How to Sing Higher as a Baritone (TWO Key Tips!) Pull From Ian Thornley, Chris Cornell & Others

Free Voice Lessons: chrisliepe.com...
My Website: chrisliepe.com
Tenors sing higher than baritones right? Not always! If you know how to feel out certain things in your voice as a baritone, you can do what good tenors have an easier time masking and skyrocket your range as a baritone!
In this video, I go through the approaches of 4 different singers... Two tenors and two baritones and compare and contrast their approaches. What we draw out of these singers will blow your mind if you're looking to sing higher well... Regardless of your voice type!

[@matheusferraz486]

Hey YOU, yeah YOU, I cant tell you enough how amazing and stright to the point is chris liepes course!! I got the mixed voice course yesterday and I already feel my mixed voice on another level after practicing for almost a year with his youtube videos. His youtube videos are a great start, my favorite youtube vocal coach by a mile, but you can go with them until a certain point. The big gold is in his paid courses, really really really, just TRUST ME, if singing is one of your favorite things in this life and you want to improve it with your mix voice, just get his course!!!! Thank you Chris!!!

[@jordanheyvaert6204]

I'm going to sign up for it! Thank you for the input!

[@cafe.cedarbeard]

Funding struggle is the catch. I can barely afford food, let alone paid lessons in anything. Lockdown crushed my crappy job, now not enough work to even afford shelter. I'd pay Chris in a heartbeat if I had the money. He's the best fit I've found as he's got the skills to do all the odd sounds I can do, but has more knowledge in how it's done.

[@wise5746]

So what is Harry Styles’s Voice type? Is he Bass or Baritone or Tenor?

[@velvetpaws999]

@@cafe.cedarbeard I feel for you, mate, but... are you too old to find a new job? Sick? Addicted to some drugs and can't shake it off? I mean, we all can fall on some hard times... if you think you gots da guts, to be a singer... which is one of the hardest lines of work I can think of, then you should start by getting yourself up and running again, consider it practice for later! I wish you the faith in yourself and the strength to get back on your feet! ❤‍🩹💝 And by the way, as things are going right now, most businesses struggle to find employees. There aren’t enough people anywhere who want to really work, even though many businesses raise their salaries. So if you are out of a job and you seriously want to make some money to earn your living don’t tell me you’ve got no chance to work anywhere. Ask me and I’ll point you in a handful of directions!

[@thatswhatisaidCA]

@@cafe.cedarbeard I feel you, but hard times bring out creativity, so pick up a guitar (instrument) and write something! The Blues perhaps (tell your woes in story) or get the frustration out with something more rock or metal). It will be an outlet for you, and inspire others. Good luck!

[@Cartz-man]

I agree with everything you said Chris: Additionally, the recipe to build baritone range for me has been: 1) stretch and strengthen your falsetto as high as you can every day 2) stretch your falsetto down to well under the passagio with descending scales over your chest voice to help your transition to mixed voice become smooth and eliminate ascending blockages 3) do the Messa di Voce exercise as often as you can. It teaches you placement and to thread the power of your chest voice through your falsetto 4) understand that your voice should get weaker over the course of a session as the muscles fatigue. It should never get sore 5) sing lots of high songs exclusively in falsetto to strengthen the often neglected head voice muscles 6) avoid singing songs that reinforce bad technique. You should never reach a high note that you can't strain up from. Your voice should get thinner and weaker as it ascends and not hit blockages. Songs that give you a strained high-note ceiling should be avoided.

[@Dalmoon98]

will be going through these, thanks so much :) I enjoyed the video but had a bit of trouble knowig what exactly to do / change

[@ptjww9455]

Thanks Jarrod!

[@findingmyvoice5529]

Thank you Jerrod for this excellent input

[@zacharymaneja1207]

You my good sir are generous

[@EidosX_]

I just screenshotted that. I've been training mixed voice for 2 years I think and I'm not getting any better. I'm especially guilty of the last point, it's so frustrating not to be able to sing anything that I just go mix voice above G4 and pull chest voice like crazy for everything in D4-G4 which tenses me up, prevents me from doing mixed voice and leading me in a downward spiral. Guess I have to stop singing most songs I sing and only sing low stuff or very high stuff to train my mixed voice / passagio

[@fdakis]

Cornell has always been my favorite singer of all time. I think the underappreciated aspect of his talent is this: while he wasn't able to sing the higher notes from songs such as Say Hello to Heaven or Slaves and Bulldozers in his later years, he added an even more improved tone and vibrato. THAT is how you evolve as a vocalist into your 40's and 50's. RIP to the greatest.

[@LordStompyHarpLoonyTunes]

Cornell's mature voice & tone was getting towards that of a big band 50s singer. I'm a baritone, same thing is happening to me in my 40s. In my 20s I was trying to sing like Cobain & John Fogerty, now I'm crooning along to Sinatra & Tom Jones

[@fdakis]

@@LordStompyHarpLoonyTunes I don't think everyone shares the same experience as they get older. Sure, our voices are bound to change as get older. As a matter of fact you and I are probably close in age (46), but I've been fortunate to keep my range while adding a more raspy sound. Consider Steven Tyler and Scott Weiland, two guys who sounded almost nothing like their younger selves. To add, I'd have to disagree with the opinion that his voice was sounding more "Big Band"

[@LordStompyHarpLoonyTunes]

@@fdakis His live cover of "nothing compares to you" had a much more polished country jazz style than any other "grunge" artist I've heard. It actually encouraged me to head more in that direction as a singer myself. The singing coach actually said this and I checked out a few 50s and 60s slightly corny country and jazz baritone singers and realised she had a point. It was his vowels and timbre

[@BC08]

@@LordStompyHarpLoonyTunes Cornell was getting more into the blue eyed soul territory than big band I’d say

[@GabrielBarbosa-jq9st]

This is so damn great. Most male singers nowadays are tenors -or at least sing as if they were-, so I, for example, have often caught myself "not being able to sing" many songs I like. This not only tells me that I can, but it tells me that I can do it in a way that is different from the mainstream. Yes, the baritone voice sounds different. But does it sound worse? Nah. We just have to explore a bit more and get comfortable. Thanks!

[@chrisliepe]

YES YES YES

[@melodica5407]

In pop music? Yes But in rock music, as far as i can remember there are more baritone singers. Because the tone fits better. I also prefer baritones higher range for heavier music because their mixed voice is thick like chest voice.

[@andreasfrost-blade4689]

It’s really something being a bass too.

[@briansullivan3424]

The baritone voice also has more warmth and resonance, especially in your chest voice and low end of your mixed register... it's almost impossible for (most) tenors to get that timbre into their performance without the aid of post-production. So, while us baritones have to practice more to get that muscle coordination down between registers and really concentrate on smoothing out the transition from one register to the next so that aren't as pronounced, we can learn to do it with practice and instruction... but, we also have natural body to our voice that basically cannot be taught; you either have it, or you don't, and many tenors do not... it's just physiology. As a kid, I always wanted to sound like an 80s power tenor but, as I've gotten older, my favorite voices from the 80s often turned out to be high baritones who had mastered those techniques, and weren't always tenors like I assumed. Cheers from Maryland, US!

[@GabrielBarbosa-jq9st]

@@melodica5407 it really depends on what you mean by "rock music" and "heavier music". Metalcore and lots of prog metal singers don't quite have the baritone voice, or at least don't use its assets. ERRA, Northlane, Polaris, Periphery and TesseracT are some examples. Maybe in the past, but in modern heavier music I'd say baritones aren't that present either. There are quite a few counter-examples to what I said though, like Five Finger Death Punch.

[@FrancesLocke]

There is something magical and inspiring about watching people talk about the stuff they are passionate about. And this guy is absolutely one of those people. His enthusiasm has made my day.

[@ahacks7692]

This guy's voice is insane, is literally the perfect voice for rock. Also this dude really knows what he is talking about, great video

[@cnutella9947]

If you wanna cover Ian Thornley more that would be sick. So glad he's been getting more attention lately. Feel like he wasn't getting his due for a long time.

[@justinknight8421]

Preach!

[@uknowme1811]

And a amazing guitar player.

[@briandorough498]

One of the best

[@callingallkings163]

I fell prey to "comparison" and learned to "hate" my voice (ONLY) because I compared my wants vocally to my actual vox... THIS video alone set me into acceptance of my Baritone vocals and my desire to sing at higher pitches. I've been in the studio all morning recording me actually laughing and having fun with my vocals now. Thanks brother.

[@chrisliepe]

You're so very welcome Calling All Kings!

[@gg666123456]

Can confirm. I'm a low bass and sometimes people think there are 1-2 people singing with me because my voice changes so much from a A1 open to A2 relaxed to A4 belted to A5 falsetto. When I first started out I almost gave up on becoming a singer because no songs were "made for my voice range" but thanks to your videos and many more I learned how to use my voice to climb over those obstacles

[@Daniel_Batal]

KZbin recommendation doing wonderful things today. Glad I was served this video. I had the pleasure of knowing and jamming with Brad over the years. This was a great explanation by example of how to expand your vocal range.

[@RickyConnelley]

There’s an interview of Chris saying he had to practice for months transitioning from his acoustic material to his older stuff. Watched him at the ryman on the Higher Truth tour. His voice was amazing. He was better live than on record. He’s the reason I became an artist singer/songwriter.

[@Adrian101882]

You have a link to that interview?

[@Z4U3398]

Baritone here. Still able to hit *She's Gone* in it's original C minor without cracking. My advice? Use *all* techniques at your disposal; nasality, vocal twang, compression, everything to stabilize your mix register. Start slow, start soft & then apply diaphragmatic support. All the best, folks!

[@Croot_Music]

Ok, that Soundgarden cover was on fucking point

[@chrisliepe]

Thanks!

[@donnycollins1797]

Love your videos! I’m a baritone and I’ve always been extremely jealous of tenors.

[@viictor1309]

Same here

[@axel.lessio]

I'm a tenor (B2 - A5) and I'd give both kidneys to shift my whole range an octave lower. 😅

[@muslimmetalman]

of what? having less weight in the voice? that's lame. you can always sing higher. we generally cant sing lower.

[@wubbaplays4341]

From everything I've seen and heard, baritones have a much wider range due to the thickness of our vocal cords. It applies to falsetto as well. Thicker cords, more range with falsetto and mixed voice. I'm constantly singing along with tenor pop songs and with practice it's relatively easy to figure out how to change your tone to match a tenor's tone. You have to really work at learning how to smooth out the screech like quality to your tone.

[@darylkenny4562]

@@wubbaplays4341 yea but it’s a heavier, thicker sound. I notice it up high that I don’t have the agility that a tenor has in the same range and you can hear that it’s because it’s carrying more weight. It’s cool in it’s own right though and everything is a trade off. I’m a dramatic baritone and last year learned how to get into my subharmonic register and hit low notes (lowest A1). That’s something I would not want to give up in exchange for being a tenor.

[@TheChristOfRockNRoll]

A well trained baritone trains religiously on a daily basis conditioning his voice and vocal technique to blend registers and use mixed voice to hit high tenor notes. It is a process of muscle coordination and strengthening those muscles and build up stamina. I am afraid to say without doing the daily exercises correctly for quite a long time you won't get anywhere near Cornell's (who is a highly trained baritone) ballpark or other baritones capable of reaching very high tenor notes with power. This is the secret......you have to work hard for it and for some time too. You stop, you drop!

[@chrisliepe]

Pure TRUTH

[@TheProtestantPope]

@@chrisliepe "The TRUTH is rarely pure and never simple!"

[@AlexVonCrank]

@@TheProtestantPope you are a dolt.

[@TheProtestantPope]

@@AlexVonCrank I am the same person as the Christ of ROCK n ROLL.......clearly a genius with 58 likes and counting..... 🤣🤣🤣

[@marslpv2333]

@@TheProtestantPope Troll

[@timclaridge3249]

I've been singing for maybe 13 years, your lessons are blowing my mind. I accepted I had Mark Lanegan range for a long time and gave up on ever sounding like Chris Cornell, but with these videos and practice I feel like I'm finally getting there and unlocking a hidden power. Thanks so much! More excited about singing than I have been in a long time.

[@vaughanband]

I’m a tenor and I wish I was a baritone so my head register would be naturally thicker…i had to work really hard to thicken up my head voice because as a tenor it was naturally so bright and boyish. Another great example of a baritone is David Coverdale…my favourite singer.

[@marstudios7879]

Unbelievable Sam, I have a baritone voice and you don’t know how much I’d like to have a tenor voice.

[@vaughanband]

@@marstudios7879 ha ha, I guess we always want what we don’t have. Honestly there’s only about a tone or tone and a half difference in the notes a baritone can hit compared to a tenor. Like I said I struggled with the tone of my upper register…naturally it’s very bright and childlike…I’ve had to work on getting more girth and weight to the sound. Why do you want to be a tenor??

[@lucasnovaes-programacao2869]

How did you thicken up your sound? I have the same issue

[@vaughanband]

@@lucasnovaes-programacao2869 recording myself a lot, listening and then trying to sing the same phrase with more open throat, more diaphragm squeezing and more compression…i think this builds up the muscles over a few months but I need to practice at least an hour a day to keep the strength.

[@gnomasome4698]

@@vaughanband i have the same thing, i think im a tenor since the way i learnt to sing was with the tenor parts in the beach boys and paul McCartney and my voice matches pauls amount of heft its not as bright and floaty as the Wilsons, i have trouble with my highs getting thin but the only way ive found to fix it is to do the paul McCartney thing where he just lowers his larynx n closes his throat up and does this fake baritone thing like in golden slumbers or oh darling or lady madonna, which sounds kinda camp and silly sometimes but so far its my only method lmao im gonna try and do what you said

[@bongothewonderchimp]

As a baritone who as always envied the top register notes of tenors this video is a God's send! Chris you are an inspiration and an incredibly good teacher. My question is we often see rock singers who employ the head voice (falsetto) a lot, lose that upper range with age, or their tone becomes damaged sounding. For example Robert Plant, or Brian Johnson. Is this inevitable, or could it be they were not employing good technique?

[@Laking86er]

Man, Thornley is getting up there in age (49) and is arguably better than ever - ask that dude Haha. Big wreck live is incredible!

[@melodica5407]

Actually i as a tenor prefer baritone voice. Their mixed voice sounds thicker.

[@Cartz-man]

seems that the voice goes as you stop using it all the time

[@somekindofdude1130]

Male head voice is a mixed voice not falsetto. Falsetto is what chest fry is to the chest voice, a sub-category for extreme registers. Most "tenors" use head voice in rock this is why they sound so thick and/or chest (ex Dio)

[@patrickparmer1648]

A fellow Patrick haha

[@justinknight8421]

Awesome to hear Ian Thornley in on these discussions, he's my favorite vocalist right now!

[@noisyverset]

I’m a baritone, but when speaking people think I’m a bass. So they get surprised when they hear me singing. Thanks to you I’ve expanded my range quite a bit, and I also use techniques you’re teaching. To those of you who think you can’t reach higher notes, and even expand your range- you can! It takes some practice over time, at least it did for me. Thank you! 🙂

[@GavinSJordan]

I’m so glad you’ve thrown both Ian thornley and chris cornel in the same video!!!! Ian Thornley is a freak along with Cornell. And like always thanks for awesome video

[@chrisliepe]

Two of my absolute favs!

[@coreyboone587]

My first year seriously learning to sing daily, i would try to sing Cornell acoustic songs on the way home from work. I would constantly blow my voice out and not know why lol Even got my vocal cords picture, and of course the doctor didn't know anything about singing and was convinced he would never be able to. Then i started doing exercises and studying the theory more and realized why. 6 years in i got the clean range, but still working on belting and distortions. Don't start singing with Chris Cornell songs! lol

[@chrisliepe]

Unless you do it from a FEEL FIRST vantage point!

[@damanOts]

I think the more appropriate summary would be “dont beat your head against the floor and expect the door to open”

[@brendanflaherty6696]

Oh man… Thornley and Cornell in the same video?! Yer speaking my language, man. My voice isn’t really suited to lead vocals, but a big part of my usefulness as a backing vocalist is the range I developed, largely thanks to these two singers. Singing along to their records in the car for a couple years was the ticket. The the thing about Thornley… as good of a vocalist as he is, he’s an even better guitarist. Check out some of the Suhr Factory Party vids, for both Big Wreck and Ian Thornley. Dude’s the total package.

[@NikNovaMusic]

Yes, Ian Thornley deserves way more attention…

[@superunknown2812]

Loved ian when he was in his band Thornley such a heavy band and his voice was perfect at that time

[@nickolajmusic]

Chris this is amazing - as a baritone singer I have so much hope now!! Thanks for breaking down these fantastic singers - happy to hear that you are an Ian Thornley fan too!

[@chrisliepe]

More Ian to come!

[@sonoftyme9789]

Dude. So glad you used Albatross as an example, Ian is such an underrated vocal ASSASSIN. Also, killer job on superunknown, really captivating!

[@chrisliepe]

Thanks! Ya I wanna do more on Ian for sure!

[@standandeliver8376]

For a moment there I thought you meant Albatross by Fleetwood Mac. I can nail the vocals on that one every time.

[@PizzaVeet]

Chris inspires me so much its insane. He makes me want to constantly be singing and writing. Thank you so much for these videos.

[@nicolasignaciodiazcastro2036]

awesome video Chris, I'm a tenor and I'm in love with Cornell, my mixed voice is not as beefy as a baritone, would be nice if you make a video for tenors, how to sound more beefy and "masculine" for lack of a better word Greetings from chile

[@Oliver-ek2nl]

I believe he already has a few videos on that subject, just check his channel

[@chrisliepe]

Thanks for watching Nicolas! Yes, I have a few videos on how to beef up your mix!

[@luisfernandomoralesoscoy3377]

Thank you for this video, you changed my perspective of how I saw baritones and that means a lot because I´m also a baritone. When I started singing my teachers separate me and made me think that I would never sing high notes. I thought that singers like Chris Cornell were blessed and I would never sing as them, but this video helped me a lot to change my mindset, so I am really grateful. Thank you for your content and taking your time for doing your best.

[@markrutkowski7094]

I am a baritone and at first felt limited in wiring melodies, but I learned to use my voice in other ways and it helped me be more interesting melodically as well as performance wise. The one thing I really would like is to be able to go a little higher/ballsier on the outro sometimes

[@thatswhatisaidCA]

Wow. As a 59 yr old woman with a low voice and low shift note plus super soprano range, I found this actually spoke to me and gave me a few "a-ha" moments! (love when that happens.) I've taken lessons from diff people off and on over the years, but I'm really re-ignited by your teaching style and personality. Thank you! I have a lot to go over!

[@6BURG9]

I am obsessed with Thornley’s tone. It’s perfect.

[@birdg2112]

Should be a household name.

[@josea.salinas6784]

every second from this video would be considered as pure gold

[@chrisliepe]

Thanks for watching every second too :)

[@josea.salinas6784]

@@chrisliepe hahah nice!

[@kjdskgj]

This topic (low voice singing higher range) is exactly what I've been looking for, thank you! I have a really low voice, might even be bass but not quite sure, could be just very low baritone. But anyways I struggle with those higher ranges, so I'd love to see more videos about this!

[@chrisliepe]

Ya, going to be doing a few more angles on this very topic in the coming weeks... Stay tuned!

[@kjdskgj]

@@chrisliepe Awesome, thanks! 🙏

[@PaulOuzounov]

I've wanted this video for ages. Thanks forever, Chris. I've never been able to sing. Lots of insecurities, physical, emotional and mental, and your channel has changed my life for the better. As a baritone who loves Freddie Mercury - I have always had so much trouble even pretending to attempt his style.

[@chrisliepe]

Glad it’s meeting you where you’re at paul!

[@j9andphoenix]

As soon as I saw your thumbnail that included Chris Cornell I clicked your bait. He seemed to have pretty much sorted it early in his career. Love your channel. If I lived in a house I would pratice but I get too shy to sing in the smal building I live in. So what I learned from my singing teacher many years ago remains. Back then, I sang all the time. It is such a wonderful feeling and quite enriching.

[@badm0t0rf1nger]

Great video. Very rare to hear anyone do justice covering a Cornell or Thornley vocal. Kudos. :)

[@AseBonani]

As a baritone, this video is a God sent. I actually do push myself more. But, I'm not gonna lie, I have always used that excuse of "Oh well, he's a tenor, so I can't go that high." Even though I find myself wishing I could. This is absolutely encouraging.

[@moebiwan]

Great video! HUGE Ian Thornley/BW fan. KZbin's algorithm brought me here and you just earned a sub for such a fine explanation of what both Ian and Chris do to crush those tough high notes.

[@erikvinnie]

I’m so glad a vocal coach FINALLY acknowledged the awesomeness that is Ian Thornley ✊ You need to do more deep dives and videos on his singing!

[@jedinuttall]

The "if this isn't making sense" line in superunknown is one of the best bits of cornells voice/musical ability ever ❤

[@bellasoda]

Thank you! As a baritone, this video helped me understand my voice a lot better!

[@chrisliepe]

Glad it helped!

[@adikickass84]

Wow this really cleared up a lot of misconceptions I had in my head. Thank you Chris.

[@chrisliepe]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lisandroguevara1756]

Hi Chris! You are the best vocal coach I have ever had. Thanks for your lessons.

[@chrisliepe]

My pleasure!

[@luxuriousfir]

Mine too!!!

[@cbappa2]

I'm watching a Big Wreck concert from 1998 while scrolling my phone and I see a picture of Thornley in the thumbnail. The last couple of years he's finally started to get some well deserved exposure

[@johnfruktoshtat4424]

Mike Patton is also a baritone, but it feels like he has six pairs of vocal cords: bass ones, normal ones, tenor ones, pterodactyl ones, nail on glass ones and of course angel ones. Just a theory.

[@chrisliepe]

Haha. You’re totally right John. He’s otherworldly.

[@Timbo6669]

I think he might be the first bass/baritone/tenor/soprano singer.

[@bluedude05]

When puberty decided to slap me in the face and I had a baritone sounding voice, I still found it very easy to sing on higher notes despite cracking here and there. Now that I'm older, I still hit very high notes for as a baratone and even practice talking in higher tones. Im glad videos like this exist, thanks fir showing and explaining so much.

[@briansullivan3424]

Excellent examples of baritones. Some others that have incredible range, despite having a baritone voice type, would be Geoff Tate, Matt Barlow, Maynard James Keenan, Serj Tankian, David Coverdale, and even Freddie Mercury... all baritones. As a baritone myself who loves singing along with old Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and similar tunes, I have found that, by reinforcing falsetto and working on fry distortion and glottal compression to add a little bit of concealer around my break, I can sing most of the notes just fine... a song that sits almost entirely around high Fs and Gs is tremendously fatiguing, but songs that have a few notes in there, and even much higher than that, and I can do them all day.

[@chrisliepe]

Spot on and absolutely right!

[@VelsVivard]

Freddie is not one of them

[@JohnnyGTar]

Besides the cool tips and valuable info, I really like it when you do a singing intro!

[@Adrian101882]

Agree. He crushed this particular intro so hard too

[@yolo7662]

i got chills hearing the intro

[@jordanheyvaert6204]

You explained that so well! I never understood how some of these singers that sing high notes are really baritones that are just using mixed voice. Well said, Chris.

[@Aranya009]

Oh my god YESSS! I've been waiting for the longest time for you to touch on Ian Thornley! PLEASE do a full feature on him! Big Wreck and his singing voice are my go-to ideal vocal goals! Thank you for doing this, I've learned SO MUCH from your channel!

[@chrisliepe]

Oh I will! Thornley is amazing

[@Hexenwerk_Gaming]

did i ever said that i love you for your guide? never could reach something like 1:13 without you! feel like a god while singin through your vids.

[@matteobertani9447]

Amazing. Beautiful. And Ian Fletcher Thornley is a phenomenal singer.

[@hightenor12]

God damn it's so refreshing to see vocal technique analysis from a non-classical singer who really knows what they're talking about. As a crossover classical singing artist who's favorite Bond song of all time was Cornell's "You Know My Name" I can't stop smiling this whole video. RIP Chris!

[@chrisliepe]

Glad you're enjoying the videos!! Cornell's Bond theme is one of my favorite songs of all time :) !! Thanks for being here and learning along with me!!

[@jeffwolinski2659]

This was excellent, was brought here by the Big Wreck FB group, Ian is criminally underappreciated! The great Roy Khan needs to be in this discussion as well, would be great to hear your take on him. Practically any song from the brilliant One Cold Winter's Night show from Kamelot.

[@chrisliepe]

Oh!! Great idea!

[@chrisliepe]

That’s cool you found me via the big wreck group! How neat! I’d love to have Ian on the channel and just talk with him

[@sharoncosby1945]

You should hit him up for that!!! Have u heard their new song Bombd Away?

[@jeffwolinski2659]

Just like with Ian Thornley, Roy Khan is someone that really deserves to be a household name. So much horrible limited talent out there being super famous and 999 out of 1000 human beings (or even less) would even recognize Thornley or Khan's names.

[@jeffwolinski2659]

And while it's a long one, the Elizabeth trilogy from One Cold Winter's Night is probably one of the best introductions to Roy Khan. Great song and storyline and wide range of moods there, and he totally lives it, no more intense or passionate singer alive.

[@kyriakosgrammatikos727]

Thank you so much for this video Chris! The modern music world has been hung up for decades on fach classifications from 200 years ago that are no longer relevant. It's sad to see that many voice coaches all over the world have the audacity to tell people to fit into a box and insist it's what they are for the rest of their lives (and to make matters worse, people believe that stuff). Hear me out folks, having thicker vocal cords is a blessing. Grants depth all throughout the range and makes for a beautiful sound, if only you invest the time in it. Training thick vocal cords to thin out properly is a monster of a task because of the strength it requires in the CT muscle and others - but also because society told baritones falsetto is a no go so noone practices it. So keep practicing folks, have faith, and take it one day at a time. It takes years.

[@mightytreasure]

B4 is my Enemy, can sing that A at the top of my natural range and can do that C in falsetto up through G5 in Head wail. Dancing around that B4 is pure hell and that's where ALL the Radio singers are at, it's the money note. This video helped me some and I had fun trying to copy what you were doing toward the end of the video. Thank you for that.

[@dougie2150]

exactly. it's not about hitting the note, it's about sound. I'm baritone and i can for example hit chorus note in Man in the box, but it sounds not that thick as Layne's note. I hope I can fix that in future.

[@johnatyoutube]

I just stumbled onto your channel. I'm a classically trained baritone. I was blessed to have found a brilliant voice teacher in my late 30s. I had sung as a tenor for many years because i had the range, but it never felt comfortable. In classical music you can't thin the tone like in rock because you need all your harmonics to be heard off mic and it takes a toll if you push while maintaining timbre. My teacher was convinced that I was a baritone as soon as he heard me, but he wanted me to see it for myself. (I have a deeper broader speaking voice than you). He had me explore my natural break while I sang up the scale from uncovered into covered voice. He showed me that tenors naturally break (cover) best on a F-sharp and baritones only a half step lower. I cover best on a F-natural - it was undeniable. I finally embraced being a baritone and my natural full timbre which I had suppressed for years. But, maintained my high notes by thinnning them just a hair and moving them forward. Italian opera calls it the squillo (trumpet resonance). What you're demonstrating is actually just a more focused version of what opera singers do on high notes while keeping more timbre by using the cover. As you said, it's difficult - actually physically harmful - to maintain a full baritone timbre on high notes. Your only choice is to shift it into a more narrow forward place which is sensed in the head and nose - hence often called head voice. All voices do that, but as you said, the shift is more noticeable with lower voice types and more work for those types to learn to navigate the timbre changes. The big point is that the only physiological difference between the frequency range of classical baritones and tenors is a half step. That's going to be true for rock singers as well. The bigger difference that we perceive is the timbre of the voice. And the richer the voice, the more challenging it is to navigate the shifts. But, it's totally possible to sing high notes as a baritone. Btw, baritones actually can generally more easily access their falsetto above the covered head voice than tenors because it's easier for them to shift into it and they retain more timbre in it. That's why virtually all counter tenors (who train to sing primarily in falsetto) are natural baritones.

[@FrankValchiria]

my man you have a great voice

[@White_Wolf_Studios_Gaming]

To me this channel is the greatest free resource for singing out there

[@chrisliepe]

Thank you! I appreciate you watching and engaging!

[@Izzy-fh8sr]

You’ve got a great channel man, I appreciate this a lot.

[@chrisliepe]

I'm glad and thank you Izzy!

[@NoNameDogsOfficial]

I'm a baritone and your videos already helped me a lot.....the sure thing is that it needs to exercise for a long time to reach to a higher level....thank you Chris for your help!!!!

[@chrisliepe]

You’re so very welcome!

[@BradCross1982]

Love your channel man 🤘🏽

[@chrisliepe]

Thanks!!

[@phyzix_phyzix]

Went from a G4, being my highest note for many years, to an E5 using this technique. I thought my falsetto was doomed to always be crackly but Ive learned how to place the notes more to the front to prevent cracking.

[@liquidsolids9415]

This was a fantastic lesson. I have a fairly low voice so I really appreciate the inspiration! Also, I’ve never heard Big Wreck before. Will definitely check them out! Thanks! See you for more!

[@chrisliepe]

Big Wreck is one of my favorite bands! Amazing catalog... Every album is stellar. Ian is an incredible vocalist and songwriter.

[@shantylrogers9813]

@@chrisliepe u really rock

[@sharoncosby1945]

Glad to see someone just finding Big Wreck!! You'll love em!

[@andrearinomato7670]

Finally! Thornley gets a shoutout! One of the most, if not the most criminally underrated vocalist of all time!

[@thecraikybunch6789]

Man.. shout out to Ian Thornley! Thank you for covering the vocals of Ian. Also, a phenomenal guitarist! Kudos to you brother!

[@woodoyoy]

Man I love you. Because you talk to us like to friends, and not trying to sell me anything every minute of the video. You're great

[@SOSKinu]

Now that I hear it I can also reach those notes easily… I was so focused on being able to have a higher but full chest voice and hated to go into mixed and head voice … but everything is on the technique. I now have a better appreciation about being a baritone. 👍🏼

[@VIDEOHEREBOB]

Why does it take so much convincing when you try to tell some singers it takes dedication, sacrifice, and hard work, or that many challenging songs remain challenging? Almost any pro singer has struggles. It's part of the long journey.

[@GB-rs8cz]

The best thing about Chris teaching you to sing is that he is an excellent vocalist as well as an audio engineer. Engineers have trained their brain to hear very specific sounds within a sound so he can hear things other than just pitch like, this person is in their head voice, they are using a certain level of vocal compression, their resonance is in their mask (listen to the Michael Jackson breakdown for nasal resonance), they are probably a baritone because of the thickness and texture of their head voice, they are pushing their tongue down to get a brighter sound, etc. All of this is extremely important information that helps us learn singing techniques by just listening. One of the biggest takeaways from watching his videos is that you don’t have to sing loud to sound loud. It’s all about keeping your vocal tract open and relaxed. It actually creates space for the sound to resonate and sound loud without forcing it. The fact is, singers sound loud because of processing in the mixing stage that adds compression, equalization, reverb, distortion, and other effects to make the vocal feel and sound loud. Add loud drums and guitar and the energy from the instruments also make the vocal sound like it has more energy. Ironically, the harder you try to sing, the harder singing becomes. It’s all about technique. Spend as much time as you can to learn how to control all of the little muscles in your vocal tract and you can produce any sound you want on demand. I once read something about singing that went, “Singing isn’t pushing air out, it’s allowing it to come out.” That is a good way to think of it. When you find that balance of air support without pushing or straining, things become much easier. Good luck!

[@FennezMarson]

In my opinion, one of the most underrated singers, especially regarding mixing, is the Killer's Brandon Flowers. He wasn't in the beginning, but what he's able to do with his voice nowadays is just amazing. He seems to sing completely effortlessly, even at live concerts. Another KILLER video, Chris, thanks so much - you're the only person in the world where I feel pleasure in getting screamed at :-P

[@deadblowhammer935]

the fact you know who thornley is makes me happy. big wreck and ian are criminally underrated

[@lowenbad]

Brad Delp is the one singer I can’t compete with on the upper range. The high note on “more than a feeling” is physically impossible for me to hit no matter what I do.

[@bluesbred3]

So true. But even Delp, during Boston’s Walk On tour and the Corporate America tour in the mid-90’s - early 2000’s, used other Boston lead vocalist, Fran Cosmo, live on all the Boston songs that required him to sing in the rafters. Delp admitted on stage he no longer could hit the higher vocal registers and stay in pitch like he used to back in his twenties. Fran Cosmo reached those notes, and with power behind it. Delp’s voice really lost its power in Boston’s later recordings…

[@brady3superbwl]

Hey Chris just wanted to drop a thanks. As a baritone I've managed to train up to belting a B4 and C5 using your methods and tips.

[@chrisliepe]

You're so welcome Nicholas! Thanks for watching and engaging!

[@ranmanguitar]

Ian Thornley is a masterful musician

[@michaelgartman4320]

I always was happy as a baritone and to just sing along with Darrius Rucker...now you have me thinking I can sing along with some higher stuff.

[@j.dtruths5577]

You are a fabulous teacher and a Great singer ! I’m a baritone as well, huge Cornell fan! Thank you ! J… Toronto

[@RobbieFitzgerald]

Fuck yes! More Thornley please!

[@chrisliepe]

COMING!!

[@RobbieFitzgerald]

@@chrisliepe Youre THE MAN!

[@AdamDoesGuitar]

As a natural baritone these tips are great for helping me expand the range of notes I sound bad singing. Thanks Chris!

[@jeremiahagravante5454]

I was literally listening to Superunknown a moment ago..

[@maxromanchukbass]

Much appreciation for your advice. And for turning into prime Christopher Walken when giving us examples of mixing talking voice

[@chrisliepe]

Hehe. You’re welcome!

[@lincolnzeferino8287]

That was great!!! I used to be so shy about my higher voice as a baritone, and I admire so much Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder. It was cool to see you do all this. Thank you.

[@fmartin09]

Pure genius! I'm a tenor but this is crazy. Thanks for sharing.

[@MoonfaceMartin88]

Well... to mix you got to have a head voice in the first place. Haven't found it in 15 years - yes I know, it sounds weird. So... for me, it's singing Soundgarden until the mix and let another guy take over.

[@chrisliepe]

Want help finding your head voice?

[@MoonfaceMartin88]

@@chrisliepe Thanks for asking, Chris. As it happens, I got a vocal coach to take a stab at that a few weeks ago. Thus far, I found out I can do... tones up that range. Not good ones, or even usable. But stuff's happening. If nothing much happens, I know the next place I'd look. ;-) Keep up the great work.

[@Ashley-mq3jd]

My voice keeps getting deeper by the day and it discouraged me from persuing singing. This has encouraged me to retry. SUBBED! also do tonsils affect your voice. Cause I've had a bad case of those growing up and they occasionally come up if I smell smoke or drink super cold water.

[@Sbutterfly911]

Chris Cornell is on another level 👑❤

[@chrisliepe]

He's incredible!

[@keithwolfe9726]

GREAT ,GREAT,GREAT, GREAT video!!! So clear and well demonstrated. Thanks Chris!

[@Paulnap]

Wow Ian Thornley has some cornell-esque chops

[@briansullivan3424]

Yeah, I'm not super familiar with his voice... after seeing him in this video though, and being a life-long Cornell fan, I'm gonna need to check out more Big Wreck... wow!

[@ROCKYSBOY]

I always had a higher range and great falsetto growing up as a baritone and could sing much higher than my brother who was a tenor. I have unfortunately killed my voice with abuse but what this man says is so true about how to view your voice and range.

[@Aniki82]

Heyyyyy Chris that was a killer song! You did great! Thanks for sharing such inspiring singing 😎👍

[@chrisliepe]

You're so welcome!

[@apehands4481]

KZbin recommended your video, instant sub. Great coaching and killer voice man! Can’t wait to see more.

[@chrisliepe]

Thanks for watching and for the sub!

[@allatamusic]

Ian Thornley is my favourite vocalist, and just by watching him and singing along I have learned a lot of what you are talking about in this video. Great to run across your channel and hear YOU also sing and hit all the notes similarly to him . . . and hopefully soon I will, too. : ))

[@Jonathan-A.C.]

Nothing more to say than this is as amazing as every other video you put out

[@s.kanessuperbiatv6464]

If anyone thinks it's impossible to sing higher as a baritone, just remember: ROB HALFORD IS A BARITONE

[@chrisliepe]

YESSSSS

[@pavese1379]

Dude, I sound like Mark Lanegan, an E4 is very hard

[@briansullivan3424]

Yep! That's why his chest register and "screaming" mixed voice register sound so radically different, where someone like Bruce Dickinson has similar timbre pretty much from a middle C to the top of his range (his lower notes, like the verses in 22 Acacia Ave, for example, do sound very different though, to be fair, but he doesn't sing in that register often). Halford's a high-baritone, whereas Tate is a mid-baritone, and Anselmo is a low-baritone. All can sing comfortably low, monstrously high, and have almost no problems singing in the mids either.

[@gypsycat619]

Love the examples...really brings the lesson home! Showed this to my GF...She has the most awesome head voice!

[@charlieruisseau2476]

I didn't know Ian Thornley, damn! he's good!!! thank you Chris and thank you for the incredible lessons you give us for free(!!!), you're the best!

[@MetridiumMoose]

Canadian Chris Cornell, Ian Thornley bringing it in strong. Gave me goosebumps 🥶🙏

[@fabrizioparedes5866]

My god, you have no idea how much confidence you've bring to my daily practice. Thank you Chris :)

[@chrisliepe]

Very Happy to hear that, Fabrizio! You're so welcome!