04 Head Voice

In this lesson, we’ll talk about:

Head voice: what it is and how to access it.
The difference between head voice and falsetto.
The importance of developing head voice for the contemporary mix voice.
Head voice exercises to build your upper range.

Audio Workout

Downloads

257 Responses

Funny, I don’t think I ever knew there was a difference between falsetto and head voice!

Charmaine Brown says:
July 18, 2020 at 8:40 pm
The terms are used interchangeably in the music world, which causes a lot of confusion!

I am having trouble keeping up with the pace/speed of the vocal scale exercises. (Breathing in between, accuracy of pitch) Any suggestions? Anyone else finding them too fast? I am sure there is a reason for the speed. Is it to develop strength?

Charmaine Brown says:
July 18, 2020 at 8:38 pm
Hey Linda! Yes, I originally recorded them at that speed because flexibility goes hand-in-hand with head voice, and the speed of the exercises helps to build that at the same time—but I agree, they’re a bit too challenging, so I’m actually re-doing these workouts this summer to launch in the fall (I wish I had them ready now, but not yet!). Keep working with them (and/or if you can do some of them a cappella slower, feel free to do that)—even if you don’t hit every note on pitch, your voice will gain so much flexibility and strength in head voice just by doing them!
TammieLou says:
July 16, 2020 at 5:16 pm
I struggle with it at times as well. Some of the sounds we make, I am able to do them fast; but others, not so much.

The Goo and Gee exercises feel easiest – as you said in the video, having that push off point is very helpful. Did not feel that same push in the Wee long scale exercise. This was the most challenging. My vocal chords hurt a bit after that one and I wonder if I was wavering into Falsetto or using Chest voice? I did not hear myself stay on pitch during the Wee exercise. I strained to reach the highest notes in the workout scales in the Wee long scale but seemed to reach them in the Goo and Gee. I felt relaxed except for in the Wee long scale that is why I am submitting the video doing this exercise. I felt most relaxed in the BWOOP and BEEP exercises.
I think head voice is still stronger for me than chest voice because it feels as if my tone is clearer and I have more power but I see and feel that I am not consistent. I also seem to default to chest voice although I do not think it is very well developed.
Another aha moment that caught my attention and I wonder about in my voice: “constant extra air passing over the vocal cords. It’s not an efficient coordination to use if you want strength and power, because a breathy voice falls apart easily, especially going over the vocal bridge”

Charmaine Brown says:
July 18, 2020 at 8:35 pm
Hey Linda! Yes, usually the issue with the WEE is that there’s too much breathiness in the sound, so be listening for that in your voice!

One of my aha moments is that “Falsetto cannot be strengthened because there is no foundation of vocal chord closure”. It caused me to think of singers like Frankie Valley (Big Girls Don’t Cry) or Adam Levine that seem to use a lot of falsetto but also seem to sing powerfully. Where/how are they using their voices?

Charmaine Brown says:
July 18, 2020 at 8:34 pm
Both those singers sing with a ton of pure head voice (not so much a breathy falsetto)—which is why they’re able to sing powerfully up in the high range!

I really liked how you explained the difference between head voice and falsetto. That makes sense to me but I have never had that explained to me before. I feel like the exercises with the Goo and Gee sounds are the hardest for me in some ways as far as how quickly they move but I do understand the importance of them for being able to have a harder sound. The BWOOP and BEEP exercises were the easiest for me. I still struggle a little to feel the resonance between my eyes but I feel like I feel this better than I identify where my chest voice is working.

Charmaine Brown says:
July 18, 2020 at 8:33 pm
Keep working with the exercises—they will become more comfortable the more you do them!

04 Head Voice

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