mixed voice Question about 'mixed voice'

[saim]

I'm 17 and i believe I'm a baritone. It had been about a month or so of me practicing chest voice to go higher and i could reach an F#4 with very pulled chest voice. An F4 was more bearable but there was still strain. My lower notes though had a better tone and control with the comfortable notes around B2 to C4. 

 

Then i stumbled upon the concept of mixed voice. My understanding of it is that we make some coordination between CT and TA muscles to go higher with more power and resonance. 

 

The first step to it as I saw in videos was to not pull chest and instead bridge into falsetto. As someone with a developed falsetto to G5 I am now able to somewhat make the 'break' less noticeable after 1.5 weeks of practice. However, I can no longer sing above a D#4 with chest voice. Even if I push a lot, it goes till an E4 and is a much weaker sound. I am scared that I may have lost my notes cause since my break has gotten less noticeable, i simply lapse into falsetto after D#4 and have no 'mixed' or chesty resonance either. No matter how hard i try to put my larynx down too, it simply gets higher and I don't know if that has something to do with it or not.

 

Should i stop these exercises or am I doing them the wrong way? It would be great if you'd help me out I'm really desperate at this point

 

[Steven Fraser]

Hi, saim!

At 17, my own voice showed some of the same characteristics as yours does... but your voice is higher than mine was.

For me, the key to singing in this area is discovering the coordinated muscle action that makes the bridge work.  If you already have a strong falsetto,  and a strong mid-range going, I think you get more rapid improvement (and satisfying results) by doing exercises which 1) maintain twang, 2) are of moderate volume, 3) have resonant vowels, 4) slowly slide between notes, 5) allow the vocal mechanism to make the needed adjustments... and not try to do anything (other than what was just listed) to change the production... let it change itself in response to your consistent concept.

In my own voice, I found particular benefit in the use of sirens on semi-occluded voiced consonants.  'V' as in Victor, when sustained, is an excellent example. The note pattern 1-3-5-6 (sustain) 5-3-1 beginning in the mid voice should work well.  (Its also an excellent warm-up for early in the day).  Transpose upward by semitones. As you do so, when you find yourself tempted to get yelly, back off the volume, and slide more slowly. 

Here is a key thought... the correctly bridged sequence will not feel much different in the throat, but the resonance sensations may feel profoundly different.   To many, the connection of 'chest' seems to continue... but rings differently. 

I hope this is helpful.

Regards,

Steven Fraser