Chest Voice
This is the most important blog that I can write for any singer, whether a beginner, professional or established superstar. I believe, without a proper development of the chest voice, that the entire development of your voice will be compromised and you will be left without the voice you are supposed to have.
Building Foundations
Chest voice is common to the ear, for it is our spoken voice. As singing is an extension of speaking, we must build up the lower part of our instrument, not only so that we can project our voice with a more robust sound, but also so that we can establish the foundations for the highest part of our vocal instruments - head voice. Many people confuse head voice with a light airy tone, also known as falsetto - however that is incorrect. A properly developed head voice is the continuation in feeling of the more robust chest voice into the upper parts of our range.
Ultimately, we’re dealing with muscles that both shorten and thicken the vocal cords, and also stretch and thin the vocal cords. Certain exercises are brilliant and building up the weight in the chest voice, and I also use some fantastic exercises that help blend that feeling into the upper voice.
After the Foundations have been laid
Once the chest voice is firmly in place, we now need to learn to connect the robust and projected feeling into the 1st bridge - aka transition into the upper part of the instrument. This can be the most confronting experience for the introverted singer, and the most invigorating for the extrovert. The result - regardless of your personality - must be the same, if you are toexperience the fullness of your instruments capabilities.
Examples -
Here are some examples of some of the greatest singers of our time. Whether or not you like opera, you would be hard pressed not to have admiration for what these men can do with their voices.
Watch Below for a quick lesson on how this effects your voice.