Every voice is designed the same, it has a lower and a higher register. Each register has a specific range. You can develop range throughout the voice with proper technique, by practicing and by understanding the mechanics of the voice.
First of all, you have the lower range: the chest voice. It is the lower extremities of your voice. Then you have the higher register which is called the head voice.
Between the chest voice and the head voice, there is a small passage that is called the Passaggio. In Italian, it means passage and it’s the transition from the chest to the head voice.
However, I’ve mentioned in previous episodes that whether it’s a chest or the head voice you’re singing in, there’s always a combination between the two. Whether you’re a soprano, a tenor, a mezzo-soprano, a baryton or a bass, we all have these registers in our voices.
If you’re a young singer who’s never had proper training before, you might still be wondering what kind of voice you have and it’s totally normal because when you first start to learn how to sing, you’re still trying out and discovering the mechanics of the body and the voice. But with time, practice and experience, and by having a vocal coach by your side, you can develop the voice and determine which voice type you belong to. So it is normal for singers to change voice types throughout their careers.
Ranges
The Passaggio can range from the A to the D.
If you’re a soprano or a tenor, your lower register will range from the C to the higher C:
The passaggio ranges from the C to the F for higher voices. But it’s not a general rule since it depends on your voice.
The head voice is located at the upper ends of the passaggio and everything beyond that point for each voice type.
How to sing from one to the next
The Passaggio is the transition between the chest and the head voice
and this is where you need to mix more of the head voice to the chest voice in order to prepare for the higher notes to sing.
But it’s a misconception to say:
“I’m singing in the head voice”
because we always have the chest and the head voice together at all times. Whenever there’s a separation between the two registers, there’s a breakage and the sound is weak, poor and perhaps it’ll make you strain the muscles of your throat in order to compensate for the sound.
It’s good to understand the mechanics of the voice and the different registers that we all have, but we should not be too obsessed with these theories. Instead, allow the body to do whatever it feels like doing and let go, and at the same time, take all the information that you learn in order to find balance. It’s easy to fall into obsession over the different registers, but remember that the objective is to have an equal voice throughout your voice range.
Sometimes, depending on the song or the style of music, you can take up the chest voice higher than usual in order to create an effect.
Using a Falsetto is not very healthy because it is strained if you have not developed your voice yet. But for certain songs where you have certain notes that you want to sing with this type of effect, you can definitely use the Falsetto as long as you know how to undo it. Using different techniques is good because it means you know how to do many things with your voice, but ideally, stick to developing the voice in the right way first, meaning by combining the chest to the head voice throughout your vocal range.
You can still use the Belting procedure for certain type of songs in order to create a specific effect, but keep in mind that it is not a healthy way of doing things. Separating the registers means that you either lack technique, or you understand technique but you’re just creating an effect. However, singing only with the chest voice means that you have not developed your voice and that probably you don’t know how to differentiate both techniques.
It really takes time to develop register and range. When you develop the higher extremities of the voice, the lower extremities also develop.
The more you know, the better you become, and practicing is the main ingredient for success.
I’ve been teaching voice for the past 15 years. With experience in Opera, Jazz and Pop, I share my knowledge and everything related to the Art of Singing in my weekly videos, every Friday, ad free!
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