How can you tell the difference between chest and head voice?

mcarpenter

I'm still practicing volumes 1 and 2, covering chest and head voice, and I want to make sure to build my chest voice as strong as possible before transitioning to head voice. However, I'm unsure how to tell when I'm doing this. I'm just not sure what it feels like in the vocal tract. How can you tell, or what does it feel like, when you're using only chest voice? What about only head voice?

Thanks guys!!

[Deleted User]

You say you're on volume 2, along with 1? I'm not sure how you're doing that, but before going to volume 2 you should have already been aware of the difference.
How much time did you spend on just volume 1 alone? and how long have you been doing the two volumes at once?

What is your daily exercise routine?

Head voice, It's a light sound, and resonates in the head, face, teeth. (kind of like a male trying to sing like a female)
Chest voice Has more weight, and girth resonating in the chest.

To build the chest voice you have to resist going into head voice. Go up as high as you can go in chest voice, but stop singing with the exercise once you get to a point where you want to yell, or use high volumes, and then jump back into the exercise when it descends to where you stopped and finish it off. Try to keep your volume consistent throughout the exercises.



Peace, Tony

mcarpenter

Hey Tony, I'm on volume 2. I still refer to volume 1 from time to time, but am on volume 2. I spent several months on volume 1 before even looking at volume 2. Obviously, I was trying to avoid using anything but chest voice, but since I didn't know what to look for to know when I stopped using chest voice, this was a constant concern. I want to be able to sing in high octaves with a lot of body to the sound, like Axl Rose, if that makes sense, so I'm very interested in building chest voice as strong as possible. I just want to make sure that my efforts aren't being wasted because I'm unknowingly transitioning to head voice when I try to hit the higher notes during the vocal warmups. I have a general idea of what each feels like, but I want to get as detailed as possible as I'm only now learning to sing. Thanks!

[Deleted User]

Did you get the 2.0 upgrade? In the upgrade Ken actually lets you know during the audio workouts for volume 2 when you should be transitioning from head to chest, and also when to do your vowel mods.
I'm not sure if volume 2 in 1.0 does the same because I only did volume 1 with the 1.0 version.

In volume one you were taught to do one set of exercises for bridging only, and one set for chest stretching. I'm not sure how you made it past volume 1 without knowing how to do this, but never the less you are where you are.

I would go back to volume one until you get the understanding of the head/chest voice that you want. Without that knowledge it's going to be hard for you to progress.

When you try to sing Axel Rose where does the sound resonate in your body? Head voice
Try to sing an Elvis song and see where his sound resonates in the body. Chest voice

Once you figure out the difference you will be able to direct your airflow to different areas of the throat and mouth to help with resonance to give your head voice the power, and volume you are looking for.

I'll let one of the mods finish this out if you still need help, I can only tell you what I feel, and hear when I myself am doing either chest stretching, or bridging.

Peace, Tony

mcarpenter

Tony, he hits lower notes than in Patience, and makes use of both chest and head voice. Anyway, I'm aware of the differences at the most extreme ends of each. However, there are some exercises in chest warm-ups that get pretty high, and I find it difficult to feel any resonation in the chest, or determine the different feelings between a high note produced using a lot of chest, or when I might be unintentionally leaving the chest entirely. It's a subtle distinction, but one worth noticing. I'll just wait for someone else to respond, or figure it out on my own. Also, it is spelled "Axl." Thanks for trying.

[Deleted User]

Good luck to you.

Peace, Tony