5 Things You Must Do Now to Always Go Smoothly From Chest Voice to Head Voice (and From Head Voice to Chest Voice)

Many people use the terms “chest voice” and “head voice” to refer to different things. Let me clarify how I use those terms so we are on the same page.

Our vocal range can be divided into different sections called “registers”. They are the lower, middle and upper registers. Traditionally, the lower register is referred to as the chest voice register; and the upper register is referred to as the head voice register.

When we sing notes in our different registers, the notes sound a certain way. We call that “tone color” or “voice quality”.

When we sing notes in our lower register/chest voice register, they sound warm, heavy and thick. We call this chest voice quality or speech quality.

When we sing notes in our upper register/head voice register, they can sound resonant and loud (head voice quality) or breathy and soft (falsetto quality).

To recap, our vocal range can be divided into different “registers”: lower (chest) register, middle register and upper (head) register. The notes we sing within each register sound different. We call that “voice quality”: chest voice/speech quality, head voice quality and falsetto quality.

Common Mistakes/Scenarios

When we are singing a melody that goes from low to high pitches (ascending) or high to low pitches (descending), we transition between different registers. If this transition is not managed well, the voice will crack, become unstable or go out of tune.

Here are some common mistakes singers make when transitioning between the lower and upper registers.

Breath Pressure Too High (When Ascending)
Pushing too much air and pushing air out too hard (also known as high breath pressure) is a common mistake singers make when going from lower to upper register (chest to head register). This happens because you need more air when singing high notes, but not too much. Failing to adjust the breath pressure will result in vocal strain, voice cracks and a harsh vocal tone.

Breath Pressure Too Low (When Descending)
On the other hand, low notes require less air to sing. When singing low notes straight after singing high notes, using too little air will cause the voice to be unstable.

Constricting the Vocal Tract
Your vocal tract is shown (in green) below:

It is very common for singers to constrict (tighten) the vocal tract when singing high notes. This results in vocal strain, voice cracks and a harsh vocal tone.

Too chest voice dominant (related to vocal folds length & thickness)
When singing low notes in chest voice quality/speech quality, our vocal folds are thick and short. The folds get longer and thinner as we sing higher. However, if our vocal folds stay too thick and short when singing high notes, voice cracks and vocal strain will happen.

Performance anxiety
It is natural to feel anxious when transitioning between different registers. There is so much going on and that leads to micromanaging. The strange thing is that the more we micromanage, the harder it is to control our voice. When our voice does not behave the way we want it to, this perpetuates performance anxiety. It is a vicious cycle that needs to be broken.

Solutions

Here, I will lay out some solutions to the common mistakes/scenarios mentioned above.

Breath Pressure Too High (When Ascending)
Having optimal breathing technique helps to provide consistent and efficient breath support when transitioning between registers. Keep your rib cage expanded and engage your core muscles when singing high notes. There is no shortcut to knowing how much air you need to sing high notes well. The only way to know is by practicing, making mistakes and learning from your mistakes.

Breath Pressure Too Low (When Descending)
Having optimal breathing technique helps to provide consistent and efficient breath support when transitioning between registers. Keep your rib cage expanded and engage your core muscles even when singing low notes. It is tempting to relax too much when singing low notes because you feel you do not need much air. Doing that will destabilize your voice and make you go out of tune.  There is no shortcut to knowing how much air you need to sing low notes well. The only way to know is by practicing, making mistakes and learning from your mistakes.

Constricting the Vocal Tract
When you have proper breath support, the next thing to work on would be widening your vocal tract. The vocal tract is like a hose that can get wider or narrower. By widening your vocal tract, you make room for your vocal folds to vibrate freely. You also increase the resonating space in your larynx so that your notes can project more easily. I teach this technique in my Shower to Stage Academy.

Too Chest Voice Dominant (Related to Vocal Folds Length & Thickness)
Regardless of the genre you sing in and your voice type, developing your falsetto forms a strong foundation for smooth register transition. Falsetto quality is that breathy and soft voice that comes out when you sing high notes lightly. Although it is not a projecting voice quality (not loud), it is the basis of a strong and resonant head voice quality (that louder voice you use when you sing high notes). When singing in falsetto, your vocal folds get very thin and long. This trains you to know how to lengthen your folds when going from lower to upper register. When you can do this well, your register transition will be smooth and your voice will sound more blended.

Performance Anxiety
If register transition is an issue for you, practice that skill separately from the other skills. Set aside time to work on register transition only. Do breathing exercises to manage the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as rapid heart rate, sweaty palms and a busy mind. Mentally prepare for the notes before you start to sing them. Use imageries and intention to approach the transitions. Some imageries I love include: going up to the low note and going down to the high note.

Approach register transition training as you would a physical training session. Do a few repetitions then rest. When you are attempting a rep, trust your training and just go for it. Avoid over-analyzing because you will be taking your mind off of imageries and make it hard to control your voice holistically. Record yourself doing the rep so you can leave the analyzing until after you’ve done the repetition.

Conclusion

Smooth register transition is a crucial part of being a singer. It involves many different areas of vocal technique, so have patience and determination when working on each area. The time you spend working on register transition will be worth it because your singing will get to a whole new level when you finally master this skill.