This video talks about singing problems and solutions for mixed singing. I’ll show you a major problem with singing mix that’s easy to solve with one fix. It will make singing mix easier, more consistent and ultimately more powerful.
Hi I’m Chuck Gilmore, International Vocal Coach and Founder of Power To Sing.
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Learning to sing with a mix of chest and head voice is challenging. Have you found learning to sing with mix challenging? Let me know in the comments section below this Youtube video.
There’s a major reason you struggle with mix. You are singing too open at the top of your chest voice.
That means, as you approach your first bridge while singing the last few chest voice notes before you enter the first bridge of your voice, your vowels are too open.
What does singing vowels “too open” mean? It means, for example, instead of singing “no”, you sing it “now”. I might sound something like this. [Demo]
Say you want to sing “love” and you’re in the last few notes of chest voice. Instead of singing “love” [Demo] you sing “love” like “lav”. [Demo] This is an example of singing a word or vowel too open.
The concept of being too open is similar to being too wide. If I’m singing “rockets red glare” in the Star Spangled Banner and instead I sing it “Rawkets rad glaar” I’m singing it too wide…or too open.
This is called “splatting” when the vowels and words became distorted.
This “open”, “wide”, “splatting” of words and vowels causes at least three problems:
#1. It raises the larynx which activates outer neck muscles adding extra squeeze
#2. Pulls chest vibrations higher and inhibits the mix of head tones
#3. Thickens the vocal cords and makes singing sound and feel labored and forced
But you don’t do these things in the bridge or head voice right! Right?
However, a huge mistake singers make is they sing too open at the top of their chest voice.
Now, these problems which began in the top of chest voice, must all be eliminated as soon as you enter the bridge…where you want to be mixing.
But that’s really hard to do when the music and words are coming at you fast. You can’t do it. And so your mix struggles because you can’t adjust quickly enough. There’s too much leftover pulled chest, high larynx and heavy vocal cords.
Singing open or wide in the top of chest, as you approach the first bridge is ONE MAJOR REASON YOUR VOICE STILL STRUGGLES WITH MIX.
As a result:
You tend to break before you get to the bridge.
Your mix and head voice is weak and uneven compared with chest.
It’s hard to find your mix in songs and certain exercises.
Here’s one fix that’ll make mixed singing easier and consistent which leads to more power.
Mix sooner on your approach to the bridge.
Here’s 3 things that’ll help you:
#1. Know where your last notes in chest voice are located. Here are the last 5.
- For sopranos and mezzos your last 5 chest notes are, E4, F, F#, G and Ab4.
- For Contraltos, Tenors and Baritones your last 5 chest notes are, B3, Middle C, Db4, D, Eb4
- For the Bassos your last 5 chest notes are E3, F, F#, G and Ab3.
#2. Narrow vowels so they don’t go wide, open or splat. To find out more about narrowing vowels watch this video Episode 25, where I give you some vowel modifying hacks to help you. https://www.powertosing.com/ep-25-how-to-sing-high-notes-vowel-modifying-hacks/
I’ll include that video on the end screen at the end of this video. Be sure to check it out.
#3. Do exercises for your vocal type.
Do you know your vocal type? Your vocal type is not whether you are soprano, alto tenor or bass. Your vocal type describes what you tend to do when you sing through the bridge of your voice.
To discover your vocal type, download this free PDF entitled Get Your Vocal Type. You can get it here, or in the description area below this YouTube video.
Take the test and get your vocal type. Then watch the videos about your vocal type and download the exercises for your vocal type.
Contraltos, download both the men’s and women’s exercises and practice them both…beginning with the mens.
Especially helpful will be the “Bubble Lips” exercise and the exaggerated “Ney’s”. These exercises are included in the exercises for your vocal type.
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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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