Singing Lessons & Tips - Head Voice Octaves - Rock the Stage NYC

[kekeoki123]

When I sing for a bit, my vocal break expands. I think its because of my throat being tense and my adams apple jumps like crazy. I try to do lessons that teach you to break the habit but I find that even with my everyday speaking voice I hold a lot of vocal tension and my apple is always choking me off. Do you have any tips? I want to try skype lessons with you, do you know any good orange county california based singing instructors? I am wary of taking lessons as I don't know if I can ever sing

[RocktheStageNYC]

@kekeoki123 - if you carry a lot of tension in your throat even when speaking I'd suggest seeing a speech pathologist first to diagnose the problem. Singing adds pressure to the voice so it would only make your existing problem worse.

Thomas Appell is in Orange County as well as Shaun Williamson. Shaun in a Lunte TVS instructor and Appell is a famous author and vocal coach.

[kekeoki123]

@RocktheStageNYC Thank you! I think I will try thomas he is very close, I'll make sure to tell him you recommended me

[a1guitars]

How many times should I do this exercise a day?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@a1guitars - as many times as you can without hurting yourself. BUT this exercise will not cure all your vocal problems, nor teach you everything you need to know to sing properly.

[ArpeggioBear]

it's really hard to do a vibrato when doing a high note for me...any tips?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@ArpeggioBear - lack of vibrato on any note means there is tension on the vocal cords and in the throat. You have to learn how to sing your lower and middle notes with NO tension or strain, then slowly build up to your higher notes without any tension. That could take 6-9 months of hard training.

[TheMicMachete]

I like this exercise. Today I was doing it, and the first time I was able to do it fine, with clear notes. But then, the second time, something "snapped" or "cracked" in my voice and I wasn't able to sing the higher notes clearly. My high notes were VERY airy and it was much harder sing the high notes. I was wondering if you knew what I did wrong. Sorry, I'm new to head/mix voice, would appreciate any help. Thanks in advance.

[RocktheStageNYC]

@TheMicMachete - there is a "learning curve" to learning any new skill. Give it some time. It'll be a while before this happens correctly every time, just give it some time. Don't give up, the more you do it the better it will get.

[Wagnerlover777]

Hmm...I usually use a mixed voice for notes above my belt-break (being A4), and I can usually get a mixed belt to an A5, sometimes higher, sometimes lower. The only difference that I hear in your voice is that your tone sounds smoother, but that's because my mixed voice sounds different than yours, I guess.

[RocktheStageNYC]

@Wagnerlover777 - Do you consider the A5 you refer to as the A below Tenor High C? I ask because A5 is a high head voice note and have heard anyone "mix" that high. A5 for me is the A just below Soprano High C.

[Wagnerlover777]

@RocktheStageNYC Well, I guess I just keep my voice SUPER-blended, because there is no noticeable difference in the production of sound through the three octaves of A2 (2nd A below middle C) to A5 (which is the A below Soprano High C). Any higher than that, and I am forced to use operatic head voice or whistle register, because those are the limitations of my vocal cords. That, and any lower than A2, and the sound gets softer and less powerful, though my lowest limit sits at F1 (REALLY quiet).

[RocktheStageNYC]

@Wagnerlover777 - OK then I misunderstood. But you are not necessarily "mixing" at A5, you have simply learned how NOT to change the tonality of your voice as your sing higher. Your voice is remaining balanced as you shift resonances from low to high ranges. Which should be ultimately be the goal of every singer. Great job.

[RocktheStageNYC]

@RocktheStageNYC - A4 is the A below Tenor high C.

[pickupthePWN]

this helped alot

[LuarLucarios]

I did my head voice (not falsetto) and it sounded as air going out. What's wrong? I'm not using false?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@LuarLucarios - its still not pure head voice if you hear air. That means the vocal cords are not closed all the way. You need more compression from the stomach muscles.

[Kwiss007]

So basically, as we get higher and past the "break point" the slides up slide through a mixed voice into head voice? Im still geting it all the terms down properly, the sounds coming out though lol Been using your videos like mad recently, defo helping.

[RocktheStageNYC]

@Kwiss007 - don't think of your voice has having parts you have to "connect" together and "breaks" occur where they meet. That simply isn't true. You have only one voice with separate places of resonance.

"Breaks" in your voice happen because of a lack of proper breath support and thinking too much about controlling your voice.

[RocktheStageNYC]

@BlessixDreamix - Lip rolls do not help to create the kind of compression to sing with a powerful voice. They are good for teaching how to make sound without strain, maintain consistent airflow and warm the vocal cords but in my opinion that's all they are good for.

Any coach that teaches a direct manipulation of the inner laryngeal muscles is being counterproductive to how the brain & body works to make sound. The key is all in breath support and resonance control.

[WhiteSunGroupoff]

the C5 note is in head voice?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@WhiteSunGroupoff - Yes for me it is. From about F#4 and up I am in a head resonance of sorts. Lower head resonance from about F#4-Bb4 and then full on head resonance from B4 onward. BUT I can mix some lower chest resonance into my lower head resonance and create the illusion that my chest voice has gone very high. That kind of "mixing" of resonances take time and many, many hours of practice.

[MrRAASSTAMAN]

Sir , is this normal? As I hit the high notes singing a song, the notes becomes a bit breathy, but its not falsetto; i can feel the chord closure& the air pushing behind it.(pressure).and I hit it with power. I don't know

[RocktheStageNYC]

@MrRAASSTAMAN - Not sure. I'd have to hear it to know exactly what it is you're doing or not doing. I can "see with my ears" and tell what a singer is doing right and wrong just by listening.

[knuckle9]

On a related note (Bearing in mind I'm a guy), Christina Aguilera. Sometimes when she sings, she does a strange grunting kind of noise. Is that nasal singing? Or something else? I posted a reply on this video because sometimes i feel it chokes off her head voice when she gets high up, hopefully thats relevant enough. Great vid otherwise. Thanks

[iamaveryuglyboy]

OH MY GOD! YOU ARE MARVELLOUS!!

MY HEAD VIBRATES AS WELL DUE TO YOUR SOUND=_=

[RocktheStageNYC]

@catsmartie - Sirens/octaves are a great way to start as they teach breath support, cord closure and resonance placement - BUT this exercise along won't do it - it's a process of several things that need to happen to blend chest voice into head voice.

[AtariMaxiToriyama]

Say, when we do these exercises, our voices get fairly light when we reach the high notes. It sounds much different in an actual song, when you have that chest resonance really roaring. Are there any exercises that use the full on, powerful high voice? (Like, say, any power metal singer) Or will doing these lighter sounds ultimately make the more powerful sounds better?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@AtariMaxiToriyama - all big and powerful notes start out as lighter sounds. That process builds flexibility and strength and lets you learn how to sing without straining. The mistake people make is thinking powerful sounds should learned with a powerful sound - its actually the opposite.

[XxXdRamAmAmAXxX]

Hi there, I've been singing for 9 years now and have had a vocal coach for 6, however recently I've come into a bad bought of illness and my voice was really affected by it (I lost my voice for a while). I've always had a strong voice and my voice is returning, however I am still slightly sick and my voice is not as strong as it was before I fell sick. Will my voice recover to its full strength and if so how long will it take and what should I do to help my vocal chords? Thank you :)

[RocktheStageNYC]

@XxXdRamAmAmAXxX - there's absolutely no way to know how long it will take for your voice to come back - that all depends on you. How quickly you recover, how strong it was before the illness, if you know how to ease your voice back from an illness etc.

Helping back to life depends on how it feels as you go along - as soon as it tires - STOP. Wait a day and try again. To push your voice in a weakened state could damage it further.

[XxXdRamAmAmAXxX]

@RocktheStageNYC Thank you for your advice, it was very useful and I will definitely be taking it on :)

Have a Merry Christmas! :D

[spartaflorbal]

hey :) how can we make this high tones sound more rock? I mean...I don't have problem to sing like you in this vid...but if I want to sing more like..i don't know..for example Myles Kennedy...I just don't know how to use head voice in song..i usually start to pull my mixed voice :/ thanks and Merry Christmas :)

[RocktheStageNYC]

@spartaflorbal - strong notes start out as weak or light notes. This is import - so you know how they should feel later when you learn how to make them sound powerful. There should only be a slight difference in feeling between the light and strong notes.

[RocktheStageNYC]

@ParkHeeCheon - I'm not sure what notes you are talking about. I think what you think of as a C7 not is a lot lower than that.

In America C4 equals Middle C (the 4th C note from left on keyboard).

[chyekc]

Hi, Kelvin, why when i did this exercise and at the bum note range, i get into falsetto automatically?should i work more on my vocal cord or strengthen my diaphragm ? Thanks

[RocktheStageNYC]

@chyekc - like I said to AIG96 this is only part of the picture. To have this exercise work correctly you have to have strong breath support and the ability to compress the vocal cords without tension.

[AIG96]

how long should i practice?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@AIG96 - this is just one exercise. Its not going to magically fix anything. There are other things you have to master first before this exercise will do you any good. Things like breath support and vocal cord compression.

[AIG96]

If i can't go any further. what should i do? should i continue or not?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@AIG96 - never go beyond where its comfortable. If you start to stain STOP. If you're simply struggling you can try to push a few notes further but if it hurts STOP.

[kenjoyoung]

I bought Brett Mannings Program and learned tons about singing but you're exactly right. The lip rolls and tongue trills are emphasized so much you end up with a breathy tone and a vivid view on how your natural tone sounds. However, i do have a question about singing in your Laryngeal voice. It seems like a strain of air from my chest that is oddly painful (only between my chest and falsetto). Is this common and something i just worry about. I'd love to sing in my middle range!

[stebolian]

hey kevin i love your program. you demonstrate how to do it first which helps a lot when learning different exercises, just one question, is Brett Manning 's head voice style using the vocal cords in a different manor ( see brett manning and chris keller making singing easy youtube vid) i can do both but Bretts seems a bit hit and miss as it feels as if i am just singing with only the vocal cords and no other mechanisms. yours uses resonance from chest and head, bretts sounds more whistle style

[RocktheStageNYC]

@stebolian - Singing Success is a great program but it has its limits. I personally think it relies too much on lip rolls and tongue rolls. The result is a head voice that is too "heady" with no real weight or fullness. Brett's voice is too light and "sobby" for my taste but Chris Keller knows how to Rock! Chris had some classical training before SS and performs with Rock bands so he knows how to get a full, ringing sound. Full, ringing resonance is the key, not light vocal cord coordinations.

[Polarcupcheck]

Thanks for the video. I never thought I would be able to hit any kind of note in my life. I know some people are like, you can learn, duh(mbass), but this is cool to me, because I never thought it was possible. And I'm not the kind who is ruled by the "you are born with it" approach to life.

[JackLloyd17]

At the moment I am Starting on A5 in head voice and then going down the scales with the Mam Sound because I can't seem to get a lower head voice I seem to just go into falsetto. Can I Learn my head voice and strengthen it this way? Going down instead of up? ? ?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@JackLloyd17 - one can develop head voice two ways, 1. work on head voice by itself - isolate the head register and work on getting it strong. 2. work from chets voice up into head voice.

You cannot strengthen head voice from the top down.

[Sobreya]

You have a nice speaking voice. Thank you for the vid.

[SebaChannel]

god, my ears are burning

i cant reach the half of tones you reach

[TheLaststepdown]

i sing in a rock band and i love this exercise but my range goes to E above tenor C. Do you have this exercise posted anywhere where it goes higher than here?

[RocktheStageNYC]

@TheLaststepdown - yup. Sign up for my blog at my website and I have more exercises and scales that go higher.

[TheSubwaysurfer]

One of the great things about THIS particular segment is how you, a professional, go through the exercise, hit two "BAD" notes, and KEEP GOING WITH THE EXERCISE regardless. I love that because in this society we "perform" so much, that even when we're PRACTICING we want perfection, and get bummed out and stop when we dont "get that" By messing up and completing the exercise you give a very important objective lesson.:KEEP GOING!! that's why it's called "PRACTICE"

[RocktheStageNYC]

@TheSubwaysurfer - you've hit on the purpose of practicing. Never stop if you get something wrong. Try to correct it on the next note. Then when you're finished, go back and try to nail the notes you made mistakes on. Stopping when you make a mistake is self defeating and will lead to you giving up too soon. You have to STICK AT IT and correct the mistakes.

I didn't hit those bum notes on purpose but I did keep going on purpose to show to keep going and finish the exercise.

[TheSubwaysurfer]

@RocktheStageNYC So True that you had the guts to demonstrate this YOURSELF and not just TELL us about it, like others would. Truth be told, the audience sometimes doesn't notice anything "WRONG" happened until you call attention to it. What you do continuously in practice, you'll DEFINITELY do onstage because you've trained yourself to react, stop, and reset when you mess up. On stage that would be a disaster....

[TheSubwaysurfer]

This is my favorite exercise. I do it everyday without fail and it's helped me tremendously. Your CD IS GREAT Kevin!!! LISTEN to this man he KNOWS what he's talking about!!

[Roweign143]

this is soooo helpful!!! =)) makes me wanna go back to my rock-ish thing.. =)

[bruno175]

your exercise is REALLY helpfull! my voice breaks a little bit, so i have to work on my vocal tchnique and my head voice. But i'm using your exercise to do it and it really helps me!

[emmanuel27noriega]

Thats a very interesting head voice....... Very different from my head voice.... Your head voice sounds like a guy mine sounds like a girl :P I love mine cuz I can sound like Mariah Carey with the notes B5 Bb5 C6 and D6 XD But I find it very interesting on how both of ours are very very very different. Hmmmmm. Oh wait.... yours is a C5... I use falsetto to sing that note, never mind then XD Great video, you have a GREAT range of notes and you actually sound good :) :) :)

[cheerry777]

Wow, amazing transition. Wish I can do that.

[shadowromeo22]

@cheerry777 it takes around 3 months with intensive training

[hugomendez1982]

holy shit that was amazing!!!! tx man that really helped

[alinagaria]

the problem with my voice is that my head voice is very low.. that is its not loud... and even worse... if i am warmed up, i kinda sing better with my chest voice but the head voice is very very inaudible..

[olixhurt]

i am from Philippines! i keep watching ur videos and it really helps me to improve my singing! thanks a lot.

[RickiKeith]

Nice job. On a side note, my hair was that long in 11th gradeXD

[kalapoka666]

your 'see ya' in the end reminded me of Jim Gillette and his vocal training video :D

[russhurley]

why did you stop there??? you could have gone further

[RocktheStageNYC]

@russhurley - thats as far as the MP3 exercise went.

[deeestroooy]

I dont understand how practising can get me past my highest "head voice" note? I mean, its just like a barriet and my voice breaks and it feels natural to just go into falsetto :/

[RocktheStageNYC]

@deeestroooy - it IS natural for you to break and go into falsetto. Thats a built in safeguard your voice has from caveman times. But if you want to sing Rock you have to clean up those breaks and keep your voice connected into your head voice for those high notes.

A well trained singers voice sounds like one seamless voice from bottom to top. No breaks/cracks and no change in tone like chest voice to falsetto. The illusion is that your chest voice is connected to your head voice.

[ImplyingImplicati0nz]

Is there anything different going on from around 3:00?

[RocktheStageNYC]

yes, I am bridging from mixed voice into my head voice.

[erc1223]

it was good just too deep and opera much but hes not singing through his nose so thats a good thing lol so ya prtty good

[bree5090]

you sing good!!=)

[ticomasterful]

i got one question... when mike from steelheart sings, he seems to use a lot of energy in his head voice, i mean his mimics like he's in pain, is this so, or is he just playing with us :D

[RocktheStageNYC]

He's not doing anything in pain - its just expression and a way for him to sound very emotional.

[exsosist123]

omg i'm impressed with how high he could go, i got to 2:50 mins then i couldn't keep it sounding good :/

[vlatkoila4ev]

Whenever i try to go up trough the break i always must silence the volume for a bit to pass it.Why is this so?If i try to sing in the same volume or loudness in the break area it ... breaks!What has the volume of the tone with the break in common?

[tmorant]

loudness might be the key word here. you may be "forcing the voice" near the break. nothing wrong with holding back and relaxing. and as you get more comfortable, the voice will eventually get stronger and volume will be equal through out.

PS I was always taught what goes up must come down... if one sings up to a D5 you better come down from a D5

*disclaimer: don't take any of my advice with out consulting a professional first!! lol

[mjmacrock]

Sir Kevin i've been working on the break for about 7 months and now i think i definetly got rid of it.I can go from chest to light head tone without breaking but i dont know what is the next step.What should i do now when i smooth the passagio?

[RocktheStageNYC]

make it stronger and brighter through the use of pharyngeal tone and epiglottal tunnel contractions.

look at my "metal bite" resonance video

[mjmacrock]

Yes i saw that but that is not in full voice.I want to do it like Curci or Matijevic or Gillette .... ???

[RocktheStageNYC]

it is absolutely in full voice - its not falsetto. The pharyngeal sound is used with closed vocal cords not falsetto. I used falsetto so beginners could grasp the concept quickly but musically its only used with closed cords.

Don't be fooled - Gillette used A LOT of falsetto.

[mjmacrock]

Yes i can do it but mine does not have power..!!! Curci's has a lot of power and almost sound like chest voice when he sings that high.... look at the 55porter video of high g for 16 seconds .... its almost the same as Curci.And also when i go up without breaking my larynx shoots up too.I am in head voice but the larynx is up!

[SeanCarols00]

Hi there! I'm struggling with my vocal range. I have a very deep voice and I can reach the low notes without a stretch. You hear all these singers like Axl Rose, Chris Cornell and Chad Kroeger and it almost seems like they're range is unlimited. Do they use they're head voices when they do those high notes? I've tried to scream at first but luckily I don't try that anymore. With my normal voice I can reach a top G if a really scream. And I wanna keep my low voice. What do you think I should do?

[SeanCarols00]

oops. Sorry for the bad spelling. I wrote "They're" instead of "Their".

[tim23z]

Great vid by the way! I'm trying to get better at applying the mask technique for resonance when I sing, yet I find in the upper registers a tendency for my throat to close off and get a 'pinched' sound. Are there any vowels I should focus on to enhance the mask? Any resources you might recommend would be really appreciated. Keep up the good work!

[RocktheStageNYC]

you have to initiate the head resonantor which is the pharynx

[mjmacrock]

In Brett's program they say that you can add an octave to the range for 2-3 months.And how is it posibble when developing mix requires more time than 6 months ....cuz u said that after i can go from chest and up (not in full voice) in head voice without breaking than i can work on adding octave or increasing my range!?

[RocktheStageNYC]

that claim has rarely ever been shown to be true. They've had some people add an octave to their voice quickly - but where was that octave added in their range? Chest voice or head voice? Its NOT a typical result for most people.

I have several students who bought Brett's program only to find the exercises frustrating or they lost interest after a month. Its a great program but its not for everyone - especially heavy rock singers.

Quality vocal range with good tone & projection takes time.

[mjmacrock]

I'm quite sure that Vocal Fire will help me!

[AngelShadowsong]

is that your headtone? howcome i can hear a transition spot and it suddenly becomes airy...

the crispness began loosing ..i think its falsetto...

i was thought that if you are using your headtone starting from chest there should be an ease in transition

[RocktheStageNYC]

This is one of my earliest videos using the webcam mic so I'm holding back to not distort the mic and my tone suffers a bit.

there is no airy sound in my vocals here at all - I do trip on one note (you can see my face acknowledge it) but I am lightening my vocals into a very light head voice not falsetto.

If I was transitioning into falsetto you would hear an obvious flip from chest to falsetto on the last 3 notes as I am bridging from chest into head voice.

[RocktheStageNYC]

you're mistaking a light and very resonant tone with "airy".  At NO time am I singing in falsetto.

[gogoonelu]

I have one question for you.:D:D:..:|:|...how to use my chest voice...what exercise I have to do to sing from my chest...???.........

[RocktheStageNYC]

you speak from it everyday - if you have problems singing in your chest voice ask yourself these questions:

am I singing off pitch in chest?

is it hard to sing any note in chest?

if the answer is yes to either question you have poor breath support.

[leonlllu]

Can you sing with a mixture of headvoice and falsetto?

How do ppl find their headvoice? Cause I'm surely not finding it.

Nice video :)

[RocktheStageNYC]

no, because head voice is with closed vocal cords and falsetto is with open vocal cords. One can add some "breathiness" to head voice but it won't be full falsetto.

To find what head voice feels like see my other video "what is head voice" /

watch?v=21mG5nEnN3k

[JonnyMod]

I've been working on my voice for 5 months now, and while my chest voice is coming in nicely, my head voice isn't.

I can stay in key fairly well, but the voice sounds funny (like the way men imitate girl voices). Any tips on fixing that?

[RocktheStageNYC]

if it sounds "breathy" or "airy" then its falsetto. If the sound is solid but light, thats OK. Weightiness to the head voice comes over time.

easy way to tell if its head voice or falsetto - look at my "Checking for Vocal Strain" video (watch?v=cltPFoQsKZs) and do the "L" position when singing in head voice.

[vlatkoila4ev]

Kevin what happens with the adams apple in this exercise ...? When you use the adducted head voice in here where is the adams apple?

And is there a way i can know that i am adducting the chords not only closing it?How can i be sure?

Thanks for the videos !

[RocktheStageNYC]

if done correctly the adams apple / larynx doesn't move much. Some would say it shouldn't move at all but a completely stable larynx is near impossible to achieve simply because you're using muscles that control the larynx - so they will move a little.

you just don't want it shooting up under your chin and choking you off. that means you're "pulling". Always think down when singing up.

[ibanez87]

keeping the larnyx still seems to be hardest part for me, and it's killing my tone. do you have any videos on this?

[RocktheStageNYC]

do any vocal exercise with a low larynx vowel like "goo", "nuh", "muh", these have dopey sounds and keep the larynx low.

[ibanez87]

so what? are these vowel supposed to magically make my larynx stable cause they really don't. They set my larnyx at a lower point than where it usually sits, but my larynx still moves up with as i go higher.

[RocktheStageNYC]

NOTHING involving learning singing technique is "magic". Low larynx vowels like "oo" and "uh" lower it if you're one of those people that have a high riding larynx.

If it still rises you have a problem with your "lifter" or Degrasti muscles which pull the larynx up.

[ibanez87]

Yeah, nothing in technique is ever magic. Do you have any advice for the fixing the problem with my lifter muscles? Its really killing my tone.

[RocktheStageNYC]

I have a video coming up on that.

[ibanez87]

sweet. I'm REALLY looking forward to that

[Progjose]

Hey, nice videos!!

Ive got a question...

I wanna know if im a baritone or tenor.

I am very confused with the names of the notes (I mean, I dont know if a note is a B4 or B5.....)

The thing is that my vocal extention goes from a F# to a B (two octaves higher I think..) without falsetto.

I hope you can help me!!

Thank you for de vids!

[Progjose]

yes, im looking it with a guitar....

My extention goes up to the first B of the E string....am I a tenor or baritone?

[RocktheStageNYC]

baritone, tenor - it all basically means nothing unless you WANT to be boxed into singing only within a certain range of notes. By classical standards I was a natural baritone - but that wasn't good enough for me. I took the time and gave 100% to go beyond what is defined as a "tenor range". I can now sing well into the alto soprano "range".

to the modern singer, this is all meaningless. Don't get hung up on labels or ranges. Sing from your heart, with conviction - in key - and you'll be great

[tricornium]

Hey Kev, great videos. They really helped me with my headvoice. =) I'm still working on the clunk, that's kinda hard for me, but it's better than it used to be. I just wanna know one thing. I'm a bass-baritone, i'm barely touching the tenor. The trouble is, my transition is kinda weird, from baritone to my headvoice. i mean i'm able to do it on the longer, legato, sliding climb-ups, but i can't really sing in that middle part. Is there any way to straighten it out, with exercises like these?

[RocktheStageNYC]

I'm a baritone myself and the middle voice and upper mix is tough to train. It takes a lot of practice to get that area comfortably. The "mix" area between D#4 and A4 is a killer for baritones. It took me a long time to get my notes from F4 to A4 strong and powerful. That area is easier for tenors as their speaking voice are higher than baritones.

Octaves won't do it - look at my "connecting chest & head" and "spot adduction" videos for exercises that are better for the "mix" area.

[aLexander4o8]

so when baritone keys out a voice melody to a song they would do it an oct lower then a tenor ? example baritone would sing a voice melody from c3-c4 while a tenor singing the same song would sing from c4-c5 ?? same notes different octs?? or do baritones and tenors sing in same octaves???

[RocktheStageNYC]

I'm a baritone and I never key a vocal lower. Baritones should be able to sing in the tenor range - perhaps not as easily as a tenor but it can be done.

Tenors just can't go as low as baritones in general but baritones can certainly train to sing in the tenor range.

My full range right now is A1 to B5 (some days I can do C6) - thats just over 4 octaves and encompasses both the baritone and tenor range and goes into the Alto Soprano range.

[vlatkoila4ev]

Hey Kevin if i wanna sing high notes in head voice like my idol Matijevic do i have to beat the clunk?Can anyone hit high notes in head and still have a clunk?

[RocktheStageNYC]

nope. the clunk mean you don't have enough control of your registers yet. Try getting rid of that first before attempting really high notes.

Its like trying to run before you've learned how to walk.

[Rickarmstrong100]

Thanks for the incouragement !

[Rickarmstrong100]

Hi Kevin ,maybe you can help my problem is, i can sing up to about a d# above middle c and i reach a place were i call "maximum comfortable tention" and i can feel the sound moving towords my head,at that point i would like to keep the tention the same,as im asending up and just start to zip up the cords,but i cant do both of them at the same time? so i back off the tention ,loose my dynamics,and the e f and f# are wimpy,how do i generate consistent power 4 the first few notes of head voice???

[RocktheStageNYC]

check out my "spot adduction" & "Get rid of vocal breaks" videos for the answer.

The problem you describe is common but not an easy fix. Loosing the tension of chest voice as you ascend into head voice range is what cause the loss of power & dynamics.

At first head voice will sound wimpy, once you master the maneuver you can build up strength and make it more powerful. That takes time - 6-9 months.

[BlowBackBenny]

Hey I've been listening to a few singers,

Does Bon Jovi ever go into head voice or is it belted chest?

Does David Coverdale use falsetto for his high notes and if so how are they so 'rough'?

[RocktheStageNYC]

the both use a combination of head voice and reinforced falsetto.

Jon Bon Jovi has gone away from adducted head voice since the 90's and now uses a lot of forward mask head voice. More pharyngeal.

[jrjacques]

can you do it with full voice until the end? I mean.. with a "chest" voice placed in the higher ressonances ? like a belting...

[RocktheStageNYC]

that would depend on where your speaking voice is. Guys with lower voices like mine cannot belt this all the way in chest voice - but those with very high voices probably could with a couple of years of practice.

Either way its VERY difficult to belt anything in chest voice after B5.

But why would you want to belt this all the way when head voice does it nicely without the strain?

[mradaChris]

Well I think you maintained a good open tone up to about the last few notes. Then it was getting a little pharyngeal.

Chris

[RocktheStageNYC]

Correct. I was brought in some pharyngeal to give those last few notes some lift from demonstration purposes. Those upper can get "heavy" pretty quickly if you don't thin them out.

[mradaChris]

I sing a lot of baroque arias and we can't sing it with Pharyngeal tones. I do notice that around F5 I go into a different kind of head voice. Way up in my sinus cavity.

chris

[RocktheStageNYC]

that different head voice tone is simply you subconsciously thinning out the sound to take the weight out of it. Forward mask placement is the simplest way to do that.

That is the cornerstone of speech level singing technique - "mask placement". I think SLS goes too far with it but its a sound concept.

[vlatkoila4ev]

Hey Kevin i am doing this exercise ... every day about 30 min ... The high notes that you sing ...well my head voice sounds already like yours in your videos on the high notes... I am not straining that much....but i dont know am i doing it right :S....How can i be sure that it's the same technique that u are using in this video ... :S

[RocktheStageNYC]

ask your questions on my private blog not here please.

[vlatkoila4ev]

At 2:38 u start using head voice am i right?U are fantastic how do i do that :S:S:S ... i cant conect chest voice and head voice :S :(

[MRC0480]

I think these videos are greast - really informative. It reminds me of the techniques I used to resolve my habit of using volume or pharyngeal voice for higher notes, so my voice never lasted. I now can sing pretty well and even up to top G reasonably comfortably.

Quick qu, is it possible to develop the kind of coarse rasp that Lou Gramm sings with and if so how. Mine is getting slightly more gritty with age, but don't want to push it, now that I have some decent control. thanx in advance

[vlatkoila4ev]

Tnx man u are the best :)....love u so much :)...

by the way if u wanna hear me singing ... and if i have some time pls just write vlatko ilacev on youtube and u can hear my singing of Is This Love

Whitesnake :).....tnx again

[srbnmircea]

Does every note sung in head voice has this much resonance?

[vlatkoila4ev]

Man can u show us how to use adducted head voice.... like Mike from Steelheart is using... pls

[RocktheStageNYC]

I get a lot of people referencing Mike Matijevic from Steelheart - you have to understand - it took him years of intense vocal instruction and practicing to reach that level of voice control and range. There is no "quick fix" or "magic exercise" that will get you singing like him. Its a slow, gradual process to build that kind of voice.

One or two videos won't change anyone's voice to that. Get a good vocal teacher (like me) and prepare to spend a year vocalizing to start to even come close.

[mark88bon]

What kind of voice type do you have are you a baritone?

[RocktheStageNYC]

I can reach down to G1 so I'm classified a baritone but I can reach Soprano notes easily.

[Chr452]

I have no head voice. I can't raise my voice's pitch very much before it turns into whispering. I am forced to overuse my chest voice too much because it is all I can do. Do you know a exercise or a way to fix that? HELP?

[RocktheStageNYC]

There's no magic cure or one exercise that will fix that. You need to learn to sing a powerful falsetto then an adducted head voice. That takes months and months of dedicated vocalizing. This video exercise is too advanced for you - start with lip rolls and humming higher and higher and falsetto slides in both directions to build up some volume and power in your head register.

.

[vlatkoila4ev]

Tnx a lot man :).... i know :).... i am singing veery high ... my highest note is a5 ..... but i cant sing the hole song .... like michael is singing .... i just can hit high .... and than my voice gets tired ... because i do it with full voice.... :S:S:S....i want to learn head voice ..... pls teach me how ... thank u ... and btw ... u sound like david coverdale... :).....fantastic... :)....

[vlatkoila4ev]

Man can i ask u something? :)... Do u know Michael Matijevic .... i want to sing like him :)...

can u hear him and tell me what techique is he using :S... tnx a lot man .... rock on :)....

greetings from macedonia

[RocktheStageNYC]

Mike from Steelheart is using adducted head voice. It takes years to master head voice like that. Its something to strive for but don't think you're going to sing like him in 6 months.

[ModManZZZ]

man, I lost my voice and frustrated right now, I'm singing in the bar with my band, and when we're finish, I accidentally drink a ice-cold water cause i'm thirsty and it is the only available drink aside from beer and cold juice, so I just drink it after I sang Queensryche's Take a hold the flame & eye of the stranger... My Head Voice and falsetto are gone and I am worried cause that was my technique in singing Hight songs, please help me, we have another performance next week... thank again.

[RocktheStageNYC]

you shocked your voice after it was driven really hard. Give your voice some rest - no singing for 24 hours. Nothing. You can speak, but don't sing - anything.

Sip warm water with lemon and vocalize with the "Eee" sound lightly from chest into your head voice until it comes back. If its not happening that day, stop and wait until the next day.

BEFORE you go one, set aside a bottle of water so when you are finished it is at room temperature. NEVER drink cold during or after a show.

[ModManZZZ]

man, thanks for the help, you know, I'm really afraid that this will become permanent cause it's already 4 days now... again thanks and god bless

[sdmogrfsis]

I'm sorry that my English is poor because I live in asia...

But even in Chinese, I can't explain my singing problem clearly..

Thanks for answering my questions below.

Excuse me,now I have one more

How to prevent me from hoarsing..

I've read your "Head voice spot Adduction.." It's useful, but I can't control it well...

[sdmogrfsis]

Why does your head voice sound like falsetoo when singing high?

I've practiced a lot these days, and I can hit E5 easily now.

I can't make my voice soft when singing high, That's the reason why I can't sing the first part of "She's Gone".It's very strange. :(

And when I sing high(Above HIGH C), I'll feel a little "squeezing". If I try not to squeeze, I can hit that high....

Please tell me wheather I'm doing right or not. Thanks

[RocktheStageNYC]

There's no way I could possibly know exactly what you're doing by what you write here.

But I will tell you this - if you can't make you're voice soft when singing high, you're not doing it right. You are not connected, you're pushing too much air and are associating pitch with volume.

"Any note at any volume" is the goal.

[ModManZZZ]

did jorn Lande/Russell allen's Master of Sorrow and Bon Jovi's Always use Head Voice in that song or Stomach or something like that? thanks man.

[RocktheStageNYC]

Its all head voice yes.

[robertantonnyc]

Ah the memories

[RocktheStageNYC]

ha ha...yep, its a "golden oldie" exercise but great for beginners to start accessing their upper range

[robertantonnyc]

some pros need to take it back to the basics now and again.

[pennydog123]

hey great vid... i was wondering if u have or plan to do a vid on excersizes that strengthen your larnex's suspension muscles so that you dont crack mid performance on high notes

[RocktheStageNYC]

laryngeal strengthening comes from scales on open vowels similar to what I demonstrate here.

any Bel Canto scale is great for that.

[ShagrathVortex]

hey thx for the advice I won't :D

[therefuter]

Thanks! i was told that glissando slides or slides in general can make you tell if you are flipping or not...

Great stuff!

More power, Mr. Richards sir!

:D

[RocktheStageNYC]

yes, you have to stay connected to maintain the tone of the chest notes. Not the weightiness of the sound but the resonance of the chest. Don't flip into a light, falsetto tone. Keep it resonant as I do here.

[ShagrathVortex]

hey there I got a question how hard your voice will fall to pieces :P if you begin tosmoke:D just asking

[RocktheStageNYC]

Forget about singing for a minute, who thinks inhaling hot smoke over your delicate lungs is a good idea regardless? Its just plain stupid to do in general. Your voice won't fall apart but your breathing will suffer and that leads to tension. Tension leads to vocal fatigue.

best advice - don't smoke.

[hilarycanto]

Nice exercise tips Kevin!

[RocktheStageNYC]

Thanks Hi. This one's a simple, sort of "over used" technique but a lot of beginners may not know it.

Good for "vocal stretching" to limber up the muscles.