What does it feel like to sing in mix and head voice?

What does it feel like to sing in mix and
head voice?

This week I received this question during
my weekly Tuesday Power to Sing Live broadcast:

“Is there a certain feeling in the vibrations
in mix and head voice that I will feel, to

know if I am singing in those styles?”

Inside this video I’ll give you 3 ways to
identify the feeling of singing with a mix

and head voice to help you recognize when
you are doing it right!

Also I’ll give you 3 ways to recognize when
it can not be mix or head voice.

Hi I’m Chuck Gilmore with Power To Sing.

This was a question I had for several years,
even though I was sing in mix and head voice.

But I couldn’t really tell if I was doing
it or not.

Here are 3 ways to know when you are not in
head voice and mix.

First, location.

While mix can be throughout your entire range,
(that’s an advanced subject to discuss another

day) you can easily identify the specific
range that must be mix and head voice for

men and women.

For men, Mix is on the E (just above middle
C),F,F#4.

Head voice is on the G4 and above.

For women, Mix is on the A (just above middle
C), Bb,B,C5, C#5.

This Mix continues until F#5.

Head voice is on the G5 and above.

If you’re below the E4 for men or A4 for
women, you’re probably in chest voice.

Second, if while singing in these mix or head
voice pitch ranges, your voice breaks into

falsetto, you’re not in a mix, you’re
in falsetto.

Third, if you are singing with very slightly
adducted vocal cords so there’s a lot of

air escaping, or if you are pulling the chest
voice high into the mix pitch ranges discussed

above, you’re not in mix.

You are in a light chest voice or a pulled
up chest voice.

Also, if you are on these pitches and the
vowel widens and splats, you fall out of mix

and into chest voice.

What does it feel like to sing in mix and
head voice?

First, let’s identify the feeling of mix.

Do this exercise: [Demo Oct up sustain with
word change New-No]

You must keep the more open vowel in “No”
feeling like the more narrow vowel in “New”.

[Demo]

As you do this, get louder as you hold the
“No”.

[Demo]

But don’t open the “No” wider than the
“new” and/or let it drop into your mouth

and become chest voice.

[Demo]

Men
sing it on the F4.

[Demo] That’s Mix.

Now sing it on the G4.

[Demo] That’s your head voice.

Women sing it on the B4.

That’s Mix.

Now sing it on

the E5.

While not 100% head voice, it’s close enough
to feel like head voice.

What does it feel like to you to keep the
“No” in the “New” place?

That’s the feeling of mix and head voice.

My descriptions have changed through the years.

Now it feels like I’m singing on overlapping
resonances of chest and head.

And when I press or lean into it, it feels
like I’m pressing into tone rather than

grabbing vocal cord.

It’s a very individual feeling that mainly
YOU identify with.

Everyone feels and describes it differently.

Second, do exactly the same thing you just
did, only on the words, “Goo-Go”.

[Demo]

What does that feel like to you?

Can you describe it?

Third, On the same pitches above sing this:
[Demo Oct up with oo-oh-ah vowel change and

sustain] Keep the “Oh” and “ah” in
the narrow place the “oo” established

first.

[Don’t open them beyond the more narrow
“oo”.

[Demo]

What does it feel like to you?

Can you describe it?

I have a student who calls maintaining this
feeling in a phrase during a song, “staying

in the pocket”.

I can identify with that.

To me it’s like [B-Roll ... take my arms
that I might reach you, but my words, like

silent raindrops fell...]

If I fall out of the “Mix Pocket” if would
sound like this: [.. take my arms that I might

reach you].

This is a process that evolves over time.

When you begin to identify the awareness and
feeling of mix, then you can better monitor

yourself and progress faster.

If you liked this video, please give it a
thumbs up, subscribe, and share it with a

friend.

How do you describe the feeling of mix in
your voice?

Or are you still developing your mix and head
voice.

Let me know in the comments section below.

A great way to learn to sing with a mix voice
is to discover your vocal type and then do

exercises designed to get you into a mix voice.

Do you know your vocal type?

Your vocal type is what you tend to do when
you sing through the first bridge and into

your head voice.

Visit PowertoSing.com and take the vocal test,
which I call the Power Test.

Take the quiz and discover your vocal type.

Then visit the Knowledge Center and watch
the videos about your vocal type.

Download the free exercises for your vocal
type and start working on them immediately.

You’ll progress rapidly toward developing
a mix voice.

I’m Chuck Gilmore with Power To Sing.

You can sing higher with beauty, confidence
and power.

I’ll see you inside the next video.