How high should I take my chest voice?

[forgivendays]

Hey,

I was reading around and pulling-chest seemed like a bad thing to do. I can sing in chest voice comfortably from around G2-A2 up till D4. I can get an E4 any day and a Gb4 on a good day but they're not usable. Should I practice to sing up to G4 in chest voice or is that pulling chest? Also, how high do most singers take their chest voice?

Thanks

[gno]

CVT's research shows you can go up to C5 safely, if done correctly. I would recommend building up to this gradually though. You also might want to try vowel modification to help through the passagio.

[ronws]

I think it depends on the song. Some songs, I have sang comfortably in a high "chest" configuration and others, it didn't do so well. Others, it was better to be in head voice but twangy enough to make it sound like "chest." And that varies from song to song, specifically because of vocal melody and lyrics. It also depends on the singer. Bon Scott was naturally high pitched and couldn't sing a low baritone note if his life depended on it. But for him, specifically, singing high in his "chest" was easy for him.

I've experimented with different ways of singing "Highway to Hell." I can go pretty high in "chest" but for some parts, I must be in head voice. Other times I have started in head voice and stayed there. For me, "Long Way to the Top (if you want to rock and roll)" is almost all "chest." For "Immigrant Song" by Led Zep, twangy head voice for the banshee wails and the choruses, "chesty" baritone for the main stanzas of lyrics. I'm still working on the four-note vocal riff at the end of that song, until I find a comfort zone that sounds right.

[VideoHere]

Hey,

I was reading around and pulling-chest seemed like a bad thing to do. I can sing in chest voice comfortably from around G2-A2 up till D4. I can get an E4 any day and a Gb4 on a good day but they're not usable. Should I practice to sing up to G4 in chest voice or is that pulling chest? Also, how high do most singers take their chest voice?

Thanks

like ron was saying, plus it varies by individual. also, whether or not you do choose to drive up chest (strenghening from the bottom up) it's an individual choice. some advise against it, others say go for it. so i guess as you're doing it correctly and not causing yourself any pain it's basically up to you.

[Olem]

I would really like to hear someone singing a D4 or E4 in head voice with full voice. Does only certain vowels work with head voice in this area?

[forgivendays]

Thanks for the replies. =)

Does increasing chest voice get easier? I've been trying for months and I see to have gained only a couple of semitones.

@Olem: What do you mean head voice with full voice? I think I can do an E4 in head voice. Not sure if I can sing it.. but I can "do" it..

edit: Just tried.. didn't work. I'll take that as a good sign.

[Snorth]

Head voice with full voice, what is the point of these conundrums?

A strong but not shouty tone at E4 would be best achieved with curbing.

[Steven Fraser]

Hey,

I was reading around and pulling-chest seemed like a bad thing to do. I can sing in chest voice comfortably from around G2-A2 up till D4. I can get an E4 any day and a Gb4 on a good day but they're not usable. Should I practice to sing up to G4 in chest voice or is that pulling chest? Also, how high do most singers take their chest voice?

Morid: Depends on the vowel, but G is about the top of the passaggio for tenor, and that would be for Ah. Ay, Ih, Eh, and Oh have lower passagii, and head voice will be entered lower. If you can go from the G to Ab and A without radical tone quality change, then its fine. Since 'most' male voices are baritones, Enatural of F is about the top .

[forgivendays]

@Snorth: Thanks I'll look into curbing. I really need a strong, non-shouty tone.

@Steven Fraser: Thanks for the reply. Is it possible to make head voice sound as strong and "calm" as chest voice?

[Rick Jones]

Head voice with full voice, what is the point of these conundrums?

A strong but not shouty tone at E4 would be best achieved with curbing.

This is how I approach it too, that crying type tone to get notes around E4, but it sounds kind of intense.

[Snorth]

This is how I approach it too, that crying type tone to get notes around E4, but it sounds kind of intense.

It still can get quite loud! I'm not afraid of volume though, and I would overdrive it all if it wasn't because of the vowel limitation. That's what great about curbing, you can actually be understood. :)