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Re: How to Stretch Chest Voice (i.e. Call Register): Sing Lightly or Belt?
You have to stretch chest voice lightly. You want to stretch. Don't strain. If you're straining, you'll need to reduce the volume and stretch more gently. Give it time. It's important to use diaphragmatic support and avoid overblowing the vocal cords. Don't try to march right up the scale. This takes months and even years. So you'll just be adding one note at a time, nurturing it and growing it, and as it takes root, gradually adding another half-step, and working on that one and so on.
Call register is at a slightly elevated volume. That volume helps to remain in chest register, rather than slipping into head voice. But if the notes aren't there, you'll have to start out small, and work your way up.
Better to be able to sing the note in a smaller voice than to blow it out by forcing a note that's just not there, yet.
I repeat. This is a long process, but it works. As the notes take root, and begin to grow, you can begin to lean into them with a little more volume, gradually, until they are full-fledged, official call register notes.
Call register is at a slightly elevated volume. That volume helps to remain in chest register, rather than slipping into head voice. But if the notes aren't there, you'll have to start out small, and work your way up.
Better to be able to sing the note in a smaller voice than to blow it out by forcing a note that's just not there, yet.
I repeat. This is a long process, but it works. As the notes take root, and begin to grow, you can begin to lean into them with a little more volume, gradually, until they are full-fledged, official call register notes.
highmtn
7 ·
Re: Advice Needed!!!
Ken has slots available, but you have to work with his scheduler to find what works for you and for him.
What he will go over with you first is everything that is in his course. His course is about the essential elements of singing, so it is impractical to have Ken go over everything in his course, paying by the hour, when you can learn that information on your own time, without paying by the hour. THEN book a lesson with him to make sure you're doing things right. But you can also do that here, on the forums and get feedback if your are doing things correctly.
Obviously, the more you work with Ken, the more accurate the corrections will be. But doing Ken's course is a bargain. Compared to the cost of one-on-one lessons, you are getting top-notch information. Learn all you can from his course, use the community here for help, and then if you need more information, go to the Source and ask Ken directly.
What he will go over with you first is everything that is in his course. His course is about the essential elements of singing, so it is impractical to have Ken go over everything in his course, paying by the hour, when you can learn that information on your own time, without paying by the hour. THEN book a lesson with him to make sure you're doing things right. But you can also do that here, on the forums and get feedback if your are doing things correctly.
Obviously, the more you work with Ken, the more accurate the corrections will be. But doing Ken's course is a bargain. Compared to the cost of one-on-one lessons, you are getting top-notch information. Learn all you can from his course, use the community here for help, and then if you need more information, go to the Source and ask Ken directly.
highmtn
2 ·
Re: I think my voice has changed from lifting heavy weights.
It’s a great question, Chris. And I don’t know if there’s an easy answer. While strength training does raise testosterone, there will most likely be a great deal a variability amongst individuals in how much it’s raised, how long it stays raised, and it’s impact on the voice. Exogenous testosterone does thicken the vocal cords and lower the timbre of transitioning female to male trans individuals; however, in males taking exogenous testosterone I’m not certain that this is as marked. And would naturally boosting endogenous testosterone via strength training have anywhere near the same effect? I’m not sure. If I had to guess, I would venture your increased resonance through the lower register and ability to access lower notes without having to drop the larynx as low would most likely be multi-factorial. Perhaps strength training has contributed to some vocal fold thickening, but it’s also helped train the musculature needed for diaphragmatic support which can increase resonance. I’m assuming your voice is also much more trained now than when you embarked on this strength training regimen. Vocal training could probably impact resonance and ability to access lower notes with more freedom as well due to the mechanisms involved (support, glottal compression, vowel shapes, etc) being more practiced. If I recall, one of the issues I raised when we were submitting “assignments” was that you occasionally sounded nasal. How much has continued vocal training improved your ability to shift your resonance lower?
RandyB
1 ·