Unlock Your Voice: Conquering Your Mix and Head Voice
Unlock Your Voice: Conquering Your Mix and Head Voice
By Sam de la Haye
Singing in pitch is a fundamental skill for any vocalist, yet it can be difficult to achieve. It's not just about hitting the right notes - it's also about learning how to use different vocal registers to your advantage. Where to place your voice in your skull and how to come back time after time to that resonance.
But first, let me tell you a little story
There I was at boarding (Drama) school waiting in the wings and about to go on stage! It was our annual stage cup competition and stood right before me was my best friend/rival! She was beautiful, had long flowing Red hair and was genuinely a lovely person BUT not only that she had power in her upper register and me... Well, I could belt out a tune in my chest voice but anything past a B and my voice sounded like a whisper.
I just looked at her with awe and thought… how does she do it? Sing so powerfully up there? Like it was magic.
For years after meeting her, I grew an obsession trying to figure out how some singers had this incredibly powerful voice in that register but others did not!
Until one day…. Kate Bush came into my orbit
I remember it quite clearly I was sitting at a piano bar singing my heart out and all of a sudden someone requested I sing ‘A woman's Work’ by Kate Bush. I managed by some small miracle to sing it all the way through without cracking my voice and even managed to sing up that high - something I had avoided for years! And actually, when I finished even though it was light and airy and had little power I was hooked!
Each night I made myself sing all my songs a few tones higher, then higher still - till most of my songs were sung in my head voice and then it happened - totally accidentally I found my mix voice
What is Your Mix Voice?
Your mix voice is the register that lies between your chest voice and head voice. It has the power of chest voice but with the lightness of head voice, allowing you to hit higher notes with ease while still keeping a rich tone. To find your mix voice, start by singing an octave scale (C4-C5) on one note and slowly work up in pitch until you find the point where your chest begins to strain or crack. This is the point when your mix should kick in - if it does not, continue pushing up in pitch until you find it.
What is Your Head Voice?
Your head voice is the uppermost register of your singing range, usually sitting above C5 (tenor) or E5 (soprano). It has a light, airy sound compared to other registers due to its reliance on falsetto rather than full vocal cords. To find your head voice, sing an octave scale (C4-C5) on one note again but this time push up even further until you feel a thinning of the sound - this will be when you enter into your head register. Practice singing scales like this until you are comfortable with crossing over between these two registers effortlessly.
So why was this so important? Because once you find your mix voice you can belt - or give the illusion of power to well past B. In fact I am now able to belt throughout my entire vocal range which means I have the power to sing songs that Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and Whitney Houston made look so easy but when I sang them I sounded like a quiet little girl!!
Now the trick is to master the blend but it can prove tricky
The key is to master both registers separately first and then start to find songs that use all three voices. Again I love ballads because they are slow, which gives you time to adjust your resonance.
Whilst driving why not take one phrase of a song that slips between two registers and very slowly go over it again and again until it becomes second nature to slide between two voices? You can also practice scales while alternating between chest and head registries as well as transitioning from the chest into mix into head all within one phrase or phrase section.
But even better, why not purposefully write a song that incorporates all three voices and use the songwriting process to practice your singing without you thinking about it? However, you practice you want to make sure the change is smooth. At first, you may yodel going up, or sing out of pitch going down because you are bringing your head voice too low. Just be aware of how you sound and feel and most importantly have fun!!
Take care not to push too hard into either registry as this can cause strain or vocal fatigue - instead focus on producing a smooth transition between each register without any breaks or cracks in sound quality. With practice, soon enough you will be able to move seamlessly between registries without any effort!
Conquering both your mix and head voices is essential for every singer looking to improve their pitch accuracy and musicality. Once mastered, they open up so many doors to singers and can give you so much more scope for self-expression.
Imagine being able to sing the high notes with ease while still maintaining richness in your tone. If you want to feel free singing songs that express pain, anger, and power then start by mastering these two crucial elements! With practice, soon enough you’ll notice a drastic improvement in both accuracy and power when performing live or recording new music!
