BAST founder Line Hilton joins Alexa for another instalment in the ongoing series ‘The Best Vocal Exercises for’. This week they are discussing “chest voice”, the lower part of a vocal range. Find out what a vocal register is, how many we have, why this is a heavily debated topic, how to identify and access the “chest voice” and how singing teachers can create the best vocal exercises for accessing it.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- In terms of singers, chest voice refers to the lower and more powerful range of their vocals. It produces a rich, full-bodied sound felt in the chest, and is used for lower and mid-range notes. Chest voice is just one component of a singer’s overall vocal range.
- Chest voice is associated with power, projection and emotional expression. Singers develop and strengthen their chest voice through exercises and techniques to improve control, range and tonal quality. Professional training helps coordinate chest voice with other registers.
- When we’re using chest voice, our TA is engaged. This means that we have more mass coming together on the vertical vocal folds from the bottom to the top or just the top with no TA engagement. This leads to a bigger or louder tone.
- A glottal cycle refers to the complete opening and closing sequence of the vocal folds during a single vibration cycle. It is the basis of sound production in the larynx. The vocal folds close to block airflow (closed phase) and then open to allow airflow and create vibrations (open phase). Skilled control of the glottal cycle enables singers to produce different pitches and vocal effects.
- The first thing Line does when teaching chest voice is to establish if her student has control and stability over the larynx and the vocal folds.
BEST MOMENTS
‘A register is just an area of your range’
‘Anything from G4 down for females is chest, and for males, anything from D4 down is chest’
‘I’ve heard people belting up to F5, but if they go beyond that, it might all fall apart’
‘It might be harder for a shy person who doesn’t have a loud voice to find this register’
‘Those who are extroverts tend to over engage their TA and get vocal fold issues’
EPISODE RESOURCES
Guest Website:
Social Media:
- @basttraining
Relevant Links & Mentions:
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast – Ep. 62 How to Choose the Best Vocal Exercises with Line Hilton
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast – Ep. 73 The Best Vocal Exercises for Laryngeal Stability with Line Hilton
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast – Ep. 83 The Best Vocal Exercises for Sick Voices with Line Hilton
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast – Ep. 44 Exploring Vocal Registers with Chris Johnson
- The work of Dr Ingo Titze
- BAST Blog – Case Study: Working with Shy Singers: basttraining.com/case-study-working-with-shy-singers
- BAST Blog – Case Study: The One with the Yelly Child: basttraining.com/case-study-the-one-with-the-yelly-child
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast – Ep. 59 Top Tongue Tips for Boosting High Frequency Energy with Kerrie Obert
- Repertoire mentioned: Adele; Jessie J; Elton John; Billy Joel; Ed Sheeran; Ella Fitzgerald; Dianne Reeves; Cassandra Wilson; Mark Murphy; Kurt Elling
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast – Ep. 110 Articulation and Singing: Assessing Jaw Behaviour with Chris Johnson
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast – Ep. 65 The Top Benefits of Vocal Massage with Lydia Flock
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast – Ep. 74 Understanding Manual Therapy with Walt Fritz
- BAST Youtube Channel: youtube.com/@basttraining
ABOUT THE PODCAST
BAST Training is here to help singers gain the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be a great singing teacher. We can help you whether you are getting started or just have some knowledge gaps to fill through our courses and educational events.
Website: basttraining.com
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Link to presenter’s bios: basttraining.com/singing-teachers-talk-podcast-bios
Link to podcast presenter’s bios
