Head Voice - I can't do it

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 6:08 pm

Am I immune. Jeez. I'd really like some info on head voice because,

1) I don't know if I fully understand what it is, what it's definition is, what separates it from falsetto...etc.

2) I have wondered for years if perhaps, simply, SOME PEOPLE CANNOT DO IT. Just as I am nearly certain there are people who could not sing on key if their lives hung in the balance.

So, come on. Head Voice. It has mystified me for years. Over a decade. Who can give me some low-down info on head voice?

In the end, I want to be able to achieve it. Anyone with tips, please fork them out. Do you have to sing a certain way in the first place to even have the capacity to nail head voice? Some people seem to slip into it naturally. The only thing I slip into naturally are my boxer briefs. Show me the head voice!

Dustin

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 6:29 pm

Here's some good articles on it:

http://www.vocalist.org.uk/headorchest.html

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view.php/1492

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_registers

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 6:31 am

very nice links, roguescout. Thumbs Up

fjell_strom, have you also considered looking for a teacher?

Singers that use headvoice regularly

Steve Hogarth - Marillion
Jon Anderson - Yes
Jeff Buckley (used to use, regretfully) Crying or Very sad

You know that feeling when you're tired or up too early? You start to yawn. Try to sing a high note or begin at a comfortable note and make a glissando up. Your head voice should kick in automatically.

Aside from that, singing is best when fit and relaxed.

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 1:03 pm

As you probably already know your headvoice is your higher range but doesn't have to be in the falsetto range. You're most likely using you're headvoice more often than you really think. Good way to practice is saying ahs as low as you can, feel your chest resonate, slowly go up the scale and you should feel the resonance climb up your chest and eventually end up in your head. Its really hard to describe what you feel but as you get into your head voice you'll feel the muscles in your neck tighten more, you may notice your adams apple climbing up your throat slightly and mostly you should just feel it in your head. If you feel like you can't get into your headvoice then you may be a full blown bass but i've never seen one that couldn't use his head voice. If its that important to you hire a voice coach for a session or two.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 7:08 am

The most recent answer in the second link is best "stop calling head voice falsetto".

Head voice is an area of resonance and quality of sound in the upper range. It is the area of the voice above the full chest voice and the "blended voice". It is usually made with less air and similar support as the voice passes through the passagio ( break) and above the range possible with chest resonance. It can be very difficult to achieve without a vocal coach because an outside set of ears and eyes is almost required.

Falsetto is, by definition, a false sound. The entire vocal band is not vibrating in the process and the quality of voice is remarkably different than the normal tone as a result.

I've had good luck with my vocal students who can sing in falsetto working downward from a high range into the chest voice. Usually scale degree 5,4,3,2,1 on a very comfortable open vowel like AH.
Work as low as possible trying to maintain the falsetto tone. When the chest voice engages (and it will usually with a clunk) start over at the bottom with the falsetto tone and work back up. Do this everyday. It only takes 5-10 minutes. Eventually over time you may be able to engage more and more of your real voice (blended) and then into the true upper range (head voice)

Good luck and keep us posted

Phil

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:24 am

You fellas are the best. I have struggled with headvoice so long that I decided nearly a decade ago that "I just can't do it." But being hit with a flood of information and suggestion has reengaged my sense of possibilty. I'm taking all advice given and reading all materials and gonna give it all a try.

My dream is to be able to sing Elton John's "Someone Saved My Life Tonight". That's my acid test.

Thanks for all the words.
Smile

Dustin

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