Mixed voice development is challenging because you aren’t singing with only chest or head voice. You’re singing with both chest and head voices at the same time blended or mixed together. It’s a new feeling caused by a new approach to singing.
Here are four exercises that cause you to sing with a mixed voice. I’ll give you the exercises, show you how to do them, and explain why they work. By the end of this video you’ll be singing in mixed voice. Shall we do a little mixing?
Hi! I’m Chuck Gilmore, International Vocal Coach and Founder of Power To Sing.
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Your mixed voice development improves as you train your voice in a new way of singing and drop the old way. Mixed voice is different and requires you to learn new habits of singing.
Here are 4 exercises that will retrain your voice to being singing in a mixed voice.
Exercise One – Bubble Lips
First say, “uh”. This is the voice at rest. “uh”
Next make a frown. Place your fingers in the crease of your frown and lift upward. You’re taking the weight of your cheeks off of your lips, so they can bubble easily.
Now while saying “uh” and lifting your cheeks with your fingers, blow air through your lips. [demo]
Now do it on this scale. Men it sounds like this: [demo from B2]
Both men and women will go up 2 ½ steps. Ready men, begin.
Now women. Yours sounds like this. [demo from G3] Ready ladies, begin.
This exercise works because when done as demonstrated, it keeps the larynx at your speech level, that is, at the level where you speak, while allowing the vibrations to shift from chest, through the vocal bridge and into head voice. Also, the vocal cords will adjust appropriately from chest, through the bridge and into head voice. Be sure to maintain the connected tone like this. [demo] Don’t let it break into falsetto like this. [demo]
Exercise Two – Ney
Say the word, “ney”. Add to it a funny sound like this. [demo a witchy ney]. Do this exercise on an Octave Repeat Scale like this. [demo] Men start here. Both men and women go down 2 ½ steps. [demo G4] Ready men, begin.
Now women. Yours sounds like this. [demo C#4] Ready ladies, begin.
This exercise works because, when done as demonstrated, it thins out the chest voice so it doesn’t pull chest up as you sing higher. Also, you get deeper into the cord structure to prevent you from singing in falsetto so you connect into head voice. The results is a mixed voice…even though it is still a work in progress and not a finished tone.
Exercise Three – No
Using the same Octave Repeat scale, say “no” instead of “ney”. Say this in slow motion. [demo no – ooo] Can you hear the “ooo” in word “no”. When you sing “no”, be sure to say “ooo” at the end of “no”. This will help it go into your head voice.
Men start on the same pitch as before. It sounds like this. [demo G4] Ready men, begin.
Guys, can you feel the vibrations moving into your head? Let me know in the comments section below. Just say “yes, I feel the vibrations moving up”. Or “no I can’t feel it yet.”
Ladies yours sounds like this. [demo C#4] Ready ladies, begin.
Ladies, can you feel the vibrations moving into your head? Please let me know in the comments section below.
This exercise works because the “no” lowers the larynx and allows it to rest at your speech level. The “ooo” in “no -ooo” encourages the vibrations to shift into your head. This causes you to use both chest and head voice mixed together at the same time. You are singing in a mix.
Exercise Four – Mum
Using the same exercises as before, say “moom” (as in good) . Be careful to keep the vowel the same as you sing higher. Don’t let it go to “mam”. [demo]
Men start on the same pitch as before. It sounds like this. [demo G4] Ready men, begin.
Ladies yours sounds like this. [demo C#4] Ready ladies, begin.
This exercise works because it encourages the larynx to stay low and resting. The vowel “oo” is self centering…meaning it tends to cause a blend of chest and head voice. In other words, it causes you to mix chest and head voice together as you sing. You are singing in a mix.
This is a great beginning for you singing in a mix!
Now you’re ready for more special exercises designed to help you take your mixed singing to the next level.
Follow these steps:
One. Download this PDF, Get Your Vocal Type. Get it here or in the description below this Youtube video.
Two. Follow the links on the PDF and take the vocal test. The vocal test will help you discover your vocal type. Your vocal type describes what you tend to do when you sing through the bridge.
Three. Watch the videos about your vocal type and watch demonstrations of exercises for your vocal type, so you can get faster results.
Four. Download the exercises for your vocal type and start practicing them. These exercises, designed for your vocal type, will help you succeed singing in mixed voice.
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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.
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