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I have had some vocal training over the years with a couple of great teachers. Along with the things I’ve learned I’ve wanted to reach the goal of singing in the high range without belting out notes by using just the chest voice, but by using the head voice only. Well, my teachers said to get a sound that is not shrill, I’ve got to use some chest voice. Well, this has worked. It’s a mix of head and chest voice. Here’s some things that I’ve learned and discovered. I’m not a vocal coach nor an expert, but on reaching this goal, here’s what I’ve come up with with the help of God and these teachers.

Problems: I do have some problems with hoarseness after singing so am still a work in progress. I may have been overusing my voice. Try this at home, but be careful. It’s always a good idea to get some professional vocal training from someone who knows how to safely bring your voice to it’s best.

Vibrato: Let the vibrato do what is was made to do. Let it be natural. Making the vibrato straight is very unhealthy. It’s fine to staighten it occasionally on a high note or something, but using it naturally can still sound like ‘popular’ music, not opera.

Throat: Never feel a catch in the throat when beginning a phase. And when a beginner starting out with the head voice, avoid opening the throat too much, it brings tension in the throat. Avoid ‘pressing’ in the throat. Feel nothing in the throat when singing. It helps greatly to relax the entire tongue so the throat can relax. Gradually when you can open the throat, expand the ribs, expand the abdomen when inhaling, and feel no tension at all in the throat, then it’s time to gradually start opening the throat more. If a beginner especially, don’t let the sound sit in the throat, the sound should all be above the throat into the head. For advanced singers, I’m just not sure how much resonance, if any, should be in the throat. I use a little but not much right now.

Tongue: The tongue is loose, almost feel that it relaxes and brings along with it a total relaxation of the throat, esp the Larynx area. This helps to totally free up the voice so that the sound can go into head voice with no holding back in the throat.

Ribs: Open sides of ribs when inhaling. This adds to support. But the chest feels nothing. This takes practice.

Abdomen: With my research, I’ve found that everyone needs to find their own comfort level of support. Too much for one may be not enough for another. For me, I have been athletic so I tend to use too much support. When inhaling, expand the abdomen, then gently release it gradually when singing while using the amount of support right for you. Using too much support for a given singer, will create tension in the throat.

Top of Back of Head: Lifting the soft palate is good. But also a singer may feel sound on the top of the head. For me (I know this sounds strange) but I relax the very top of the back of the head. When my head is relaxed, I canlet the sound resonate to this area. I can feel the sound resonate there. It helps to open the nasal passages when inhaling to feel this area relax. This helps to focus the sound where it ultimately should be, under the eyes and the top of the nose between eyes. One teacher called this the mask area. And if the sound is to sound good and full etc, the sound will be on the mask as the main focus.

Mask: See above. This is the main focus of all the sound.

Jaw: Feels nothing, relaxed. But don’t drag jaw down too far.

Mouth: Still working on this one. But on the very high notes. the mouth should be open quite a bit so the sound will not be squelched with an unopen mouth. This takes work because it’s hard to do while still using the mask. Opening the mouth may be the only way to get a full high sound. But don’t open it too long so that the Larnx is depressed.

Mid to Lower Back: Expand all around the stomach in back when inhaling. I learned this from a very good teacher, and it helps me to not tighten my abdomen too much which is my tendency. Some singers don’t use enough support I guess. The back expanding will help to bring a fuller, easier sound.

Back of Neck and Upper back below shoulders: Totally relaxed so the sound can flow upward into the head voice.

Shoulders: Relaxed and not raised when inhaling.

Nose: When inhaling, relax the nose and nasal passages (I know it sounds strange). But this will help to focus the sound on the mask and feel the sound on the top of head.

Inhaling: Never tighten suddenly the abdomen muscles after inhaling and then starting a phrase. Avoid grabbing in the throat when inhaling then starting a phrase. Notice how it is when speaking, singing is more dramatic, but there is no over-tightening at all. Again each singer determines the amount of abdomenal support right for them.

Chest Voice on High Notes: All of the above is possible while still throwing in a little chest voice. Be careful though, should feel no tension at all in the throat. Bringing some chest voice into say the notes high E or even F, will help to bring the sound to it’s fullest without any shrill sound. Sounds a lot like ‘belting’ which uses only the chest voice, but bringing in the head voice makes the sound freer and actually easier and maybe healthier for the voice. This is called a mix but with absolutely no tension in the throat. Always remember the mask focus which will help to bring the mellow sound, meaning not too bright.

Low Notes: When practicing, alternate between using the high range, med and low range. This is healthy. Developing the low range actually helps the high range.

Note: Most of the notes above are known somewhat commonly to trained singers, but if they all work together, they create high popular music in head register without shrill. These things work for me.

Problems: I’d like to repeat, I do have some problems with hoarseness after singing so am still a work in progress. I may been overusing my voice or something. Try this at home, but be careful. It’s always a good idea to get some professional vocal training from someone who knows how to safely bring your voice to it’s best.