Description
Paying attention to your airflow and projection could be exactly what your voice needs in order to hit clear, resonant head voice notes.
When I’m working with singers, one of the most common things they’ll do that sabotage those high notes is hold back or slow down their breath.
This makes sense as soon as you tune into what your brain is often whispering on repeat.
Singers who struggle with perfectionism or fear of making a mistake will often prefer to hit the note quietly to make sure it’s in tune before committing.
This means they’re often holding their breath as they try to start a note in their head voice (dipping their toe in the water) before they follow through with air.
Unfortunately our vocal cords really do need that airflow from the get go.
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Vocal exercises like lip trills and tongue rolls can be great to get a sense for how airflow can support those high notes.
And to help you break the habit of holding back too much, you can start the note on one of these (or use a straw or a soft VV sound) to land the note and open out onto the vowel or lyric.
This works because your inner perfectionist doesn’t seem as bothered when it’s a weird sound (as opposed to “real singing”), giving you the opportunity to build your confidence with this new way of approaching these pitches.
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If you struggle with your head voice (and tend to avoid singing up there), make sure you check out parts one and two of the Hack Your Head Voice series.