Hi Newbie here have a question about stretching chest voice :)

hedongxin

Hi guys I'm new to the forum and I have just started Volume 1. And I'm sorry if the answer to my question is always covered in the videos, but I just want to double check and make sure before I put in 100 % !! (Also English is not my first language. Even though I can speak it pretty well, I'm still worried that I might miss a few little things)

So my goal of singing is to be able to sing those really high rock songs in full chesty sounding voice. I have been singing for 3 years but never had a singing teacher, and currently I can only sing up to G4 with chest voice.

In the videos, Ken says we should stretch our chest voice as high as possible.

So my first question is, to stretch our chest voice, do we do it by using vowel modification, good diaphramatic support and keeping our throat open? To be honest, this doesn't seem as complicated as I thought it would be, it's pretty straight forward but the only hard thing is to put in a ton of work, which I'm willing to do. But I want to make sure if these are the main things I need to work on.

When I'm singing Ah vowel in "It's the law", I use the second modification to sing up to G4. And that feels better (fairly louder and fuller, steadier although still is a little unstable) than what I normally do : close down my throat and squeeze it out. But it feels like it's the limit, and I can't get any higher. (second question) Is this just because I've just started and as my voice grows, it will become easier and have more space so I can sing higher?

And I've always seen on the internet that sing very high with your chest voice (pretty similar to the word "stretch") is bad for your voice. Of course when you just simply yell it up there like I normally do, it will hurt your voice. (Thrid question) And this kinda of yelling "stretch" is different from the "stretch" that Ken teaches us to do right?

And also, (fourth question ) what is that bright Ping sound? Is it when you make a very nasally voice and there is a kinda sharp and whiny frequency in the sound?

About the audio workouts, do we just need to apply what Ken talks about in the videos (vowel modification, posture, open throat, breathing) and sing along? Is that how we are supposed to workout everyday?


Thanks in advanced!! I've always loved to sing and express myself, but more and more singing is becoming really furstrating and scary to me because I don't have the range to sing the songs I love. Now that I know what I need to do to really develop my voice, I'm excited but also scared that I might not be on the right track, so just want to check everything first!!

Thanks again, and sorry if this kind of questions have been asked a million times on the forum

highmtn

As you continue to work the scales everyday, your vocal strength and range should gradually increase. This won't be immediate, but rather, over a period of time: Weeks, Months, even Years. Your chest voice will gradually be able to reach higher notes, and yes, the vowel mods help you to go a little higher than you can without them.

You're right. You don't just "yell" to stretch your voice. That IS bad. But gradually, and gently continuing to work the top of your range can gradually stretch it safely into higher notes than you can presently sing. This takes a LONG time, but it works. If you don't force it, you can do it without hurting your voice.

You stretch gently, and very gradually add a little more volume, but not much, and not very soon. You want to introduce the new notes gently, and give your voice time to grow the notes.

The bright ping is bringing your vocal cords together, so that instead of an airy sound, you get a sound with more bright tone, and much less airy sounding. It's different from the whiny, nasal sound. It's a bright Ping of the vocal cords making a pure, bright tone.

You watch the videos to be taught about the voice and about the exercises. Ken explains the overall picture to you. It's fine to sing along with the examples he shows in the videos. The actual work you will be doing on your voice happens in the audio exercises/warmups. That is what you will be doing for an hour or so every day, 5 or 6 days a week. That is what will grow your voice. The videos are to teach you how to do the exercises in the audio portions of the course.

Doing those exercises every day is what will grow your voice. Doing them the way Ken shows you is important. Practicing faithfully is important. Give it time. If you do your part every day, you will see your range and tone growing more and more.

All the Best!

Bob

hedongxin

Thank you Bob!

It's amazing I always thought that it's impossible to stretch your chest voice range. And also if you yell the highest note in your chest range everyday to "stretch", your chest voice range will actually shrink due to the damage of your cords. So what Ken teaches is the way to stretch chest voice SAFELY?

Also now I understand the concept of vowel modifications pretty well, but when it comes to apply it to actual singing I'm still a little confused. Ken talks about 4 vowels in volume 1, and the different modifications for each of them as you ascend in the scale. So when you are singing a word in an actual song, you look at what vowel does that word use, and then depend on how high the note is, you find out what modification you use to sing that word? And if it doesn't use any of the 4 vowels, you kind of tweak it a little bit so it will become similar to one of the 4 vowels mechinically in your throat, but also still sound like the original pronounciation? It sounds pretty complicated, but maybe after months of training with the simple scale, my throat or cords will get used to the feeling, and so when I sing a note, it will naturally fall into the right modification without me thinking about it? And in the other parts of the pro bundle Ken will teach us how exactly to apply this to actual singing right? Maybe I'm a little ahead of myself but I want to know this as soon as possible, just to ingrain the concept in my head!

Thank you

highmtn

Your sense of modifying the vowels comes with practice and experience. No matter what you sing, it will be on vowels. There are more vowels that will come into play. You start with the basic vowels and learn the rules on them.

You should never yell the highest note you can sing. You ease into the notes and gradually begin to lean into them, after establishing the note more gently.

We start with scales on single vowels, then with dual vowels, just to keep things simple. You have to learn to do things simply at first, and then add more complexity after mastering the techniques in the simplified stage first.

hedongxin

Ok got it!
Now I'm pretty excited!


Thank you so much for answering Bob!