Thanks, the controlled exhale tip was the game changer for me. I was doing the "lift heavy" compression but by HOLDING my breath, and now it feels like I'm working with my body rather than against.
Thanks for that tip about "support = controlled exhalation", just hearing that I can tell that it's going to be monumentally useful. And another thanks for not perpetuating the myth of your vocal range being set in stone, I've only been singing for a couple years and my range has gotten a lot wider since I started but I can't imagine how discouraging hearing something like "your range is determined by your genetics and nothing else" would have been back then.
My first teacher in the late 90's actually told me that I would only be able to sing Johnny Cash songs because of my voice - and as much as I love Johnny, it wasn't where my heart was at. It's a shame an off handed comment can tear so many people down in such a big way - but, I get them every now and again from people, so I'm starting to just share the comments and advise otherwise. Best - K
You're the best of the best man. Just put a direct link to this video on my home screen, so I can internalise it few times a week. A whole course worth of info here
I have seen these other big channels and the weird advice they give. Funny thing is, you can sing so much better than any other channel I've watched, my voice has improved tenfold from your advice after just a couple weeks compared to the months I spent following advice from these other channels. Your voice speaks volumes for your knowledge. Keep it up dude, thanks for the great advice, loving your covers & songs too 🙇
YES. The "bathroom movement" nonsense never did anything for me except tense my throat. I did that for awhile until Eric Arceneaux got me to focus more on the epigastrium for support. Thank God for guys like you and him. There really is horrible and dangerous advice out there.
You answer a couple of questions for me today. Thank you. I never realized why some songs were harder for me to reach high notes And some give me no trouble at all. I never related to vowels. I’m 72 years old by the way so you can teach an old dog new tricks.
What you describe is more of a change of tonality for your existing head voice range rather than a 'new range' as such I guess. A useful one to many a rock singer though! I do use my head voice quite happily (don't sing things as heavy as your typical content, often folk) but on occasion find it hard to hit my top note that is usually not a strain (same song, same sound), like something odd is happening in my throat. I'm not worried about this being in mixed voice (no need for a different tone) but can't fathom what I do different/wrong sometimes. Very weird.... it doesn't feel at all different until I try that note.
The vowel/space applies even in what you're calling your true chest voice - yes, even down at an A2 or so, this vowel is shifting in frequency as you ascend, so, the advice applies even if you're not interested in singing high songs. So no, this isn't just "changing the tone of your existing head voice", it's shifting the frequency of the vowel to allow your pitch to ascend in full voice, regardless of register. So, if you're singing the word "hey" at a D4, or even D3, it still should be slightly shifting back into the vowel space in a subtle way regardless of the style you sing, and be sung more like "h-EH" - it's simply how frequencies function within the voice. Best - K
Please explain my issue between wanting the word to be clear so its understood or to color the word/vowels so probably ya cant understand the word but it allows for a better singing style. Not that I cant color the word but again Im caught up with losing the word clearity.
Sounds like you're changing the vowel, not colouring the same/right vowel. You'll notice the vowel doesn't actually change (ie: EE doesn't become EH - it stays as EE, however the space in the back changes subtly). There's two+ formants in each vowel - think of the front as clarity/pronunciation, and the back as your structure. Ergo, colour the structure, not the pronunciation when you modify your vowel and sing higher.
thanks for the advise man. can you make a video, where you sing the modified vowel on chest voice , say man in the box, so we can practice and learn how to make it sound better on falsetto (mix if done correctly)?
Thanks - the point here, however, is that the shift in the vowel is actually a shift in register. So, it's not about just pronouncing a different sound; it's about shifting the space of that vowel when you sing in an alternate register. Man in the Box is mixed voice, the vowel on the belts is mostly EH, which is your first/fourth shift in your vowels.
My teacher says my voice is light and not suited for rock, grunge music and I refuse to believe that. Plus I was showing her Man In The Box video and she immediately says " I already know it's going to be just noise" . Being so close minded to what direction I want to go in just brings me down. She wants me suited for jazz which I don't find myself in at all even if I like to listen to it sometimes
She obviously has no idea what she's talking about - a teacher is there to help you with your goals, not tell you what you can and can't do. Story of my life when I was taking training. So, find another teacher. Surely there's someone else in your area you can work with? If you want to sing rock, go to someone that specialises in light. Chester Bennington had a light cartoony boy voice - but sounded awesome. Sebastian Bach speaks like he inhaled helium - great rock voice. Kurt Cobain. Layne. All high/light voices - all great rock singers. K
@@FoundationVocalStudio thank you so much for your reply, K. You're right, she doesn't know what she's talking about and the worst thing is she is only in her early 40s but so rooted in the same old classical ways of teaching. She snubbed me when showing her Alice In Chains, even the Mtv unplugged show, she just refuses to even take an open minded listen. And she says my voice is light, but fails to notice all of the great singers you mentioned.The only face to face option in my area is a class with her because every teacher around is the same and I'm torn between learning whatever she can offer as fundamentals or really finding another option. But I will definitely scrape some money to try your course. Yours and the tvs are the only ones I find truly worth it by looking at your channels. I also thank you for answering my email regarding this, where I spoke of the Man In The Box issue and your vowel advice, in my state of being down, I reached out to both places
This is awesome..! I've seriously neglected vowel sounds and I think that's what's causing my super late bridging. After developing this sound, can I then choose to stylisticly darken it (similar to say, Jeff Buckley or Conor Mason) or is the raised larynx a necessity for this technique?
Jeff Buckley is extremely bright - but, there's a lot of air in his tone, and yes, he's going for a smaller vowel to bring in a more heady tone even in the mid range. So, yes, wider vowels/shortening the tract will make you belt like Danzig or Dave Grohl, and lengthening it will balance it out
Watching this again, trying find some specific info. You are mentioning other channels. Many are speaking about going nasal to find high notes. Maybe I’m mistaking but I don’t think you ever mentioned this. What do you think about this? Nasality for getting high.
When the palate is raised to allow space for your resonance/vowel and range, the velar pharyngeal port actually closes off as the palate raises - meaning, there's no airflow through the nose on the vowel. So, no, true nasality is the enemy of an effortless high range - however, if they're inadvertently referring to twang and placement as 'nasality', then in part yes - this is important. Part of the bright tone you need to sing well is related to the smaller formant in either vowel group, which becomes complimentary with twang and placement in a way to give a forward and bright tone. This gives you cut and volume and allows you to sing with less weight and more cut in the sound - allowing you to sing higher IF you sing your vowel in the right way.
I can do that 'lay' scale from ur demonstration in chest voice and I still have more room at the top. I know that's wrong... but when I do it crossing into head (no break), then the top note sounds mickey mouse-ish...I can not get any kind of grit up there...🤔
So, the color of your vowel at the top is wrong (and likely through the centre). Grit is also a separate conversation - you need to look at the TONE of your voice up here - instead of Mickey, go for Gargamel from the Smurfs or a witchy sound. K
There was one on the old channel, there's another in the pipeline. It would have to be lower than that for me as G3 is kinda high in my voice - the premise will be the same for you however. Best - K
i can use my head voice but it still sounds like a big opera woman... not very usefull for rock music. I m stuck and don t know what to do with that... I m with a vocal coach since 3 years and i can t see any solution for that so i don t use my head voice and i m very limited with my vocal range.
There's a reason some people call this 'mixed voice' - it's part head, part chest. If you've got a split between the two and it's not really a gradient, this is likely a fundamental problem, and likely an issue with how you sing your vowels. Try the tip in this tutorial of singing back and up into the palate instead of pushing the sound out of your mouth. If you're flipping to head, it's likely you're delaying this transition and making yourself weaker in the process. K
@@FoundationVocalStudio thank you for your answer and your videos. your advice of exhaling the air helped me a lot! it keeps me away from blocking my throat when i try to sing high notes and furthermore oblige me to have a better support. thank you again
basically because of you i can sing without wanting to kill myself after and my range went from a solid middle F-G# (yes you read that right) to a full 3 octave range i learned so fcking much from your channel you wouldnt believe it.. i cannot thank you enough man i went years trying to figure it out myself screaming at the top of my lungs type of stuff if it wasnt for your channel i probably would have irreversible voice damage by now i truely believe that if one can speak (yes just speak) he can learn to sing pretty damn decent!!! for the none believers: imagine u speak to a cute animal, mess around with young children or something probably you are already using a register that goes way higher than anything you could imagine to sing! go try out how high of a sound u can make it may sound stupid or cartoony before learning proper technique but if u can manage to do these "dumb sounds" thats already proof that its possible to get those very same notes or go even higher! dont believe these idiot classical vocal teachers please just dont they straight up kill artists at this point ..BELIEVE THIS MAN RIGHT HERE AND YOULL GET SOMEWHERE I PROMISE!!!! AND ALL THIS IS FOR FREE TOO!!!!! to you kegan: thank you thank you thank you ill always check in with your channel as long as you make these videos man feels good to see u active here keep doing what you doing (this channel, your own music stuff) you are amazing!
How do I find my head voice though? I've found something above F4#, but I think it's Flageolet because if I try to use any support at all to add any kind of volume, it falls apart.
"add volume" - don't. Work on connecting it downwards to chest without volume and what you're calling "support" - likely, you're just pushing the sound. K
@@FoundationVocalStudio thanks, I'm working on sirens through my chest and whatever this is. I'm still not convinced it's head voice though, I just reached a very quiet d6 with it. It just sounds more like people's examples of flageolet than head voice. I can mostly go through my break to hit without flipping or any kind of tension as long as I keep the volume at a low level, I just can't hear it if I'm in a louder environment, it's too quiet. I'll continue practicing connecting it though. Really appreciate you replying dude ❤️
so, if it connects without change then it's not flageolet, you can't really go from head voice to whistle without a switc because the setup of the folds is physically different and 'closed' in whistle. So, work on the quality of your resonance and work towards closure - volume is a red herring. K@@Elwon20
@@FoundationVocalStudio sorry I think I miss used the word connects... It absolutely 100% changes tone, but it doesn't flip, crack or get stuck (if I'm doing it very well). It absolutely doesn't 'connect' as in smoothly flow through without a sudden change in tone, unless I seriously brighten up just beneath it. But I'll keep working on it. I just don't want to put hours and hours into trying to 'connect' something that it turns out simply cannot be connected because I'm in the wrong register 🤣😭
![c̶h̶e̶s̶t̶y̶ ̶m̶i̶x̶? Sing high notes in full voice [Vocal Fold Closure 101]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jjAWMbMRhcg/mqdefault.jpg)
You seem more like a friend than a teacher.
I'll take that as a compliment!
@@FoundationVocalStudio As well you should! Down to earth, telling it like it is, with a friendly "take it or leave it" attitude.
Thanks, the controlled exhale tip was the game changer for me. I was doing the "lift heavy" compression but by HOLDING my breath, and now it feels like I'm working with my body rather than against.
Thanks for that tip about "support = controlled exhalation", just hearing that I can tell that it's going to be monumentally useful. And another thanks for not perpetuating the myth of your vocal range being set in stone, I've only been singing for a couple years and my range has gotten a lot wider since I started but I can't imagine how discouraging hearing something like "your range is determined by your genetics and nothing else" would have been back then.
My first teacher in the late 90's actually told me that I would only be able to sing Johnny Cash songs because of my voice - and as much as I love Johnny, it wasn't where my heart was at. It's a shame an off handed comment can tear so many people down in such a big way - but, I get them every now and again from people, so I'm starting to just share the comments and advise otherwise. Best - K
You're the best of the best man. Just put a direct link to this video on my home screen, so I can internalise it few times a week. A whole course worth of info here
Such a great vocal coach!
I have seen these other big channels and the weird advice they give. Funny thing is, you can sing so much better than any other channel I've watched, my voice has improved tenfold from your advice after just a couple weeks compared to the months I spent following advice from these other channels. Your voice speaks volumes for your knowledge. Keep it up dude, thanks for the great advice, loving your covers & songs too 🙇
Yes, starting at the top in falsetto and going down works for me. I can see how this will take a load of practice.
HOLY COW YOU UNLOCKED MY MIX WITHOUT SOUNDING LIKE A HELIUM BALLOON AND HURT MY VOICE
Yep, that's what I do. All the best K
You’re our school , that last vocal coach I had didn’t really have any idea about modern singing
Thanks,Kegan! Right to the point!
i never heard anyone sing a scale with that much grit .sounds great
YES. The "bathroom movement" nonsense never did anything for me except tense my throat. I did that for awhile until Eric Arceneaux got me to focus more on the epigastrium for support. Thank God for guys like you and him. There really is horrible and dangerous advice out there.
You answer a couple of questions for me today. Thank you.
I never realized why some songs were harder for me to reach high notes And some give me no trouble at all. I never related to vowels.
I’m 72 years old by the way so you can teach an old dog new tricks.
I have a 78yo student learning "highway star" currently - I've seen it all before ha. Thanks, and best to you and yours K
This was fantastic. Great job.
Thank you Kegan for your brilliant tips again😃✌️
See you soon mate! Hope all is well - K
Superb. Once again. Thank you
Thank you
Man where's your beard?!
Amazing stuff as always, can't wait for the next lesson 👌
Ha - my eldest daughter asked to see my real face (I've had a beard since she was born). She immediately asked me to "put it back on" however 🤣
@@FoundationVocalStudio ahahaha
@@FoundationVocalStudio hahaha!
Yes
Great content once again mate! and where can I get that Black Crowes?
The shirt? 2006ish Aus tour merch 😎
What you describe is more of a change of tonality for your existing head voice range rather than a 'new range' as such I guess. A useful one to many a rock singer though!
I do use my head voice quite happily (don't sing things as heavy as your typical content, often folk) but on occasion find it hard to hit my top note that is usually not a strain (same song, same sound), like something odd is happening in my throat. I'm not worried about this being in mixed voice (no need for a different tone) but can't fathom what I do different/wrong sometimes. Very weird.... it doesn't feel at all different until I try that note.
The vowel/space applies even in what you're calling your true chest voice - yes, even down at an A2 or so, this vowel is shifting in frequency as you ascend, so, the advice applies even if you're not interested in singing high songs. So no, this isn't just "changing the tone of your existing head voice", it's shifting the frequency of the vowel to allow your pitch to ascend in full voice, regardless of register. So, if you're singing the word "hey" at a D4, or even D3, it still should be slightly shifting back into the vowel space in a subtle way regardless of the style you sing, and be sung more like "h-EH" - it's simply how frequencies function within the voice. Best - K
@@FoundationVocalStudio I was more commenting on the title, not questioning the quality of the advice which looks spot on to me.
Please explain my issue between wanting the word to be clear so its understood or to color the word/vowels so probably ya cant understand the word but it allows for a better singing style. Not that I cant color the word but again Im caught up with losing the word clearity.
Sounds like you're changing the vowel, not colouring the same/right vowel. You'll notice the vowel doesn't actually change (ie: EE doesn't become EH - it stays as EE, however the space in the back changes subtly). There's two+ formants in each vowel - think of the front as clarity/pronunciation, and the back as your structure. Ergo, colour the structure, not the pronunciation when you modify your vowel and sing higher.
thanks for the advise man. can you make a video, where you sing the modified vowel on chest voice , say man in the box, so we can practice and learn how to make it sound better on falsetto (mix if done correctly)?
Thanks - the point here, however, is that the shift in the vowel is actually a shift in register. So, it's not about just pronouncing a different sound; it's about shifting the space of that vowel when you sing in an alternate register. Man in the Box is mixed voice, the vowel on the belts is mostly EH, which is your first/fourth shift in your vowels.
Yes , I had a vocal coach who told me to swallow the note .
My teacher says my voice is light and not suited for rock, grunge music and I refuse to believe that. Plus I was showing her Man In The Box video and she immediately says " I already know it's going to be just noise" . Being so close minded to what direction I want to go in just brings me down. She wants me suited for jazz which I don't find myself in at all even if I like to listen to it sometimes
She obviously has no idea what she's talking about - a teacher is there to help you with your goals, not tell you what you can and can't do. Story of my life when I was taking training. So, find another teacher. Surely there's someone else in your area you can work with? If you want to sing rock, go to someone that specialises in light.
Chester Bennington had a light cartoony boy voice - but sounded awesome. Sebastian Bach speaks like he inhaled helium - great rock voice. Kurt Cobain. Layne. All high/light voices - all great rock singers.
K
@@FoundationVocalStudio thank you so much for your reply, K. You're right, she doesn't know what she's talking about and the worst thing is she is only in her early 40s but so rooted in the same old classical ways of teaching. She snubbed me when showing her Alice In Chains, even the Mtv unplugged show, she just refuses to even take an open minded listen. And she says my voice is light, but fails to notice all of the great singers you mentioned.The only face to face option in my area is a class with her because every teacher around is the same and I'm torn between learning whatever she can offer as fundamentals or really finding another option. But I will definitely scrape some money to try your course. Yours and the tvs are the only ones I find truly worth it by looking at your channels. I also thank you for answering my email regarding this, where I spoke of the Man In The Box issue and your vowel advice, in my state of being down, I reached out to both places
Looking a lot better with a short beard dude!
The goat beard shall return!
This is awesome..! I've seriously neglected vowel sounds and I think that's what's causing my super late bridging. After developing this sound, can I then choose to stylisticly darken it (similar to say, Jeff Buckley or Conor Mason) or is the raised larynx a necessity for this technique?
Jeff Buckley is extremely bright - but, there's a lot of air in his tone, and yes, he's going for a smaller vowel to bring in a more heady tone even in the mid range. So, yes, wider vowels/shortening the tract will make you belt like Danzig or Dave Grohl, and lengthening it will balance it out
@@FoundationVocalStudio Thanks! I just got the free blueprint on your website.
Watching this again, trying find some specific info. You are mentioning other channels. Many are speaking about going nasal to find high notes. Maybe I’m mistaking but I don’t think you ever mentioned this. What do you think about this? Nasality for getting high.
When the palate is raised to allow space for your resonance/vowel and range, the velar pharyngeal port actually closes off as the palate raises - meaning, there's no airflow through the nose on the vowel. So, no, true nasality is the enemy of an effortless high range - however, if they're inadvertently referring to twang and placement as 'nasality', then in part yes - this is important. Part of the bright tone you need to sing well is related to the smaller formant in either vowel group, which becomes complimentary with twang and placement in a way to give a forward and bright tone. This gives you cut and volume and allows you to sing with less weight and more cut in the sound - allowing you to sing higher IF you sing your vowel in the right way.
@@FoundationVocalStudio
I see… let me send you something by email.
By the way, we’re missing you on RUclips 😜
We worked it out today I'm sure!
@@FoundationVocalStudio
Things are starting to make sense… but I feel it will be a long journey. Guess you’re stuck with me for years 😂😂😂
Did Steve Perry sing with head voice too?? When he sing "Separate Ways"??
Absolutely - by this definition, yes. Best - K
It says on site 50 % down for course,then when i go to buy it gives me normal price ;)
There's a code to bring it down - halfoff
I can do that 'lay' scale from ur demonstration in chest voice and I still have more room at the top. I know that's wrong... but when I do it crossing into head (no break), then the top note sounds mickey mouse-ish...I can not get any kind of grit up there...🤔
So, the color of your vowel at the top is wrong (and likely through the centre). Grit is also a separate conversation - you need to look at the TONE of your voice up here - instead of Mickey, go for Gargamel from the Smurfs or a witchy sound. K
Keegan you’re the best! … Where can I find the link to the vowel modification course ?
How about lover notes? As in lower than a G3. That's my struggle at the moment.
There was one on the old channel, there's another in the pipeline. It would have to be lower than that for me as G3 is kinda high in my voice - the premise will be the same for you however. Best - K
@@FoundationVocalStudio thanks, Keegan! I'm looking forward to it!
Kegan 'saving singers from getting hemorrhoids' de Boheme
lol.
i can use my head voice but it still sounds like a big opera woman... not very usefull for rock music. I m stuck and don t know what to do with that... I m with a vocal coach since 3 years and i can t see any solution for that so i don t use my head voice and i m very limited with my vocal range.
There's a reason some people call this 'mixed voice' - it's part head, part chest. If you've got a split between the two and it's not really a gradient, this is likely a fundamental problem, and likely an issue with how you sing your vowels. Try the tip in this tutorial of singing back and up into the palate instead of pushing the sound out of your mouth. If you're flipping to head, it's likely you're delaying this transition and making yourself weaker in the process. K
@@FoundationVocalStudio thank you for your answer and your videos. your advice of exhaling the air helped me a lot! it keeps me away from blocking my throat when i try to sing high notes and furthermore oblige me to have a better support. thank you again
Like dragging bricks or taking a ...😂
I have a delicate way of speaking.
basically because of you i can sing without wanting to kill myself after and my range went from a solid middle F-G# (yes you read that right) to a full 3 octave range i learned so fcking much from your channel you wouldnt believe it.. i cannot thank you enough man i went years trying to figure it out myself screaming at the top of my lungs type of stuff if it wasnt for your channel i probably would have irreversible voice damage by now
i truely believe that if one can speak (yes just speak) he can learn to sing pretty damn decent!!!
for the none believers: imagine u speak to a cute animal, mess around with young children or something probably you are already using a register that goes way higher than anything you could imagine to sing! go try out how high of a sound u can make it may sound stupid or cartoony before learning proper technique but if u can manage to do these "dumb sounds" thats already proof that its possible to get those very same notes or go even higher! dont believe these idiot classical vocal teachers please just dont they straight up kill artists at this point ..BELIEVE THIS MAN RIGHT HERE AND YOULL GET SOMEWHERE I PROMISE!!!! AND ALL THIS IS FOR FREE TOO!!!!!
to you kegan: thank you thank you thank you ill always check in with your channel as long as you make these videos man feels good to see u active here keep doing what you doing (this channel, your own music stuff) you are amazing!
How do I find my head voice though? I've found something above F4#, but I think it's Flageolet because if I try to use any support at all to add any kind of volume, it falls apart.
"add volume" - don't. Work on connecting it downwards to chest without volume and what you're calling "support" - likely, you're just pushing the sound. K
@@FoundationVocalStudio thanks, I'm working on sirens through my chest and whatever this is. I'm still not convinced it's head voice though, I just reached a very quiet d6 with it. It just sounds more like people's examples of flageolet than head voice.
I can mostly go through my break to hit without flipping or any kind of tension as long as I keep the volume at a low level, I just can't hear it if I'm in a louder environment, it's too quiet. I'll continue practicing connecting it though.
Really appreciate you replying dude ❤️
so, if it connects without change then it's not flageolet, you can't really go from head voice to whistle without a switc because the setup of the folds is physically different and 'closed' in whistle. So, work on the quality of your resonance and work towards closure - volume is a red herring. K@@Elwon20
@@FoundationVocalStudio sorry I think I miss used the word connects... It absolutely 100% changes tone, but it doesn't flip, crack or get stuck (if I'm doing it very well).
It absolutely doesn't 'connect' as in smoothly flow through without a sudden change in tone, unless I seriously brighten up just beneath it. But I'll keep working on it. I just don't want to put hours and hours into trying to 'connect' something that it turns out simply cannot be connected because I'm in the wrong register 🤣😭
You shaved ?
When you're this handsome, you simply have to share your face with the world...................
Hahaha. Well said 👍
@@FoundationVocalStudio You're rocking it man. It looks good. I almost didn't recognize you.
@@jameserickson7484 silly beards are a right of passage for 40 years old guys... and then beard regret sets in about 2.5 years later ha.