Mixed (aka Middle) voice and how to comfortably use it...

[Giorgi]

OK,

 

I've been struggling to figure this out, starting to sometimes slip into my mixed register, but it's far from good.

 

Need help.

[Bajazz]

Hard to describe how-to. Check out SLS (Brett Manning, Seth Riggs) and Power singing (Jim Gilette and Jaimie Vendera)

 

Also check out Roger Kain

[Al Koehn]

Giorgi

 

This is a rough topic to tackle with written words. It would help you a lot to find a good singing teacher who understands the music you like to sing, or to purchase a recorded singing course by a top teacher, such as Mark Baxter, Roger Love, Seth Riggs or myself. You can visit me at: /http://www.vocalvision.com

 

However, brave soul that I am, I'll try to give you some written help right now.

 

Most singing voices generally have three "registers": the "chest" register (the lower notes), the falsetto (high notes), and a group of notes which fill the gap between these two, often called the "mix" or middle register. You can always tell when the falsetto, or head voice kicks in because the sound suddenly seems to lose power, become lighter and more "feminine" for guys. Often when we try to sing a very high note using our chest voice alone, our voice "breaks." This just means the chest voice has given up and the falsetto has taken over. (this is how yodeling is done...moving rapidly from the chest voice to the falsetto and back again).

 

At the point where the chest voice can't handle the high notes something physically has to change in the way our vocal cords work in order to go higher. The "chest voice" and the "falsetto" are simply words to describe two very different ways the vocal cords vibrate and function as we sing from lower to higher notes. When the change between the two registers is sudden and abrupt it is usually noticeable and not desirable. So good singers mix some of the heaver chest voice with some of the lighter falsetto as they move between the two. This "mix" or middle voice usually involves 5 or 6 half steps. Higher than that and the falsetto begins to take over more and more, leaving the chest voice to work less and less. This creates a much smoother transition. Of course the falsetto can be a beautiful and unique sound all by itself.

 

"Yeah, yeah, Al, but how do I do this?"

 

The main trick is to train the larynx to stay low in the throat as we sing higher, and a great way to practice this is to use the sound "gug". Sing that on a comfortable low note and repeat it as you sing a major arpeggio up and down. (C - E - G - C -(repeat the C 4 times) G -E - C)

The "gug" sound will bounce your larynx (Adam's apple") down toward the bottom of your throat, and it should keep bouncing down as you hit the higher notes. Don't force this to happen! Use your imagination to work it. As you continue to do this exercise, repeating it over and over again, each time a half step higher, your larynx will learn to stay low as you sing higher. Remember to keep the "feel" of the sound high in your forehead even though the physical vocal cords are feeling low in the throat.

 

Singing this exercise often, using different vowels will bring the "mix" into your voice. Remember: don't force the larynx down. "gug" it down.

 

Al

[Bajazz]

Headvoice is not the same as falsetto. This is a common misconception. Headvoice is a way to describe how the voice resonates in your head. Falsetto can be taken down to where it resonates lower in your body, where it gets very breathy. But it's very often sung higher in the headvoice area.

 

Another way to sing in headvoice is when you zip the cords so that only a part vibrates, just as a guitarist frets a string to make it shorter. This way you transcend gradually from full vibrating cords into a smaller part. This is the only way to sing high with lot's of power. Just think of Tony Harnell (TNT) vs Justin Hawkins (The Darkness) It's often called full voice.

[Giorgi]

Hey Al, thanks alot for your explanation. I knew most of the stuff, except that you had to keep the larynx low... So that will be definetely helpful.

 

Bajazz, I own some similar material to what you have described... but I find that they sugarcoat things too much and tell you 'to go by feeling' most of the time. Which doesn't help tremendously... (Roger Love's book for instance)

[Bajazz]

Maybe Roger Love's book does that, I don't own that one. But the material I listed goes quite deep into what happens and how to do it. Have you gone tru "Complete vocal workout" (Kain), "Singing for the stars" (Manning) or "Raise your voice" (Vendera)?

[Giorgi]

Nope, I'm gonna get that Jaime Vendera book. He's a rock singer and I'm definetely more in that style than in RnB pop. Brett Manning and Roger Love are both Seth Rigg's students, so I think they will have rather same approach... Worth checking anyway.

 

Thanks man.

[aerianne]

Hey, when you get the Jaime Vendera book, let us know how it works out.

 

I have Roger Love's book but I agree that it's very "you'll know it when you get it"... which doesn't really help me. I think I can get into that middle voice now... but I'm still not sure.

[Def_Pearl_Pilot]

I'm not sure I understand your question? As someone earlier mentioned, there is falsetto and chest and there is where the note resonates. You can sing a falsetto with bass notes, it's not just for high notes. Are you having difficulty in the transitions from falsetto to chest? Or are you trying to extend your chest range?

[SevenString]

Great post, Al.

 

That whole section about keeping the larynx low is spot on, and worked miracles for me. It was kind of a domino effect, because once I started relaxing my larynx, everything else started falling into place.

[Bajazz]

Again: You don't have to use falsetto when you sing high notes. Falsetto can't be used when you are aiming for powerful vocals. I see falsetto as a useful and nice effect, but not the way I want to produce the highest notes. Imagine singing "Holy Diver" or "Last in line" in falsetto. It would only be a whimpy sound...

[gsteph22]

This is something I'm struggling with in my lessons. I have powerful head and chest voice, but no bridge... will practice more.

 

And Dio rules

[Bajazz]

Here is one way to try to GET IT:

 

Try to sing along to songs you want to nail. Use the energy and volume used in the song and try to reproduce the sound, and here comes the trick: Don't strain (as in pushing so hard that you look like a tomato and it hurts) It's Ok for things to be uncomfortable and you sounding totally goofy. Keep on doing it for a time, maybe some hours daily for a week.

 

It don't work for everybody, but it's the singers equal to bodybuilders "no pain no gain" except for that there shouldn't be actually pain, as in hurting pain. This is also the same for bodybuilding, you should really use your muscles and feel tired when done, but not causing harmful injury. Tired OK, damaged not OK.