How to Sing in HEAD VOICE (Lesson 1): 3 EXERCISES for Thinning the 'Cords'

[@SarahDunnevant]

I think you might be the only person on KZbin providing scientific terminology for understanding the voice! Love this!

[@singwisevocals]

I'm so glad it resonates with you! Thanks for your comment.

[@JohnProph]

yep, definitely very tech heavy, which I dig. and if people hear terms they dont know, they have google right at their fingertips

[@Rosannasfriend]

Dr. Dan and The Naked Vocalist do too.

[@mica-elatianero8283]

I\'m not sure but ,if anyone else wants to uncover learn how to sing really well try Panlarko Sing Fast Planner(do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some great things about it and my cousin got amazing success with it.

[@creatioexnihilo6599]

+singwisevocals No occultists! :-) Thanks, Karyn.

[@rangerange6108]

Your videos really help people like me who can't afford a vocal coach. I feel/hear the growth in my voice. Thank you!

[@singwisevocals]

Thank you so much for saying so. That's very encouraging. Please let me know how I can help and if you have any suggestions for video topics.

[@rangerange6108]

singwisevocals Thanks for responding. I do have one question. I sat down today, and sang "The Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston. I sang all the high notes and didn't feel tension or stained. I recorded myself while doing it twice, then I went back to listen to it and the high notes sound kinda powerful(ringy,well resonate) but weak at the same time(if that makes any sense) is it because I'm barely finding my mixed voice, and I should use my higher register more?

[@btbjammin]

I used to sing bluegrass regularly but stopped for a while and in recent years my voice has been rough from lack of use leaving me unable to do much. Your teaching style is fantastic - incredibly knowledgeable with detailed insights and communicated very clearly, and your passion for it is infectious. These videos have helped me start getting my voice (and confidence) back on track. Thanks so much for your work.

[@PapagenoHannover]

Karyn, you are really full of unconditional love for healthy voices. That is really rare in our days! Thank you!

[@singwisevocals]

Awww! Thank you so much for writing this lovely comment!

[@GetWellSoonR.E.M.]

This was SO helpful for me as a tenor to work on my head voice because I tend to pull chest voice up as high possible. First time I’ve used my head voice in awhile with little to no extra tension!

[@PapagenoHannover]

You are not only a wonderful teacher, but also full of love and commitment. Thank you!

[@64andyjh]

Karyn thanks a million for all your videos. I have had a lot of throat trouble this year, caused by viruses not singing, but it sure hasn't done my voice any favours and has forced me into rehabilitation mode. You have helped me SO much , and I feel like I'm back to 100% and counting!!

[@singwisevocals]

Yay! I'm so happy to hear that you're on the other side of your vocal troubles.

[@gerikepler5160]

This is excellent, and I will listen to this lesson again and again to improve my head voice.

[@corystajduhar]

I love tongue trills because I speak Spanish and it's way easier than lip rolls for me. I do the same thing you were talking about thinking the the vowels and setting it up when you are going from the tongue trill to the vowel. I really like u and i (oo and ee) because they are closed vowels and easy to focus the vocal folds. I like "wee" because it's "oo" then "ee" together. I feel like "u" helps my onset (smooth) and "i" helps me focus the vocal folds and place the sound forward.

[@singwisevocals]

I really like /i/ (EE) and /u/ (OO), too. They both have low first formants and tend to shift into head voice earlier, which makes it harder to drag up imbalances into the higher part of our range. And they're both naturally bright, which gives us a sense of stronger resonance. They're both great training vowels... unless you're training belting.

[@corystajduhar]

Yep. Ah used to be the hardest for me because in my chest voice it tended to sound the flattest. Singing with twang helped to brighten it up. EE and OO were always the best pitchwise. "Hey" has always been my go to syllable for belting. I have my favorites that help me get the sound and coordination I'm looking for.

[@mcabs6525]

Thank you for this piece. I love you

[@sol8194]

I really can't thank you enough for these videos. I've started doing these exercises and I can already hear and feel the difference in my head voice. Forever grateful and appreciative of your efforts on delivering proper singing education!

[@mushymystic]

I wish I had have found my voice at a much younger age, think of all the extra range I would have! I'm in awe at your ability to convey the ideas and theory... It's got me to a place I can make the room resonate in chest, head, (one of two tones of) whistle registers. I might not make a polished sound but it sounds more of a pure tone than I have ever been prepared to hear from myself! My neighbours' lives will never be the same 😉-🎶

[@genereybradley]

Excellent set of exercises.

[@9um9um9um]

you are very very helpful! thank you for sharing your talents - i am an upright bassist who plays jazz standards and at 47 I got this voice in my head telling me to sing - but wow are those jazz tunes challenging, my chest voice stops at an Bb but alot of the tunes go up to C, D, and E. So the question became do i sing in falsetto; but sadly my falsetto was too airy and week so I researched and discovered this idea of the "mixed voice".

[@singwisevocals]

Thanks for sharing your story! I have a few videos on the topic of mixed voice, with a focus on chest mix (M1 coordination). I'll probably record a video on how to extend the chest voice range safely soon.

[@amyoungil]

Thanks so much Karyn! Your explanations are making disparate bits of information or ponderings come together in my little brain.

[@Rosannasfriend]

Great! I've been looking into more head voice lessons anyway!

[@flintlong2937]

Thank you SO much. This is wonderful!

[@ahmadbarati1713]

Well I am so glad I have found you on KZbin. I just love the way you so patiently explain things. One question I have for you is that when I sing in "m 1" I do feel the sensation in my sinuses. Now where should I be feeling any sensation if when I sing in the head voice. Because I do not feel any sensation in any part of my Frontal sinuses. Also when I practice this head voice exercises it should be done through the entire scale I sing on or somewhere in the middle of the scale? I would really appreciate it when you had time and replied back. Thank you again for your kindness.

[@singwisevocals]

The sensations of singing differ somewhat from singer to singer, (although some seem to be fairly common). I could sing the same note three ways in M2 and feel sensations in three different ways or places. For example, if I'm singing in a 'head mix,' I feel strong sensations associated with resonance on the alveolar ridge behind my upper front teeth, but when I'm shaping my throat for a more 'legit' or 'classical' sound, I tend to feel the sensations sort of 'dispersed' throughout my upper vocal tract. We don't need to aim or 'place' our sound anywhere. Focus on the feeling of freedom, shaping the sound appropriately for the vowel and pitch and desired tone. Generally speaking, if it feels and sounds right, that's more important than 'where' you register the sensations. As for the exercises, I usually have my students start singing them in the lower middle part of the range. The bottom note for females might be C4, while the bottom note for males might be G3. We then go up to the comfortable top of the range, then back down, bringing M2 (head voice) function down as low as we can. Initially, when descending, don't be in a hurry to switch back into M1.

[@ahmadbarati1713]

Thank you so very much for the quick response. You really are awesome. I am taking your tips and advises very seriously because they helped me a great deal.

[@singwisevocals]

You're very welcome. Let me know how you do with these exercises.

[@EM-fg3hm]

Thank you so much for sharing this knowledge with me! I believe that you have much to offer many who want to understand their body and voice as singers.

[@juneguts]

Your videos are all fantastically cheery. I appreciate it.

[@singwisevocals]

Thank you. :)

[@AmriDeLeon]

You're so amazing!! How does this channel not have 1,000,000 subscribers! Only vocal teacher that has helped me.

[@singwisevocals]

Awww. Thank you so much much! I fear I'm too nerdy and technical for the average singer on KZbin. But the subscriber numbers are not why I'm here. Thank you for watching my videos.

[@EmilyMillerVoice]

singwise Nerdy and technical is awesome! So helpful, and a joy to watch. Thank you for going to the trouble of filming+editing all your expertise for us!

[@gconsoli25052008]

Very helpful exercises. Thank you 😀

[@veerabhadraraodangeti7025]

Very helpful for singing madam tq

[@MustacheVerra]

Lots of great tips as usual.

[@bruodowd]

Very informative information, thank you so much for sharing. My problem is that my right vocal chord is paralyzed due to a tracheotomy that I got in 1982 to save my life after a car accident that I had. SO I have one vocal chord that is just THERE, and one that vibrates quite well I am told by ENT's. Any thing that you could think of that I could do with this handicap would be appreciated. Thank you so much, Bruce O'Dowd.

[@birgithade5022]

Brilliant♥ Thank you!

[@lmmaude]

This problem with forcing based in anxiety is me to a T. Thank you so much!

[@kathrynclass2915]

This is so informative. Thank you. Thank you!

[@galaxygirl2636]

awesome video

[@lucymessiah]

Excellent

[@birgithade5022]

Is there something else besides M1 and M2? Love your videos 🥰 How can we strengthen weak areas of our voice? I can reach A5 in exercises. I noticed a weak spot singing F4 in a song. Any advice?

[@patrickkearns4483]

I found the Hoo to Ahh exercises to really help especially when I found I was putting more force onto the Ahh's instead of relaxed like the Hoo's, adding this to the list :)

[@singwisevocals]

I'm glad it's turning out to be a good exercise for you.

[@Sean-xt7kd]

singwisevocals Don’t know if you still answer questions old video but I have a question. I have a hard time singing in a connected head voice and I break into falsetto. Even in lip bubbles I end up cracking into falsetto. Should I continue doing these exercises if I just sing in falsetto? I’m trying to keep cords connected but having a hard time with singing like this even when trying to apply twang.

[@singwisevocals]

I always try to respond to questions when they come in! If you're flipping into falsetto, you're losing the 'connected-ness' at the glottal level. You might want to try whimpering and moaning in the higher range to help encourage better glottal compression without over doing things. Lip bubbles and tongue tip trills use only the thin edge function of the vocal folds, so they are not ideal for developing a fuller sound in the upper range. (They're good for encouraging access to M2 function and stretching the vocal folds, but not 'full voice.') Don't expect to develop this connected-ness over a broad pitch range. You have to gradually add range one semitone at a time. What many singers find - and what I've found in my own singing - is that it takes so much more 'work' to keep up the glottal compression above a given pitch (where the voice would ordinarily flip) than we imagine. The increased effort can feel disconcerting and make us worry that we're using too much effort when in fact we are simply using more than we're used to. More effort does not mean strain or forcing. But you do need to trust that your voice can probably handle more than you are currently expecting of it. That being said, doing these (and other head voice and passaggio) exercises, even if performed in falsetto, are good because they are still exercising the vocal fold stretchers and keeping the voice flexible. If you can access M2, even if it's falsetto, you can build from that. What happens if you 'speak sing' - speak the lyrics on pitch - keeping things as close to speech in coordination as possible? I'll be posting a video with Professor Michelle Breedt (probably tomorrow) and, although she is talking about the female upper range for classical singers, I think you might find some of it interesting. She talks about the feeling of having that stretch and (good/essential) tension in the instrument and how it can feel 'different' and make us want to take the easy route and 'disconnect,' instead.

[@wowawewah]

Should you sing all these started from head voice or start from your low range?

[@PapagenoHannover]

You are really good!!!

[@vilridge9702]

could you please elaborate more on what you mean by "just above our break." thank you so much! God bless!

[@jwindyheart7710]

Thank you

[@wowawewah]

Do you know much about retraction? I've tried the laugh, grin, sob, but still not sure what it really is supposed to feel like.

[@TheCEmily]

Hi! Thank you so much for the lessons you post on KZbin it helps me a lot! ❤ I wanted to ask you, because I have a doubt. When I do this exercise with vee I feel no vibrations on the lips or teeth and it feels more like I'm pushing the sound so I'm not sure if it's normal and the vibration just needs it develop over time. And then my second doubt is more general and it concerns the sounds when vocalizing I mean even in this exercise in higher notes I don't use the full voice but more like a falsetto and then I can totally sing like this even very high notes but when it comes to singing I would prefer to use a normal full voice rather than "opera" sound that I'm making, so the doubt is whether I should try sing the exercises in the full voice or keep it like this? Thank you so much for answering in advance ❤

[@jiggajames78]

So my question is, how much vocal exercise would you recommend I do before I consider do any growling?

[@singwisevocals]

I don't think it's a matter of 'how much.' Instead, you have to take a look at how solid and healthy your technique is to begin with. If you don't already have a good, healthy technical foundation, then you're likely to be growling with a voice that isn't ready and isn't doing it correctly. Whenever you're trying to learn extreme vocal sounds and techniques, it's always a good idea to get some good guidance from someone who knows how to do it well and can teach you a healthy way of doing it.

[@Rosannasfriend]

@singwisevocals , I can't hear what you're saying at 8:41 "how much pressure you need for the _______________ sound"????

[@sylviestewart7590]

This is very helpful! I am having trouble with the hoo-ahahahahah exercise. My ah falls back and loses the ease and lighter sound of the ooooooooo.

[@ruzmarin1111]

I know nothing about how to properly sing. Years ago, I sang tenor in our church choir with my mom. When the notes where too high for me to sing from my chest, I would sing from my head and my mom would tell me not to sing falsetto. So, I have always felt that I had a limited range and had a hard time singing along with songs on the radio. Even many songs sung by males felt too high for me to sing from my chest, like I was told to.

[@obeyjones7220]

When speaking/singing, do you have to keep the diaphragm expanded until the end of the phrase?

[@singwisevocals]

I'm assuming that you're asking if the lower ribs should remain expanded throughout the phrase (as the diaphragm doesn't exactly 'expand' - it lowers and rises). By the end of the phrase, the diaphragm has to be higher again in preparation for the next inhale, so we have to allow the lower ribs (to which the diaphragm is attached) to come back in. If the phrase is long, we'll want to keep the ribs expanded for at least the first part of the phrase in order to help slow the rise of the diaphragm and pace the outgoing breath. (In classical singing, we keep the lower ribs expanded for 'as long as is both possible and comfortable.') Personally, I keep my lower ribs expanded throughout most of the phrase regardless of what I'm singing - whether I'm belting, singing softly, singing a long/short phrase, etc.). Doing so helps me to maintain better control over the steadiness of my breath and helps me mitigate subglottal pressures. I hope this clears things up. If not, I'll be happy to try again.

[@obeyjones7220]

Thanks, this helps :) love learning from your vids

[@kaylabrown4095]

So, is it ok that when i sing higher , it sounds empty? Will it sound fuller with time?

[@haikalt.9279]

you should include vibrato

[@DamiOniga]

Thanks for your help when i do the V exercise i feel a lot of pressure internally and idk if that means something bad and with the last excercise when i get to the " ahhh" part i have a lot of cracking and barely have a voice.

[@singwisevocals]

Sorry about the late response. I didn't see your comment before this. Where do you feel the pressure? Some pressure above the vocal folds (in the pharynx) is normal, but it shouldn't be uncomfortable. If your voice is cracking, you probably just haven't achieved balance yet. Don't worry about the cracking. Just get the voice used to transitioning into M2 (head voice). Get the function right first, and then the aesthetics will follow later.

[@ntandoryan01]

Tip for male singers: don't stress about the exercises being optimised for the female range, simply use alto to harmonise :-)

[@raylene3418]

Are there any audio files I can download for these exercises? And thank you

[@princeshaargjiro8158]

Are these practics good for disphonia? Thanks!

[@skyylike]

Hi :) - i thought id just adress the issue i am having here and hope for some help - really liked the video but my problem is to *access* head voice in the first place - ive been trying for quite some time now but i seem to be stuck in chest voice, switching to falsetto automatically when moving higher - any ideas how i can learn to actually use head voice? Thank u so much!

[@CarinaChen0425]

Great video!

[@singwisevocals]

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@Sunnywonda]

Your tongue drops in the center when hooahahah

[@jimmycartoi7475]

So as I go higher on the piano scale if I get a little tight on the throat that’s consider to be a back pressure?

[@racetrack5614]

I can't trill at all. What should I do?

[@salkagreen9372]

Why does my voice sound breathy and husky when i do these? Can't get a clear sound

[@peggypiercefield5188]

This makes me sound like a Disney princess. Maybe Areal.

[@t.1230]

6:05 9:45 12:27

[@joykhan1713]

plz do videos about agility and eliminating nasality

[@singwisevocals]

I have a video on eliminating nasality: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHW2aHywpsx_mbM and a couple on developing agility: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4KUoZVmqJ6EiZI kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6S5iWONqa-gZ8k I hope these help.

[@jadefo2433]

9:44 12:40

[@bestlaidplansandpie]

I'm a shower/car singer. What's a head voice?

[@peggypiercefield5188]

I don't understand either. Maybe our voice if we sang disney or cheesy pop songs.

[@densanity7974]

9:47 12:44 dd

[@speedskis777]

Couldn’t do the vvvvv exercise, tickled too much hahahaha

[@Bossesroundhere]

❤❤❤

[@CountryconFusion]

I need lessons! I've had lots of them but I think you may be able to help me. I like your approach

[@raylene3418]

I'm actually really afraid of the sounds I make thanks xD they're not very motivating and I sometimes find it rather humilating to practise hah

[@saiyanrise9353]

A lot of Ccm artist sing wrong

[@singwisevocals]

That's true. But many sing properly, too. I think a lot of it comes down to the fact that so many CCM singers aren't trained.

[@saiyanrise9353]

singwisevocals do you have any tips of how to go back and forth between mixed and chest without breaking

[@singwisevocals]

The research shows that 'mixed' voice is actually either M1 (chest mix) or M2 (head mix). So, I guess it depends on whether your mixed voice is based in M1 or M2. If it's really cricothyroid dominant (M2), then it's going to be more challenging to move into any kind of M1 coordination (pure chest or chest mix), especially if that note is high in the M1 coordination and is loud and weighty and forceful. So, if your upper chest register is created with excess vocal weight - if it sounds shouty and is strident or pressed - then there isn't balance, and so any kind of switching to mix is going to clunky. How light is your mix? Also, if you're singing in M1 mixed voice, are your vowels acoustically open (yell resonance coupling) or acoustically closed (second formant dominant). You may not know, but if I were your teacher, it's one of the things that I would be listening for.

[@saiyanrise9353]

singwisevocals it’s not shorty I don’t think

[@saiyanrise9353]

I can bring my mix down to f3

[@thiago_3_m]

My head voice is horrible. It sound like a chocking duck!

[@markusg.6812]

Fuck it ill just sing subharmonics

[@nowisnownowismark8901]

All talk and commercials

[@singwisevocals]

Timestamps: Lip/tongue trills: 5:50 V-slide: 9:44 Hoo-ah: 12:29