Middle Voice | Mixed Voice Blog

Middle Voice Mixed Voice Method

• From a muscular point of view, your Chest Voice is the utilization of the full length of the vocal folds.

• From a "resonance" point of view, any resonance felt below your palette or upper lip is considered to be your Chest Voice.

Your Head Voice:

• Any resonance felt above your palette or upper lip is considered Head Voice. In your Head Voice, you experience a "release" of the "full cord" feeling of your Chest Voice.

Mixed Voice | Middle Voice

Your Middle Voice is your Mixed Voice that occurs when you feel it in both your Head and Chest at the same time by using both head and chest resonance with a release of the full cord coordination into a "middle or mixed coordination". In this way it is not a style, rather it is a coordination as a balancing of muscle and air. Unfortunately, it is not likely that you will know what I mean until you find a teacher that can get you into the coordination and you can feel it for yourself. - this is why I'm sharing this information on Marjorie Searcy's 'The Middle Voice Method'.

Are you thinking, “I need techniques for improving my singing”?

Have you heard of the vocal term the Middle Voice before? It’s a really important technique to learn because it’s most likely the number one thing that all singers should work on developing.

Why is the Middle Voice and Mixed Voice Technique number one?

Well, when you develop a strong Mixed Voice | Middle Voice, good things happen!

Firstly, a strong middle or mixed register is the key to hitting high, powerful notes. Also, singing in your middle voice takes the strain off your voice. It removes vocal tension. Your middle voice also sounds wonderful, because what you are doing here is blending your other two vocal registers together.

You see, as explained earlier you have your chest voice… this is the register that you hit your lower notes in. And at the top of your vocal range you have your head voice. This is the vocal register that you hit your highest notes in.

Your Chest Voice and Head Voice are vocal registers that have their respective sound character:

• Your Chest Voice is more powerful and very thick.

• Your Head Voice is much sweeter yet less powerful.

• Your Middle Voice | Mixed Voice is the perfect blend of Chest and Head

When you develop a strong middle or mixed register, you are basically using all the good bits from both of your other registers. Your middle voice has the power of your Chest Voice together with the sweetness of your Head Voice.

There’s one more huge reason that developing a strong middle or mixed vocal register is vital. When you sing in your middle voice, things are working with your voice. If you are singing incorrectly, you will find it impossible to find your middle register. This means that when you develop your Middle Voice, you can be confident that things will work well during your vocal performance because you know that your voice works well!

How do you find your Middle Voice | Mixed Voice?

Well, to find your middle or mixed register, you explore the space between chest voice and head voice. A good way to discover where it sits in your voice is to make a nasty “NAY” sound and feel the vibration along the back of your throat. If you sing up to your highest note in chest voice and use a nasty sounding “NAY” you should be able to sing into your Middle Voice.

The reason this works is it kind of “squashes” your chest voice and head voice together. This exercise actually sounds terrible, and is by no means a finished sound. It is merely a tool to discover your Middle Voice.

From this point on you can begin to strengthen your mixed voice by doing special exercises. A great way to master this part of your voice is to practice the Middle Voice - Mixed Method of Marjorie Searcy.

Practice singing “NAY” “NAY” “NAY” over and over again. See if you can use this sound to find the spaces in between your chest voice and your head voice. Pay attention to the small vibration that you feel on the back of your throat. (this is actually an “extra” resonator that has been created by the nasty sounding “NAY”). And if you want to become a true master of your Middle Voice, be sure to check out Marjorie Searcy's The Middle Voice Method as she will help you to realize excellence in your vocal performance through your Middle Voice.

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