15 The Light Voice

In this lesson, we’ll explore the what, when, why and how of singing softly, and how to build stability in your voice so you can sing lightly without your voice cracking and breaking! The light voice workout will increase your vocal flexibility and add beauty and freedom to your voice!

See the lesson resources below to:

download the lesson notes (in Downloads tab)
download the vocal workout for offline use (in Downloads tab)

Audio Workout

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30 Responses

Hi Charmaine! This lesson has really challenged me more than the Power Voice! It has really been a process of learning how to relax and focus at the same time so I love these exercises. Quick question! By doing these exercises my whistle voice got unlocked and I was able to get up there without tensing myself which was amazing for me to experience, I got so excited that I want to start working on my whistle register right away but wanted to ask for your advice. Should I wait till I finish this course and then move onto developing my whistle voice? Also, if you happen to know any resources or a good teacher/channel that teaches a healthy technique for developing this voice?

Charmaine Brown says:

June 6, 2020 at 3:57 pm

Hey! That’s exciting that your whistle range was unlocked! I don’t focus on whistle because those super super high notes are very unnecessary for the contemporary genre, and I don’t know of any resources specifically for that, sorry!

Hey Charmaine! I’ve just gone through the lesson and am looking forward to diving in on the workout and application tomorrow. Say, I noticed that in the last couple/few lessons, you recommended only doing one or two song applications per day. Do you recommend the same here? Or is the light voice easier on the voice itself (though not easier to do!), so we’re good to do all three song applications?

Charmaine Brown says:

March 28, 2020 at 12:59 pm

Hey Ashley! The light voice stuff is definitely easier on the voice, so feel free to do all three song application exercises—however, the other part of the reason I only assign 1-2 is because quality is more important than quantity! It’s good to spend some time really focusing/honing in on an exercise, rather than trying to fit multiple into a day.

1. Ashley Milsop says:
  
  March 28, 2020 at 3:49 pm
  
  Gotcha! I am one with more time on my hands now than usual, so I will just see how each day presents itself. Thanks, Charmaine!
  
  1. Charmaine Brown says:
    
    March 28, 2020 at 7:44 pm
    
    Totally! You’re welcome!

I enjoyed this lesson immensely. I’ve been so concentrating on getting a power mix that I hadn’t realized you must have moments in the song like these lighter tones to make a beautiful contrast. I found my voice much more expressive and smoother when doing a light voice (to my surprise)!

Charmaine Brown says:

February 28, 2020 at 1:53 pm

Wonderful! Yes, the light mix provides such a beautiful contrast!

Realised that singing in a light mix needs much focus as well! That singing lighter does not mean letting it all go, but being intentional about every word. Learnt too, that it makes so much of a difference if I could sing in different mixes which really adds layers and dynamics.

After this lesson, I think I kinda realised that I had incorrectly thought that a “power mix” = a loud “light mix”. It is not so! A power mix has to be wayyyy different, way more powerful, and using different parts of my voice than just a loud light mix (which was what I was doing…!). Really need to go back to the power mix lesson and exercises!

Charmaine Brown says:

February 26, 2020 at 6:42 pm

For sure! Great revelations and so important to work on these things!

Maureen Pedersen says:

February 26, 2020 at 10:22 am

Is it ok to go in and out of connected tone and breathy in the light mix? I’m hearing quite a few worship artists doing this in their light head voices. I thought one should always try to stay connected and never breathy? I understand in the exercises one should stay connected but in songs are we allowed to do breathy for effect (as in the lullaby song)?

1. Charmaine Brown says:
  
  February 26, 2020 at 6:44 pm
  
  Absolutely—a bit of breathy texture here and there is totally fine (I talk about this in my lessons on texture). What we don’t want is to sing breathy all the time though!

I’m really going to have to work on the sustained hum. I’m terrible at it right now. I’m just curious what aspect of the voice improves as I’m able to 20 seconds and longer?

Charmaine Brown says:

February 26, 2020 at 6:41 pm

Control and stamina!

15 The Light Voice

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