MR

I have a singing question I have always wondered about. I have heard people talk about "headvoice" and that is very difficult to do? What exactly is "headvoice"? The human singing voice is one of the most intriguing instruments IMO. Would love to hear more about the ins and outs of a persons singing capabilities, warmups, etc. Any special things or little remedies you do to take care of your voice.........JSS, Nora, any other singers here?

Head voice is that area between normal, or "chest", voice and falsetto. It's easier to demonstrate by singing than it is with words.

Lots of people mistake head voice for falsetto. For example, I often hear people describe how Steve Perry sings "falsetto" but is, in fact, singing a lot of that high stuff in head voice.

Falsetto is best illustrated by the way the Bee Gees sang, for example, or a lot of Robert Plant's vocals while he was in Zeppelin. Head voice singers are guys like Perry, Geoff Tate of Queensryche, Rob Halford, Lou Gramm, Brad Delp, etc. It allows the singer to maintain the power and tone in their voice without simply relying on falsetto, where you lose the power and gain a more nasal tone.

Can someone please tell me why I am able to hit high notes after drinking black coffee and eating bannanas?
I am dead serious here.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:Can someone please tell me why I am able to hit high notes after drinking black coffee and eating bannanas?
I am dead serious here.

Not sure, but that same combo cures my constipation....

...but perhaps I've said too much?

X factor wrote:

The_Noble_Cause wrote:Can someone please tell me why I am able to hit high notes after drinking black coffee and eating bannanas?
I am dead serious here.

Not sure, but that same combo cures my constipation....

...but perhaps I've said too much?

tehehehee! }:CP

I have sang opera in choruses in college
The way I understand it you have a range and there is a break at a certain note where you move
from chest voice into head voice.
Head voice to me is like opera.
You can hear the difference and its high notes mostly above C above mid C
Same thing with a tenor
Guess Steve is a tenor thought I have heard nice rich lower notes in some songs

strungout wrote:I have a singing question I have always wondered about. I have heard people talk about "headvoice" and that is very difficult to do? What exactly is "headvoice"? The human singing voice is one of the most intriguing instruments IMO. Would love to hear more about the ins and outs of a persons singing capabilities, warmups, etc. Any special things or little remedies you do to take care of your voice.........JSS, Nora, any other singers here?

I think 'headvoice' has been covered, so I'll chime in about some of your other points.

The vocal chords/folds like to be kept wet and warm - especially before a performance.
It is advisable to sip water throughout the day of a show so your body gets hydrated well enough to sing. Its no good just gulping it down before you go on stage because your system needs time to absorb it. Water is so important. Alcohol is a no no, too. And so is smoking!
Hot drinks and cold/iced drinks are to be avoided before a show also. The extreme temperatures can make your vocal chords expand or retract - and both are bad for your performance. Room temperature water is best.

Menthol and throat lozenges are also to be avoided - they actually dry out your throat rather than lubricate it.
Many people make that mistake. Menthol is the enemy!!!
This makes it really tough when you catch a cold or virus. Its tempting to take remedies like that, but they can cause more harm than good. I favour natural rememdies, in such cases.
I have a whole list of stuff for when the nasties strike! But I won't bore you with all that.

Dairy can be a nightmare for some, too. It makes excess catarrh and that can affect the voice. I do not have cow's milk for that reason. I only use soya milk.

A vocal warm up (some people call it vocalizing/scales) is always adviseable - just like you would do some stretching/muscle warm up before a gym session or playing sports. It's to prevent damage.
Some teachers recommend a warm-down after a show, too.
But I think if you sing within your range and take care of yourself - eat well, rest plenty, drink water and don't smoke - you shouldn't need to do that.
If I feel my throat is a little tired, I use my steamer. Steam and vocal rest are a fantastic tool for a singer's kit.
The worst part of the job is breathing in cigarette smoke. That can affect your throat really badly. You notice it most the next morning - but it's hard to avoid that, I'm afraid.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:Can someone please tell me why I am able to hit high notes after drinking black coffee and eating bannanas?
I am dead serious here.

LMAO!

X factor wrote:

The_Noble_Cause wrote:Can someone please tell me why I am able to hit high notes after drinking black coffee and eating bannanas?
I am dead serious here.

Not sure, but that same combo cures my constipation....

...but perhaps I've said too much?

Sorry Bananas cause constipation not relieve it coffee on the other hand

conversationpc wrote:Head voice is that area between normal, or "chest", voice and falsetto. It's easier to demonstrate by singing than it is with words.

Lots of people mistake head voice for falsetto. For example, I often hear people describe how Steve Perry sings "falsetto" but is, in fact, singing a lot of that high stuff in head voice.

Falsetto is best illustrated by the way the Bee Gees sang, for example, or a lot of Robert Plant's vocals while he was in Zeppelin. Head voice singers are guys like Perry, Geoff Tate of Queensryche, Rob Halford, Lou Gramm, Brad Delp, etc. It allows the singer to maintain the power and tone in their voice without simply relying on falsetto, where you lose the power and gain a more nasal tone.

Thanks for the info Dave, especially examples.

strungout wrote:I have a singing question I have always wondered about. I have heard people talk about "headvoice" and that is very difficult to do? What exactly is "headvoice"? The human singing voice is one of the most intriguing instruments IMO. Would love to hear more about the ins and outs of a persons singing capabilities, warmups, etc. Any special things or little remedies you do to take care of your voice.........JSS, Nora, any other singers here?

Good question......had to actually think back to remember the definition

If I remember correctly, "head voice" is a technique in which the tone is forced from the "belt" to the "nasal passages"....if it's done correctly for Classical Music - which I did - then the passages should actually "buzz" and feel like it's a kind of "tickle".

Bizarre; I know...but for Classical, you NEED TO KNOW how to do this, in order to hit Stratospheric high notes way above the Staff.

Remedies to take care of my voice....

Well, considering that I'm a "active participant" in the BOOZE thread w/ my Chianti....my knuckes should be rapped by a Nun with a ruler!!

heehee....

Three words to rely on for EFFORTLESS singing:

Warm rainy days......awesome.

Moisture and humidity are a "singerchick's" best friend.

Thanks SuzieP......very interesting. I can't sing worth shit, but sure love listening to somebody who can!

Another question, may be stupid but oh well! Somebody I know that was taking vocal training once told me that you'll find most great singers don't pronounce their "R"s because it closes the throat up too much. True? I have noticed that with JSS and especially Perry and Deen. Perry does it alot, "more" sounds more like Mo-ah. Noticed it with Deen in Better Life too, when he says Better life somewhere.......doesn't really pronounce the "R" at the end of somewhere. Also with Jeff in that soundcheck of IBAWY when he sings "broke apart". BTW, I know some don't like ROR, but I think that performance was excellent.....he's definately got the passion vocally for the ROR stuff.

strungout wrote:most great singers don't pronounce their "R"s because it closes the throat up too much. True?

Absolutely true.

Here's an example: From "Elijah":

Written word:

"The Harvest is over; the Summer Days are gone..."

How I sang it:

"The Hah-vest is ovah; the Summah Days ah gone..."

The ear automatically knows what is being sung, even with the pronounciation changes.

tragchk wrote:

strungout wrote:I have a singing question I have always wondered about. I have heard people talk about "headvoice" and that is very difficult to do? What exactly is "headvoice"? The human singing voice is one of the most intriguing instruments IMO. Would love to hear more about the ins and outs of a persons singing capabilities, warmups, etc. Any special things or little remedies you do to take care of your voice.........JSS, Nora, any other singers here?

Good question......had to actually think back to remember the definition

If I remember correctly, "head voice" is a technique in which the tone is forced from the "belt" to the "nasal passages"....if it's done correctly for Classical Music - which I did - then the passages should actually "buzz" and feel like it's a kind of "tickle".

Bizarre; I know...but for Classical, you NEED TO KNOW how to do this, in order to hit Stratospheric high notes way above the Staff.

Remedies to take care of my voice....

Well, considering that I'm a "active participant" in the BOOZE thread w/ my Chianti....my knuckes should be rapped by a Nun with a ruler!!

heehee....

Three words to rely on for EFFORTLESS singing:

Warm rainy days......awesome.

Moisture and humidity are a "singerchick's" best friend.

Cool, thanks Nora. Think I got it. Freddie Mercury - headvoice? If anybody can give examples of headvoice singing or falsetto singing........certain songs, singers.

Beegees, Robert Plant - falsetto

Geof Tate/Perry/Lou Gramm - headvoice

The_Noble_Cause wrote:Can someone please tell me why I am able to hit high notes after drinking black coffee and eating bannanas?
I am dead serious here.

This is the most curious I've been all day
on an answer.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:Can someone please tell me why I am able to hit high notes after drinking black coffee and eating bannanas?
I am dead serious here.

Probably the combination caffeine and potassium, who knows? Caffeine works for a while, but then it has a reverse effect, because it's easy to strain your voice after drinking a lot of caffeine.

tragchk wrote:The ear automatically knows what is being sung, even with the pronounciation changes.

Yes, and there are other shortcuts as well, which I'm sure you know and use, Nora. Billy Purnell has been teaching vocalization to singers and actors in LA for years and he has some pretty cool techniques.

Moon Beam wrote:

The_Noble_Cause wrote:Can someone please tell me why I am able to hit high notes after drinking black coffee and eating bannanas?
I am dead serious here.

This is the most curious I've been all day
on an answer.

What exactly is he dipping in the coffee to hit the high notes? Not even going to ask about the banana!

let me speak for all the want to be's,,, all i have is "throat" voice!! at times, i can scream in the same key the song is in,, in one song i get to scream "ride sally ride!!" , singing is tough!! singing on stage using monitors is crazy tough!! i cant imagine hearing my voice on stage with a bit of delay,,,the only way i can sing a complete song is in pieces,, i run out of range in 10seconds and cant find my way back,,, my hat is off to ALL singers , you really never know how good a singer is until you find a bad one... same with drummers,, if i dont notice the drummer im pretty happy, if you notice him , than its usually for bad reasons.. guitars and bass get to hide in the mix,, until that solo....oh yea

Sang since I can remember maybe 7 or 8
Just me and the radio.
College took nerve to audition for chorus
Has to stand at the piano while the conductor played scales or whatever she did
I got in at 2nd soprano
she said my range went higher but since I didn;t sight sing
2nd soprano was better
I agree I have more power there anyway...
I was in the chorus 2 or 3 years
it was fun
Once we backed up a Verdi Opera foe a real performance in NYC
We got tix
My Mom n Dad attended
That was really special
My only other performance was in the Rock N Roll Cafe on Bleecker street
One July 4th Peter Mayhew was opening
It was early and I got up on stage and sang Bad Company's
"Feel Like Making Love" with him

Peter is a struggling artist
who did get to open for Kiss in Mad Sq garden and was in the woofest some 10 years ago.

Only a few have heard me sing
One said I could have been a greay opera singer w training
ust this year only one other person has heard me sing
Y friend Lou a drummer\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\said I sounded like Steve Perry

Damn if that wasn;t a compliment!

My friend in CA who sings in some broadway type shows.
heard some tapes I made and I sang a few bars for him He said I was a natural and flawless
Also said I have this instictual way of harmonizing.
He asked me what I was doing?
I said I don't know
I just sing...
He wanted to be my manager
LOL
I guess he drank a few too many beers but it was nice to hear anyway...

So that's it...oooh one more
This guy I took class with for vocal performance a few years back was writing a show in Bev Hills and he said he had a part for me...I thnaked him and told him I didn;t think I was ready for that

OOOh Well...
No cryin over what could have been
I sing becasue my voice makes me feel good and it takes me to places I could otherwise not find....
and that's good enough for me!

tragchk wrote:

strungout wrote:I have a singing question I have always wondered about. I have heard people talk about "headvoice" and that is very difficult to do? What exactly is "headvoice"? The human singing voice is one of the most intriguing instruments IMO. Would love to hear more about the ins and outs of a persons singing capabilities, warmups, etc. Any special things or little remedies you do to take care of your voice.........JSS, Nora, any other singers here?

Good question......had to actually think back to remember the definition

If I remember correctly, "head voice" is a technique in which the tone is forced from the "belt" to the "nasal passages"....if it's done correctly for Classical Music - which I did - then the passages should actually "buzz" and feel like it's a kind of "tickle".

Bizarre; I know...but for Classical, you NEED TO KNOW how to do this, in order to hit Stratospheric high notes way above the Staff.

Remedies to take care of my voice....

Well, considering that I'm a "active participant" in the BOOZE thread w/ my Chianti....my knuckes should be rapped by a Nun with a ruler!!

heehee....

Three words to rely on for EFFORTLESS singing:

Warm rainy days......awesome.

Moisture and humidity are a "singerchick's" best friend.

Nora, you have no need for a instructor that measures his talent in coaching upon your weight
Heck there are many goot petite singers who can belt it out...
One for example my size is Pat Benetar
Then you have Aretha Franklin
Who won;t sing with the AC
too dry and cold
no good for the voice//

OOh yeah another in a club wanted me to do some singing
LOL
Heard me singing along and said I sang like Aretha Franklyn
Yeah right
I don;t but maybe he meant the power...
Anyway I took it as a compliment....

Good for you losing the weight
200 seems very heavy
I don;t want to ever go above 100 pounds



My favorite opera singer is the lady fromn NZ
Dame Kiri TeKanawa....
Also love Sarah Brightmen but her voice is lighter...too airy for my taste

LOL
neither of which are "big ladies"

strungout wrote:Freddie Mercury - headvoice?

Freddie used all three voices quite a lot. You can hear examples of his falsetto in the studio version of "Love of My Life" (A Night at the Opera) and "You Take My Breath Away" (A Day at the Races). A good example of him using head voice would be a song like "Tie Your Mother Down" (A Day at the Races) or "Is This the World We Created...?" (The Works). His normal, or chest, voice is used effectively on "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". Of course, he uses all three to some effect on the classic "Bohemian Rhapsody".

If anybody can give examples of headvoice singing or falsetto singing........certain songs, singers.

Falsetto: "The Ocean" ~ Led Zeppelin, "Staying Alive" ~ The Bee Gees

Head voice: "Counting Every Minute" ~ Foreigner, "Freewheel Burning" ~ Judas Priest (Halford may actually be right on the edge of head voice/falsetto here...It's hard to tell...He is simply insane on this one), "Jane" ~ Jefferson Starship

For songs with a combination of vocal techniques, listen to "Dreamer/Deceiver" by Judas Priest or "Take Hold of the Flame" by Queensryche. Halford and Tate hit stratospheric high notes on those tunes. Halford is incredible on the Priest track simply for the fact that he is able to sound like a totally different singer at different points in the song. You'd think they had two lead singers if you didn't know better. Tate, on the other hand, had incredible control of pitch and tone on the glass-shattering high notes in "Take Hold of the Flame". Incredible performances by both. You may also want to check out Queensryche's "Queen of the Reich" from their debut EP. Tate turns in some head turning performances on that one, too.

Freddy has done some spectacular voices.
I was bnlown away with some esp who wants to live forever
and the one where he does do some classical operatic ballads
He does them well did them quite well..

Shadowsong wrote:Freddy has done some spectacular voices.
I was bnlown away with some esp who wants to live forever
and the one where he does do some classical operatic ballads
He does them well did them quite well..

He did an opera album with Montserrat Caballe. Not my cup of tea but he did an admirable job. I've got it in my collection but I've probably only listened to it once.

Thanks
Never really followed him
but by chance heard some of it and it was exceptional!
FM was quite a talented vocalist

Shadowsong wrote:Thanks
Never really followed him
but by chance heard some of it and it was exceptional!
FM was quite a talented vocalist

If you ever want to check it out, it was called "Barcelona".

conversationpc wrote:

Shadowsong wrote:Thanks
Never really followed him
but by chance heard some of it and it was exceptional!
FM was quite a talented vocalist

If you ever want to check it out, it was called "Barcelona".

Klink
That's it
now it;s coming back to me


Did see it somewhere
think its on video

Thanks

conversationpc wrote:

Shadowsong wrote:Thanks
Never really followed him
but by chance heard some of it and it was exceptional!
FM was quite a talented vocalist

If you ever want to check it out, it was called "Barcelona".

...and it was the last song FM ever sang....

here it is: total FM "trademark multi-voice" on the word "Barcelona":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFLu6bu7LEk

tragchk wrote:...and it was the last song FM ever sang....

here it is: total FM "trademark multi-voice" on the word "Barcelona":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFLu6bu7LEk

Yeah, that was probably the last live performance but I believe "Mother Love" from "Made in Heaven" is the last vocal that Freddie ever sang, perhaps only weeks or even days before he died. The last verse of that song is sung by Brian May because Freddie's health deteriorated to the point that he wasn't able to finish the song.

conversationpc wrote:

tragchk wrote:...and it was the last song FM ever sang....

here it is: total FM "trademark multi-voice" on the word "Barcelona":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFLu6bu7LEk

Yeah, that was probably the last live performance but I believe "Mother Love" from "Made in Heaven" is the last vocal that Freddie ever sang, perhaps only weeks or even days before he died. The last verse of that song is sung by Brian May because Freddie's health deteriorated to the point that he wasn't able to finish the song.

Thanks, not into opera either.....but the guy did have a great voice.