Vocal Break

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  • E
    Ellie 4 years ago

    I understand that voice cracks are a result of damaging your voice. But is there a way to do good voice breaks like the pop singers do these days?
  • C
    Camille van Niekerk 4 years ago

    Hey, Ellie! Voice cracks aren't necessarily the result of vocal damage - they do happen even in a healthy voice when you abruptly transition from chest register to head register, like the "pop flip" or "falsetto flip" you're referring to. They also happen unexpectedly when we're trying to sing above our passaggio in chest voice without "mixing" or modifying the vowel/consonant. 

    To answer your question: I'm actually working on a lesson plan for this topic right now! Here are a few suggestions:

    How to approach the pop/falsetto flip:

    1. Start with a strongly connected chest voice sound, and "let go" into light head voice
    2. At first: try it with a wider range (low-mid chest voice into higher head voice) so the difference in tone is drastic
    3. It's sometimes easier if your chest voice already "wants" to crack (if you're near your passaggio)
    4. Sometimes pop singers use the pop flip on two pitches that aren't very far away from one another, or even on the same pitch. This will be easier if you're able to sing the same pitch with both chest function and head function. For female singers: try singing an F4 or G4 (somewhere around that range) first with a strong chest voice UH or HEY. Then sing the same pitch on a light head voice HOO. Once you're able to do that, let your voice "crack" from the UH or HEY to OO without pausing in between. It should feel like you're "letting go". There's a little "air bubble" sensation in your throat, as your cords are going from firmly connected (in chest voice) to loosely vibrating (in falsetto). 
    4. "Fake" the flip or make it easier by going from a more open vowel to a closed one (ex: UH-OO or AH-EE)
     

     

    Let me know how that goes for you, Ellie!
  • E
    Ellie 4 years ago

    Thank you! I look forward to trying that out. I also look forward to your video lesson for this topic. What are some of your newest lessons?
  • C
    Camille van Niekerk 4 years ago

    Sounds good, Ellie! 

    Our tutorial shoots have been postponed while we're under a "stay at home" order - but I think the most recent ones we shot were "how to play and sing at the same time" for both piano and guitar/uke. 

    We're also doing weekly live group lessons and will begin shooting some shorter tutorials from home! 

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