Styling for Singers: Creating a Moment with Your Head and Chest Voice
Today, I want to talk about one specific skill to help singers create a moment when they perform. I truly believe that if a singer knows how to use this skill, they’ll be able to create more emotional connection through their performance. Whether you’re in a recording studio, a live performance, or audition, you want people to remember you and your music. By showcasing your artistry with this skill, you’ll be able to create connections that help you grow as an artist. The skill we’re focusing on today is being able to sing a note that’s higher in your range in both your falsetto or head and chest voice. This might sound easy, but you have to be sure that note is high enough and strong enough to have the impact that you want when you use it!
Creating Moments in Music
Let’s chat about a few examples to help us understand this concept. The first (and one I LOVE!) is Bruno Mars singing “Talking to the Moon”. When he says “moon” in the first few verses, he uses his higher head voice. Later on in the song, he uses his full chest voice and it immediately becomes more emotional and more powerful for the listener. Another great example is Olivia Rodrigo. She goes for falsetto and head voice a lot. In the middle of her song “Good for You”, she uses this technique to build up momentum. The end of the phrase is in head voice, then she gradually brings it into her chest voice for a more powerful sound again. Again, there’s SO many artists that do this – these are just two quick examples.
How to Practice
In order to find that note – the one where you can flip between falsetto or head and chest voice, while keeping the strength and power – you need to pick a song in the upper part of your range. For male identifying singers, that might be something with an E4 as the highest note. For female identifying singers, consider A or B4. The chorus of the song should have that note repeating throughout it – otherwise this styling won’t work the same way. As long as that upper note doesn’t feel forced, then you’ve got the right song. The next step is to make sure that the highest note in the song feels strong in both your head and chest voice. If it doesn’t, consider lowering the key or changing the syllable of the word so you can round out the sound. Step three is working on getting into your head voice or falsetto.
The goal is to find the note that feels super powerful and emotional when you’re in chest voice. When you’re in your head voice or falsetto, it should still feel powerful. But, it is definitely a different and less full sound. Try to find that note for yourself today. Remember, it could change over time but there’s definitely a range that this is possible. When you perform songs that use this spot, try switching between your head voice/falsetto then your chest voice later on so that you can create more emotional moments in your musical performances. I love this little tip to create more impactful music!
Watch today’s video for a walkthrough!
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