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How To Sing in A Mix

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46 views8 pages

How To Sing in A Mix

Uploaded by

Ngan Kim
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How to Sing in a Mix

Adam Mishan

One of the questions I get asked most often is “how do you sing in
a mix?”

A lot of people are very confused with regards to singing in a mix. It


is a part of singing that is shrouded in mystery for so many people.

I would like to demystify this concept for all of you and lay it out as
clearly as possible.

I want to just put this out there - The best way to learn how to sing in
a mix is through singing lessons. Singing lessons with a vocal coach
give you real-time feedback on the sounds you make which is the
easiest way to guide you to finding your mix.

With the point of balance that is achieved in a mix, you can


:
powerfully execute any song, in any genre.

However, a misconception that hinders most from achieving a mixed


voice, is the belief that it is an isolated voice that you have to find.

There’s no special voice hidden deep inside you. Your mixed voice is
simply a blend of the two registers of the voice; head voice and
chest voice.

Now this begs the question: “What is chest voice?”

Chest voice occurs when the sound is resonating mostly out of your
mouth and only very little out of the head and nasal cavities.

Now this begs the question: “What is head voice?”


:
Head voice occurs when the sound is resonating mostly out of your
head and nasal cavities and only very little out of your mouth.

Now you’re thinking, wait Adam, if there is always a percentage of


chest voice when singing in head voice and vice versa. Aren’t you
really always singing in a mix?

Answer: Yes, This comes back to my earlier point. Mix is not a


mystical place in your voice which makes all high notes easy. It is a
description of mixing the vibration from your mouth and nasal
passages to create a balanced sound on each note.

So every note will have a different ratio of chest to head vibration.


For example, A2 will be much more chest than head like 90/10, A3
with be more balanced 60/40 and A4 will be more head dominant
:
20/80.

This blending of vibration, is how successful singers manage to


sound so powerful when singing high notes. If you’re still in your
early practicing stage, then one of your current limitations is most
likely that your voice starts out strong on low notes, but audibly
weakens on the higher notes.

Learning to sing in a mix is a very useful skill that allows you to


develop your singing in any genre. Not only does it give you a more
powerful tone, but it also eliminates strain because you are allowing
for the proper transition to happen naturally. Singing in a mix will
eliminate the feeling of yelling or stressing your neck and chest
muscles.

The Relationship Between your Head Voice


and Chest Voice
It is important to note that there are separate muscle groups
responsible for chest voice and head voice.

The thyroarytenoid muscles (TA) are responsible for chest voice and
the cricothyroid muscles (CT) are responsible for head voice.

When we are singing in a mix, these muscles work together to


produce a sound that is both powerful like chest voice and released
like head voice.

The good thing is, we already use both of these voices


simultaneously in our everyday speech. But in singing, due to the
increased demands of volume and pitch, both voices don’t connect
as easily.

I’m sure you have heard or experienced a crack or break that occurs
:
when you sing from a low note, and try to transition into a higher
note. This is what usually happens when you try to take your sound
from the one produced in your chest, to the one produced in your
head region. Unless you’ve perfected that transition, the break is
bound to happen.

This ability is developed through practice so let’s get to some


exercises that will help you develop your mix.

Mix Exercises
1. Sing above and below your vocal range

You will have to identify the notes you normally sing at both with your
head and chest voice. Once you do, practice going as high, and as
low as possible.

2. Identify your vocal bridge

Find out which notes your voice breaks or flips on right now.

3. Engage in vocal activities

You build your voice muscles, frequently sing the notes within the
range of your bridge. Do this over and over during the day.

4. Vocalize your vowel sounds

Try all of the different vowel sounds in this range of your voice.

How to Connect Head Voice and Chest Voice


The most important step in this connection is the shift of
musculature. Because the head register has different muscles
:
operating from the chest register as mentioned above, you need to
learn to have both operating simultaneously to achieve a balanced
mix.

This is the reason for the break you hear every time you attempt a
mix.

You will also need to perfect your change in resonance. To practice


this, you should understand how your sound is produced. With chest
voice, a sound is produced when your vocal cords vibrate fully. When
that sound is produced in your chest, it builds up as it travels through
the throat and then, the mouth. To control your resonance, you will
need to use your lips, tongue and jaw.

While singing, as you transfer from one register to another, several


muscular shifts are made to shorten your vocal cords and lengthen
your tense cord. This is how the sounds blend, and with no audible
break. At this moment, it will feel like you’re letting go, but also not.
When you master this transition, it will be easier to raise your pitch as
high as you want it to go.

One mistake many singers make at this point is rushing through their
break. This is a mistake. You must go slowly through your bridge to
allow the muscles to make the necessary adjustments. When you
feel the notes, you can identify the point where the shift happens,
and work on adjusting your transition. Once you’ve practiced the
transition point over and over again, you can return to your regular
singing pace. And try to see if you can still achieve the mixed voice.

3 Exercises to Strengthen your mix


1.Controlled voice exercise

To achieve a balanced mix, your vocal cords must be well


:
coordinated. To strengthen them, frequently practice this exercise:

Start with your head voice, and take it down as low as you can before
you transition to your chest voice.

Reverse this process, and start with your chest voice, take it to the
highest point, and transition to your head voice. This exercise helps
by perfecting your mix. The better you are at transitioning between
voices, the easier it will be for you to find and maintain your mixed
voice.

It will also take you through the full range of notes you can achieve,
rather than practicing in your comfort zone.

Repeat this process over and over for better transition.

2. Octave leaps

Octaves are helpful at tracking your changes when trying to


transition from one register to another. Slide gently and slowly
through the octave and allow your muscles to make the necessary
adjustments. Don’t force anything!

3. Singing the Arpeggios

Each arpeggio is a cord with individual notes. To practice your


transition, you can sing using the Do-Mi-So cord. Keep practicing
the Do-Mi-So-Do-So-Mi-Do over and over as often as you can. You
can do this until you notice that you’ve achieved a smooth transition.

Important Tip to Achieving a Mixed Voice


The process will definitely get tiring. You have to be ready to try and
fail over a hundred times. The good thing is, every time you try
:
(correctly), you make a bit of progress, even if you don’t notice it at
first.

It takes most singers a few months before they can register their
success with mastering their mix. Singing lessons are very important,
as you need trained ears to assess your efforts.

The other important tip is to never stop. Regardless of the level of


improvement you’ve achieved, you can always do better.

This is why you can’t completely master your mix. There’s always
another level to aim for.
:

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