area. I'm more relaxed about it now, but apart from some breathing techiques i don't feel i have learnt or can learn very much more from her... I just dont know what to do or where to go as far as improving my range :/
DeathTunes28 3 months ago
@DeathTunes28 - ask her if she knows "appoggio" technique. If she does, then only learn that from her. That will help you a lot to gain freedom and range in your voice. But avoid her teaching her tonal approaches. You'll end up with a voice completely contradictory to singing modern music. The fact that she could not "turn off" her Opera tone to sing a contemporary song tells me she doesn't know how to sing anything other than Opera.
RocktheStageNYC 3 months ago
@DeathTunes28 - RUN! as far away as possible. Unless you want to sing opera, don't go back to her. She hasn't a clue how to teach contemporary vocal technique. If any supposed "teacher" cannot answer a question or refuses to show you a technique they describe, they are frauds and ripping you off. No teacher should ever say to a student "you don't need to learn that" and refuse to show them something.
RocktheStageNYC 3 months ago
@RocktheStageNYC Thanks, this has really helped me make up my mind. She kind of made me feel like an idiot even bringing up terms like "mixed voice" and she was claiming everyone who could sings higher than an A- B above C is singing in falsetto. The thing is i have always been a "screamer" and feel really comfortable where i am at as far as that goes, but my cleans are really lacking range and power towards the top end of the scale and i felt like i had reached a dead end...
DeathTunes28 3 months ago
@DeathTunes28 - she hasn't a clue about modern vocal technique. Her idea of singing is stuck in the 1800's. You should ask her to explain what falsetto actually is - if she doesn't explain it as a tonality, she's clueless to real modern singing techniques.
RocktheStageNYC 3 months ago
@RocktheStageNYC After a (final) conversation with her she pretty much confirmed everything you said about her. I asked her what falsetto actually was and she told me it is a sound produced by the false chords which are never used when singing in your "natural voice" and you are to only use your "true" chords when singing. She told me that if i want to sing high, i should sing in falsetto and by doing so will get more power in my falsetto range, however it is absolutely impossible to connect...
DeathTunes28 3 months ago
@RocktheStageNYC the falsetto to the natural voice because they are two different types of chords which cannot activate simulataneously. I then asked her how some singers can sing in falsetto range with their "natural voices" and she told me that those people sing in falsetto, but because their "natural voice" is similar you can't tell the difference (this sounded very strange to me). As i said, this will be my final visit and i will have to look into alternative methods. I feel really lost now.
DeathTunes28 3 months ago
@DeathTunes28 - Oh my God@! She doesn't have the slightest idea how the voice actually works. I quite shocked really that she believes she can teach other people. Falsetto is produced by the false cords?! WTF? I have NEVER heard that one before. Wow. She needs to be exposed as a fraud and thief for taking people's money posing as a vocal teacher. Does she have a website? I'd like to ask her some questions.
RocktheStageNYC 3 months ago 2
@RocktheStageNYC I also asked her about the appoggio technique.She told me it was the classical and correct technique which she uses to teach her students, which involves breathing with the diaphragm and pushing the air into the "resonating chambers", which are opened by correct articulation and mouth and tongue positioning.
DeathTunes28 3 months ago
@RocktheStageNYC She then showed me a book, which pretty much explained what she was talking about and when i asked about certain things the book listed, such as "joining the two registers" and she said that it wasn't relevant. She also said that it would take 3 years to correctly learn the technique and as a "short tenor" i wouldn't be able to gain much range, which I find very hard to believe. She is a local teacher from the village and doesn't have a website-i don't even know if she has inet.
DeathTunes28 3 months ago
@DeathTunes28 - what was the book? I'd love to see where it says falsetto is created by the false cords. Anytime a teacher says something in a book is "not relevant" that means they don't know how to teach it.
There is no such thing as a "short tenor". I'm a bass/baritone and can sing to Soprano C in full voice. The human voice is incapable of amazing things if you train properly.
3 years is nonsense. I could teach you proper support put an octave on your voice in about 4-6 months.
RocktheStageNYC 3 months ago
Also, what is your opinion about Aaron Lewis's singing voice (technique wise)?
smparsons111 4 months ago
@smparsons111 - not a fan of the band as I don't like sing/scream music (pick one and go with it) but he's OK as a vocalist. He's a chest singer with no real high notes to speak of. Not that high notes make you a great singer but only singing in your chest voice is quite easy.
RocktheStageNYC 4 months ago
How can I tell if I'm pulling up chest voice or mixing? When I try this, it sounds like it's pulling up. I doesn't hurt, however it feels very "tight". According to Singing Success, when chest voice is pulled up, resonance is trapped in the mouth. Does that mean pulling up chest voice will have very little or no nasality? When Brett Manning demonstrates pulling up, he does just that. But it sounds so silly, and I don't think I've ever heard any untrained singers sing like that. Thanks. :)
smparsons111 4 months ago
@smparsons111 - I would have to hear what you are doing to say 100% but the general rule is; if you are "pulling chest" you cannot go any higher- your voice hits a wall and you cannot sing higher from that position. If you are "mixing", your voice can continue to climb in notes until you are in pure head resonance.
Brett is right - when you "pull chest" you are essentially trying to sing in head resonance from your chest resonance. It will not go and your voice gets "stuck" in your mouth.
RocktheStageNYC 4 months ago
@RocktheStageNYC If I purchase Breaking the Chains, would I be able to every now and then send you recordings of my singing voice, and you could help me out with stuff? (Because I know I can't do that now since I'm not one of your students)
smparsons111 4 months ago
@smparsons111 - yup. I encourage buyers of my program to record "before, during and after" recordings of their voice as they go through Breaking the Chains.
RocktheStageNYC 4 months ago
@RocktheStageNYC Kay, just bought it. ;)
smparsons111 4 months ago
A good example of covering would be Tom Araya from Slayer. Very shouty and dark but very high none the less.
FinalFrontier321 6 months ago
@FinalFrontier321 - I doubt Araya is doing covering on purpose - its mostly just the tonality of his natural voice.
RocktheStageNYC 4 months ago
When I find a job i'm gonna buy Break the Chains, but I have question. can i learn to sing with distortion with that program ?
batmayn123 6 months ago
@batmayn123 - Nope. Training a vocal mode like distortion take personal coaching as there are a 100 ways to do it wrong. A coach who knows how to do it will guide you through the process without damage. But be warned, its very hard to learn how to sing with distortion if your voice does not do it somewhat naturally.
RocktheStageNYC 6 months ago
Just a quick question- I can hit that G you demonstrate, but if I try and slide it an octave down, there's a huge break. Is this lack of compression, or am I singing in falsetto? Cause it sounds like head voice, but it's like I'm leaning back on the note a bit too much. Thanks-
BruisedEyeSockets 6 months ago
@BruisedEyeSockets - there's no way to know unless I heard it. But if you are breaking on the way down there is a lack of connection either from laryngeal connection or breath support.
RocktheStageNYC 6 months ago
Well this was rather helpful! Cleared some stuff up thats been annoying me for a while... thanks again chap!
Kwiss007 7 months ago
@Kwiss007 - glad it helped. Cheers!
RocktheStageNYC 7 months ago
@RocktheStageNYC Ive tried many ways to access this vocal sound but this does help clear it up, I still struggle to hold the technique for long periods however. Presuming thats down to bad habits and just simply a learning curve. Its annoying because a lot of metal/rock songs flip up into exactly what you instruct here, its that effortless sound in the high notes which makes it exciting.
Kwiss007 7 months ago
@Kwiss007 -this technique only works if you are relaxed in the throat and are applying proper breath support from your abdomen.
RocktheStageNYC 7 months ago
great explanation. I studied opera in my early 20's, but was frustrated with the mixed voice sound because it was so light - I thought it was falsetto. Now I'm finding all that training was good stuff. Q: are the chords more apart on lower mix voice notes, and more together as you go up? This is how it feels, and might explain why I'm currently having more trouble placing the lower mix notes (Eb-F) than the higher ones (G and up).
greenblueman 7 months ago
@greenblueman - Mixed voice is all about resonance blending not the vocal cords. Lower mix has more chest resonance and upper mix has more head resonance. Its a matter of how much you mix the resonances as you ascend from chest to head resonance. Thus why they call it a "mixed" sound. You are blending resonances in different ratios as you go from low to high while keeping a balanced and constant air flow.
RocktheStageNYC 7 months ago
Is it possible to lessen the chest sound to it and sing a little softer, like mezzo piano or mezzo forte without it sounding like only head voice?
nahtecojp 8 months ago
@nahtecojp - sure. Its all about the depth of your throat space. This example is very heavy on the chest resonance. If I "lift" the sound a bit out of my throat and bring it more into the mouth and soft palate I get a less chesty tone but it still sounds strong and full.
RocktheStageNYC 8 months ago
@RocktheStageNYC I never really understood the idea of placing or lifting the sound out of the throat, because it can't really be" directed" to a certain place, right?. Unless in addition to a throat space configuration, vowel modification/shadings/diphthongs can be used to alter the placement? I'm looking for a really specific kind of resonance that seems to sound far back and up. Singers like Sam Cooke, Steve Perry, and Lou Gramm all have this in their tone in places, mostly on the "ah" vowel.
wildcataosw 6 months ago
@wildcataosw - "placement" is all about letting the resonance rise or fall within the vocal tract (vocal tract extends from the larynx to the soft palate)
You can "place" or "direct" your resonance by all of the things you mention. Tonal changes in the voice are a combination of throat space, vowel mods, palate position.
To start to get that "Back and up" tone work scales with the "NG" sound.
RocktheStageNYC 6 months ago
What is the technique M shadows in Avenged Sevenfold uses to sing/scream/shout/singing bit of Critical Acclaim. "So how does it feel to know..." ????
ChoreoProBoy 8 months ago
Very very interesting. I actually had this right naturally, it just felt really weird and I didn't think I was doing it right. o.o anyway, I come to this video with a question; how does M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold use his voice when singing high? His voice sounds grainy and almost broken, but still in tune; take the bridge of "Seize the Day" or the outro of "So Far Away" for instance. And he makes it look effortless, even live. Why does it sound like that?
DJShrike 8 months ago
@DJShrike - its a natural part of his voice. thats why it looks effortless - it is - for him.
RocktheStageNYC 8 months ago
@RocktheStageNYC Dude that's SO WEIRD. It always seemed like he was forcing his rasp or something. Anyway, thank you for the info. Keep on rockin'
DJShrike 8 months ago
So is a true operatic voice just a VERY covered voice? And is covering easy to do? I mean, if I have a very powerful voice and can sing to an F5 with ease, and use it in songs with no problem, then could I easily hit a C5 with that very covered, operatic sound that Pavarotti has? Or is he ACTUALLY singing in his chest voice? (I assume not, since you have said before that this is damaging to the voice)
AtariMaxiToriyama 8 months ago
@AtariMaxiToriyama - the optimal sound for an operatic voice is a covered one in the lower head voice. It creates what Pavarotti called an "elegant" sound. Singing past G5 with a covered sound takes years to get right as it requires a lot of heavy breath support. A very wide open throat.
Going to a C5 in a covered sound can take years to achieve. Its much easier to brighten the sound a little, by lifting the soft palate and allowing a little nasal resonance to lift the resonance into the head
RocktheStageNYC 8 months ago
nice suggest video. like it!!
fabadila 8 months ago
I really need to get Breaking The Chains as soon as I can get my g*dd*mn paypal account to work properly! :P
Hairysteed 9 months ago
So i'd like to learn how to mix head/falsetto and chest voice to get a mixed voice. My goal is to become a countertenor, my normal range is of a baritone(G2-A4), and my falsetto/head voice is of a soprano(B3-D6), and i have a strong high falsetto(from D5 and up), but below this it sounds weak and barely audible, so i'd like to learn mixed voice to get more volume. And i cant afford vocal lessons, so i was wondering if you could give me some advice, or excercises.
RPDLTS 9 months ago
@RPDLTS - first piece of advice - get out thinking about registers and more about resonances. Getting a strong mix is all about resonance and breath support. Secondly: falsetto and head voice are not the same thing. Falsetto is a vocal mode and head voice is a register. Third - if you can sing to an A4 you are already in mix below that - namely from E4-A4.
What I think is your problem is your head voice is not supported enough. This video addresses the proper way to support mix.
RocktheStageNYC 9 months ago
@RocktheStageNYC But how can i blend falsetto and chest voice? I know how to blend my chest and head voice, but i dont know how to blend falsetto and chest. This is what i want to learn. Do u know how to do it?
RPDLTS 9 months ago
@RPDLTS - your mistake is thinking falsetto is some place you can go. You cannot. Falsetto is a vocal mode like fry, twang, sob, distortion/rasp. What you want to do it blend upper chest voice resonance gradually into lower head voice resonance - that is called a "mixed" resonance.
RocktheStageNYC 9 months ago
Thank you, thank you for this demonstration. Finally I can match the terminology with something concrete and specific. How do you do this, though, without totally ripping your cords apart? Also, am I right in thinking that this technique requires a lot more air flow?
syndetic 10 months ago
@syndetic - Thanks. I have found that many vocal coaches cannot explain this in simple to understand terms for some reason. Weird as its not that hard a concept to grasp.
Its not about the volume of air you are using but how much you compress it in the body, combined with a relaxed throat.
RocktheStageNYC 10 months ago
@RocktheStageNYC Okay, so what does one do to compress it in the body? I would guess that you'd first need to adopt good body posture (right?). But then what? Is it something that can be felt? Like a feeling right in the center below where the two ribs come together (where they form an inverted "V")?? I really liked your explanation where you make the "Uh!!" sound. It's as though it opens up my cords more fully or something, although that could just be an illusion.
syndetic 10 months ago
@syndetic - the "Uh" sound is one way of compressing air in the body. Do it and feel the center of your body contract and tighten - thats compression. Your body tenses while your throat remains open and relaxed. The way it should be.
RocktheStageNYC 10 months ago
Is that a mixed voice what you called "pressed phonation"?? thanks
programmist89 10 months ago
@programmist89 - Yes. Its a lower head voice tone "pressed" with pelvic compression to make it deeper, fuller, rounder and louder.
RocktheStageNYC 10 months ago
How to add chest voice to that head voice 2:13
raimovittuperkele 10 months ago
The notes you use as examples apply to tenor range, right? I am an alto and have trouble in this same area but have trouble applying this sort of phonation to my own singing.
caroljm36 1 year ago
@caroljm36 - actually the notes I use here apply to all ranges except maybe a bass singer. G4 is between Middle C (C4) and Male high C (C5), every voice type has to sing within this range. Most singers have a problem getting strength or have some kind of vocal glitch in this area. What I am demonstrating here can be applied to all voice types. This type of "pressed" phonation" takes months to develop properly. Uts a delicate balance of two resonances.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC i am a bass singer and i can do it but in head voice :)
89gerardo 11 months ago
My mix is so light.
highnote32 1 year ago
Thank You so much for all your counseling. I am just starting to take lessons to help me sing using a mixed voice and have the contemporary placement. It's a welcoming relief so far.
highnote32 1 year ago
Will you have to do scales continuously to build these "covering" and "hu" muscles in your throat? When I try that, my voice flips and becomes really unstable.
iTzJimBoi 1 year ago
@iTzJimBoi - this is an advanced technique. If your voice is till flipping you're not ready for this quite yet.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
I'm a girl :'] but I literally have a man voice. My chest voice range is so low for a girl, and my head voice (or falsetto) is thin and not nice. I thought I found my mixed voice when I sang in my head voice but made it stronger, so I'm trying to add the "HURR" on that! :'D but I find that I'm just shouting in my chest voice! :'D how do I link the head voice to the mixed voice with the "HURR"? because it just keeps breaking D:
but this video is SO helpful, I know what I'm trying to do now :] x
dodders5 1 year ago
Hey kevin how should I break down my actual routine should I focus on each exercise for about a week each an then move on?
mikecantwell85 1 year ago
@mikecantwell85 - this is a question best answered in private email. Video comments are for the video shown above.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
Does it hurt at all when you get up higher? Your face and neck look so strained that it does.
Jebusjoose 1 year ago
@Jebusjoose - No it does not hurt. I'm not straining here just "pushing" a bit. I did this video at the end of about 6 hours of teaching students. I could do it better with a fresh voice.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
WOOOOW!!!
I've been trying for months to get a solid sound above my E4 (I've been singing and studying for about nine months) but with that single explanation I easily made a strong belt-mix sound up to a B4, and THANK YOU SO MUCH. Somehow the first six minutes of the video helped me understand the belt-mix concept (then again, I've only tried Bret M's singing success program, which only helped my vocal bridge a bit, and I can't afford private lessons as of yet.).
I will purchase your program :D
Astariel2525 1 year ago
@Astariel2525 - Speech level singing doesn't really emphasize this kind of power blending into lower head voice.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@Astariel2525 - Singing Sucess is a good program but it won't help you get a strong belt-mix. The techniques are too light in nature.
RocktheStageNYC 7 months ago
i have a questiuon: how do u know if ur a beginner??? or advancd??
Rocky46461 1 year ago
@Rocky46461 - if you have to ask that question you're a beginner.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
kevin I have been training with a different home study program now for about 6 months 1 to 2 hours a day and it has help me but I am more intrigued by your way of teaching and explanation is that enough time training vocally to be able to purchase breaking the chains? The ENT doctor said I was A o.k to train also.
mikecantwell85 1 year ago
@mikecantwell85 - No way to know if you're ready for BTC. It would depend on where your voice is now. 6 months is very little time in the grand scheme of things vocally. How long have you been singing overall?
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC I have been singing for about 8 months but only started training my voice 6 or seven months all the exercises I was run through I can do with ease . But if six months isn't long enough what should I keep doing to prepare myself for your BTC home study program? Do you have a beginner program?
mikecantwell85 1 year ago
@mikecantwell85 - I'd say you may be ready for BTC but there's no way to fully no unless I hear you.
Beginner program "I Wanna Rock!" coming in March 2011.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC well its 65 dollars for a skype lesson or is that an in person lesson?
mikecantwell85 1 year ago
@mikecantwell85 - In person. I am not giving Skype lessons at the moment.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
Hey kevin I added you as a friend so i could message you about your Breaking the chains but I will ask my ? on here I have played sports my whole life served in the miltary and have put alot f strain on my vocal chords. Will I benenfit from your breaking the chains and How will I know if My chords are damaged. Thanks
mikecantwell85 1 year ago
@mikecantwell85 - the ONLY way to know if your vocal cords are damaged is to see an ENT doctor. As to if it will benefit you, that all depends on where you are now as a singer. If you're a beginner, NO. Breaking the Chains is geared toward more experienced singers looking to take their voice to the next level.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
I still can't do mixed voice :(
martialartsviolinist 1 year ago
@martialartsviolinist -its an easy concept but a tricky process to get. It takes a good amount of time, practice and concentration. stick at it.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
Im still a tad bit confused , when using mixed voice , are you in head voice ? or both chest and head voice ?
songbird869 1 year ago
@songbird869 - Easy - You are mixing chest resonance and head resonance together - blending them in varying degrees. That is why its called "mix".
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
As far as I'm aware ignoring resonance Chest voice vibration occurs along the whole length of you chords because they are fully open . In head voice the chords are closed and vibration occurs accross a smaller length . Now what actually happens in mixed voice. Does it occur when the chords are closed a certain amount? Or is it just simply a result of applying resonance? If (theoretically) no resonance is applied, how would mixed voice be defined based off whats happening in your throat/chords?
knuckle9 1 year ago
@knuckle9 - wow that's a loaded question! Mixed voice is ALL about resonance blending not about what the vocal cords are doing. It's a blend of upper chest and lower head voice resonances. You take a light lower head voice note and add "press" chest resonance into it. This way the light notes have power and a solid core.
If you didn't apply resonance you're voice would slip into a very light, head voice tone. Choir-like.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
You're video's have helped me so much just in the few days i've been watching. What i thought was a falsetto and useless for me to use i found was actually my head voice and i have alot better range then i thought i did. How much do your skype lessons cost?
robbyx4 1 year ago
I had no idea there was such a thing as covering.
WibbityWoobityWoola1 1 year ago
best lesson i ever seen becouse here is realy almost everithing someone need to know to get mix voice...
pero1736 1 year ago
@pero1736 - Not quite. This is only part of the process to getting a strong and powerful mix. There's much more to singing in the mix than what I show in this video
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC i know that nazaliti low lyrnx,air flow and all that think...but i wanna say that you demonstrate all options of mixed voice you can here my cover of whitesnke if you wanned...i need to practice mouch more tehnick....thanks good on people like you who helps me a lot :D
pero1736 1 year ago
I've been practicing singing Steve Perry songs for an open mic, but I'm having a hard time capturing the warmth that his voice has. I find my high notes sound a lot like those of Kenny Loggins, with a lot of cry and brass. Of course I'm not trying to copy Perry, but I notice his tone is round and full but not in a similar manner as to your mixed voice demonstration. It seems like he does a lot of covering especially with his open vowel choices, but I'm also very confused with his "placement"
wildcataosw 1 year ago
@wildcataosw - Perry was a light tenor so his placement was lower in the vocal tract than most male voice which are naturally lower. That's what gave his seemingly high notes warmth. Unless you have his speaking voice you're not going to duplicate his voice. BUT you can add warmth to your own voice and be comfortable with that. Trying to sound like someone else only leads to frustration. Get to know your voice and make it the best it can be.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
Thanks so much for doing this video, I've always wanted to know when Christina Aguilera belts out her mid/high notes is she using her head or chest voice? I would be completely amazed if it is chest, because how can she not ruin her voice like that? Thanks so much, I subscribed!
snorkleyy 1 year ago
@snorkleyy - Thanks for watching and commenting!
With all the vocal training Christina has had over the years it would be difficult for her to ruin her voice.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC Yeah that's true! So would she normally belt from her chest or alternates the head/chest?
snorkleyy 1 year ago
@snorkleyy - I'm sure Christina alternates between chest and high mix belts.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
But I've listened to her recently doing belting with a very LOW resonance... in fact she screams a lot, with a raspy and raw voice (but that's a choice) but the use not so usually the mix register. She goes VERY high totally in chest (or belting...) even in notes like a C5 or a E5, or she uses falsetto (or sometimes her head voice) so I think she's great 'cause even though she "screms" and "growls" a lot, she still sound the same in the years, becoming the best vocalist for a lt of her collegues
okramsinger 1 year ago
I have to admit that I didn't really understand what "covering" is...
Rosannasfriend 1 year ago
such an excellent vid, thank you! what i love about it is, i can take this technique to any genre of music i sing- if i choose. this is great help, it was exactly what i needed help on the most.
aaroplainsimple15 1 year ago 2
@aaroplainsimple15 - Thanks. I cater more to Rock singers but most vocal technique (if taught correctly) can apply to any genre or style of music.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
Is mixed voice what heavy metal singers use? not when they're doing there headvoice screams, but how bruce Dickinson makes it sound like hes singing high noted in chestvoice?
MetalD94 1 year ago
@MetalD94 - Dickinson is a high chest belter and very loud head voice belter. Mixed voice is used more by Pop and Country singers as thats where their songs are usually keyed.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
alright!!!!! you've convinced me im gettin your vocal system. i just gota make it threw this semester... but that was seriously awsome!
clayton5150 1 year ago
this is amazing o.o. wow that sound is a head voice? this rocked my musical world!
TodaySurreal 1 year ago
Do you use pure head for notes above the A?
pie0my 1 year ago
@pie0my - if you are speaking of A above middle C (A4), you can use pure head voice for that note but I prefer a slightly mixed sound. I bring in some chest resonance to make it sound more powerful, darker. In classical terminology this is called "covering" the sound. Lowered larynx, open throat.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC So if I was going to sing a song like "I Can See Clearly Now", which has an A4 as it's highest note, would you recommend I use pure head or a more mixed sound, or does it matter?
pie0my 1 year ago
@pie0my - that would all depend on where your voice is now and how comfortable it feels to you. A4 as a mixed note might be too much, so a pure head voice would better. And Vice Versa.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC Ok, thanks very much.
pie0my 1 year ago
i got a question about vibrato. Should vibrato be produced using the diaphragm or the larynx? MIne seems to be comin from the larynx
p0kgai 1 year ago
@p0kgai - actually there both mouth, stomach vibratos. The preferred type is mouth vibrato which is produced by the larynx and has a sort of "spinning" motion. Stomach or diaphragm vibrato is heavy and less pleasing to the ear.
Then there is the "staccato" or "machine gun" vibrato that pulses very quickly and you sound like a sheep. Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac has this vibrato. Yuck.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC oh ok thanks for the help. My vibrato (larynx) at the moment seems to turn on and off a few seconds each time, i cant seem to keep it constant.
p0kgai 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC I think the CVT terminology would be tremolo. Can you put pharyngeal qualities on G4, Ab4 and A? I think that would make the sound more twangy and less hooty.
Bjoerrelli 1 year ago
@Bjoerrelli - sure you have to put some pharyngeal on notes starting at F#4 to help them blend from chest voice. If you don't, your head voice notes will sound hollow and "choir-ish". Not suitable for Rock, Pop, Metal singing.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC Would you agree that what Ken Tamplin call "Glottal compression" is what you and Vendera and others call "Pharyngeal voice" or "reinforced falsetto"you can hear it in "Ken Tamplin Vocal Academy Sample In Studio Lesson With Phil Bardowell" at about 7:10-7:18 into the video. I´m just ciurius cause I tried to copy his sound on the G5 and go down to G4 with the same voice and it felt good even if the volume were naturally decreased.
Bjoerrelli 1 year ago
@Bjoerrelli - Nope. Glottal Compression is not "pharyngeal voice" or "reinforced falsetto". They are all completely different things. Pharyngeal is a squeezing of the pharynx (not the glottis) to create an edgier, brighter sound (think The Bee Gees). "Reinforced falsetto" is a partial closing of the glottis (falsetto) with a lot of air pushed through it to create a high raspy sound (think Steven Tyler of Aerosmith).
Glottal compression is a pressing of the vocal cords to adduct or "zip" them.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC in Techniques for Judas Priest screams he sais quote it´s like reinforced falsetto or what some call Pharyngeal voice 2:00-2:10 into the video. So he is wrong?
Bjoerrelli 1 year ago
@Bjoerrelli sorry I meant Jamie Vendera
Bjoerrelli 1 year ago
This is incredibly intriguing, as I had never really understood what compressed head voice sounds like. I can now hear the difference between this and pure chest. I wonder if Don Henley uses some kind of mixed technique? He seems to have a somewhat brighter tone for his high notes. I know he's not a very technical singer, but he may have figured out a version on his own. Do you think so, or does he just pull chest?
pie0my 1 year ago
@pie0my - its simply just the way his voice sounds. His sings high chest a lot, belting chest. He's not really a head voice kind of singer.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC Okay, thanks, I sort of thought this might be the case but I wasn't entirely sure. I've always thought it was interesting the way he sang in such a high range of notes the majority of the time without having a higher than average speaking voice.
pie0my 1 year ago
I have this covered, but i would like to add some vocal grit to my head voice sound, kinda like Dio style. Any tips?
Pegazus13 1 year ago
@Pegazus13 - Tips? Yeah but not in this forum. Dio had a very unique sound and thats not something easily taught at all. Especially in an open forum like YouTube where beginners could try it and hurt themselves.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
In working with head voice tones like these, where should I feel the resonance and tone originating in the vocal tract?
wildcataosw 1 year ago
@wildcataosw - Some people feel the resonance in the back of the head or mouth. It should feel like its shooting out across the roof of your mouth. That way you know you have the "placement" high enough in the vocal tract but not too high where the sound would be too "heady". You want more of a head voice note that sounds like a chest belt.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC Ah, I think i figured out one of my biggest problems I've had. I've been using my placement and resonance sensations as my primary indicator of whether or not I'm singing correctly, but doing this has made me very inconsistent. I find I can be much more reliable when I focus on a steady airflow and then feel the correct resonances as a result, instead of concentrating so much on them. Trying to drive the resonance leads me to really squeeze or tense up my throat.
wildcataosw 1 year ago
@wildcataosw - Resonance and placement will NEVER happen consistently if your breath support is inconsistent.
Your voice is a wind instrument so your air flow is THE most important aspect of getting it to work correctly. If you have your breath support consistent and steady the voice generally falls into place without much more effort.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
your video is extremely helpful. can u make a cover of some song so i could learn more about singing rock?
nk4win 1 year ago
Extremely helpful lesson Kevin. Thanks
VIDEOHEREBOB 1 year ago
Nice to hear you sing Kevin, sounds great. Great educational video here. I think your "cover" very well actually. Great, covered low head tones. Good vowel work.
Great to know you and be your partner.
roblunte 1 year ago
You´re not just a great teacher and singer, you´ve got an awsome taste in music too. Never thought that Queens 1977 song Spread your wings would be heard anywear outside the album, let alone in a singing instruction video!
If i were a girl, I´d totally fall in love with you (please don´t take that in the wrong way). Anyway, you, the video and that song is just great. Thanks alot for this.
LoverofLiszt 1 year ago
@LoverofLiszt - "Spread Your Wings" is not only a fantastic song from Queen its also a great song to use in mastering high mix. The song's major parts fall right between G#4 and C5 - a really hard area to sing in with nay power. Freddie was a master of this area and for a natural baritone like me its a difficult place to sing without sounding "heady". Great area for high mix belts.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
This is the type of high notes I want! I am currently with a vocal coach that gives internet lessons (he's pretty good and respected and you know him) but I don't see that much progress (2-3months now). Am I being impatient or I just have the wrong technique?
rockerforlyf 1 year ago
@rockerforlyf - it can take anywhere from 90 days to 6 months to see true progress in your voice. Your progress depends on your natural ability to grasp the ideas and implement them, toss away old habits, experiment with your voice and what your practice schedule is like. The more you put in, the more you get out.
You can also try a few skype lessons with me and see if you like how I approach things better.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC hi teacher i have a question to ask u~
doest the Head voice we must have to shout out first?
but isnt the condition before we shout the high vote , its from Falsetto ?
or from the chest? i can shout out the high vote but its was after Falsetto?
any practice can easily found The True amount of Voice?
(Sry for my really poor english)
(Teacher I really hope i can sing like you voice~ And i ready finding High vote for 3 years but wrong idea~Hope you can give me a Suggest
lsejwl 1 year ago
@rockerforlyf Interesting, I agree with Kevin, it takes... for most people, about 60-90 days of great practicing, good teaching and a little bit of intuitiveness about extreme singing techniques.
You might want to communicate with your voice coach and let them know how your feeling that would likely direct your training in the right path...
However, I know Kevin is solid and if you work with Kevin, you will be in good hands as well. Remember, you have to do your part and PRACTICE!
roblunte 1 year ago
@roblunte and @rockthestagenyc : thanks! It's nice to advice from both experts in this contemporary vocal techniques. I might have to try some lessons from both of you sometime. Since my teacher almost teaches the same thing, you guys might have other perspectives in terms of my voice. Thanks again.
rockerforlyf 1 year ago
NICE! My voice maxes out right now at G#4. That's because I'm pulling my larynx up. I've been working on keeping my voice lighter. And adjusting the resonance to get a higher pitch without resorting to shouting.
xmaddict 1 year ago
@xmaddict are you singing in head voice or pulling chest up?
xscottmcdonaldx 1 year ago
@xscottmcdonaldx I can sing in head voice but I still pull my larynx up a bit. When in mix however it stays stuck in chest for too long in my upper range.
xmaddict 1 year ago
@xscottmcdonaldx - as I explain here this is "compressed" head voice, not pulled chest voice. I give an example of pulled chest here where I sound "shouty", where it sounds free and open, that's full on head voice with compressed vocal cords.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@xscottmcdonaldx - I am singing in chest and head voice here. The high belts are a very compressed head voice. I am "pressing" a bit more than usual to get a very chest voice sound. I would NEVER demonstrate "chest pulling" as something that's correct.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@xmaddict - start from a light place a few notes before G4 to get the process going into head voice. So scales simply in a light, almost vocal fry type sound, go through your breaks into head voice. This vocal fry type sound helps keep the larynx more stable. Its OK if it rises a little bit (like a half inch) you just don't want it disappearing under your chin.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago
@RocktheStageNYC Thanks I'll try that!!
xmaddict 1 year ago
perfect, thanks!
magu0117 1 year ago
are you wearing a hospital band?
ebc0118 1 year ago
@ebc0118 - yes it allows me 24 hour access to my daughter in the hospital.
RocktheStageNYC 1 year ago