Chest Voice and Head Voice
CHEST VOICE AND HEAD VOICE
Two of the most commonly used term in singing circles are “Chest Voice” and “Head Voice”. If you aren’t exactly sure what that means, here’s an explanation.
First we should address some basics. If you’ve ever seen a picture of the vocal folds in action you’ll see that they are attached at one end in a “V” shape and vibrate together along their length, while resisting air from the lungs, to create pitch. (See link below to view video of vocal cords in action). The higher the pitch, the more frequently the vocal folds are coming together.
Female singing voices range from around 175 Hz up to 2200 Hz and Male singing voices range from around 100 Hz to 800 Hz (depending on voice type).
When a singer is vocalizing in their chest voice the vocal cords are using their thickest width to create the pitches in that register. Then, at a certain point, the vocal cords have to make a physical shift to reducing the vibrating mass and thickness to create higher pitches. What that means is that the vibrating portion of the vocal folds that is involved in creating the pitch must thin out as the pitches get higher.
Think about how you change pitch with a rubber band. The lower the desired note, the thicker the vibrating mass of the band will be; the higher the desire pitch, the more you will stretch the band. Similarly, the voice needs to make a shift to a thinner coordination in the vocal folds as the pitch ascends. When it comes to bridging from chest to head voice think of the same rubber band experiment: except that you can only stretch the rubber band so far before you hit a limit or break the band (top of your chest voice). Now stretch the rubber band, but this time, place one finger in the middle of the stretched portion and play the pitch. Now you’ve “bridged” the band and suddenly have many more higher pitches available without over-straining the vibrating mass. Do this earlier and you eliminate the chances of breaking the rubber band – or straining your voice.
All voices need to make these transitions multiple times (once you get past your chest voice range, these “bridges/passagi/transitions” happen approx every 4th or augmented 4th until the end of your vocal range).
CHEST VOICE
Simplified Explanation: In the “chest voice” – the voice most people use to speak with – people generally feel the resonance of pitches in that area vibrating in their chest. Put your hand on your chest and say the vowel “a” as in “cat” nice and strong – feel how you percieve a resonating sensation between your throat and chest? That’s your Chest Voice.
Technical Explanation: When a singer is vocalizing in their chest voice range the vocal cords are using their thickest width to create the pitches in that register, engaging more of the “Thyroarytenoid” or “TA” muscle group.
HEAD VOICE
Simplified Explanation: The head voice is a more “released” sound. Try saying an enthusiastic cheer: “Woo-hoo!!”. Did you feel how that was different from the chest voice sound and felt like the resonance sensation shifted to the top of your head? This is your Head Voice.
Technical Explanation: When a singer is vocalizing in their head voice range the vocal folds are primarily using the “Crycothyroid” or “CT” muscle group. Any vocalized sound above your Chest Voice (barring Falsetto and Whistle Tone) is your Head Voice.
The first transition/bridge/passagio, between chest and head voice, generally happens around an E4-F#4 above middle C4 for men and around an Ab4-Bb4 above middle C4 for women. Every singer I’ve ever encountered in my studio struggles at the beginning with either their first or their second bridge (Ab4-Bb4 for men, D5-E5 for women), though the first bridge transition is the most common struggle.
When a singer connects seamlessly between chest voice and head voice, maintaining a consistent tonal quality throughout this transition, this is referred to as “Mix Voice” – which is just that: a comfortable mix of the elements of chest voice and head voice. To learn more about Mix, visit for my blog entitled, “BELT vs MIX”.
Here is a link to see the vocal folds in action if you’re curious: Keep in mind that the physician is using a strobe light so that we can see the action of the vocal folds “slowed down” in a sense – otherwise they are moving too fast for our eye to see.