Ever wonder how singer's belt some insane high notes? Well truth is, most of the time the singer actually isn't belting- they are using a special technique called the mix voice. The mix voice is basically when the singer combines their higher and lower register voices.

1. HOW’D YOU HIT THAT
HIGH NOTE??
S ECR E T S TO THE MI X VOICE

2. EVER HEAR A SINGER BELT
SOMETHING CRAZY?
• Listen to Kate Shindle in Legally Blonde….
• That crazy Eb-Ab slide
• Lots of people have trouble getting their lower
register to that crazy note.
• She’s actually using a crazy mix

3. THE MIX VOICE!
• Hear this style of vocals in gospel, contemporary,
jazz, musical theatre and pop music
• Combines both lower and higher registers

4. BREAK IT DOWN…
• Lower register “chest voice” the lower, oral sound
chest resonated part of a singer’s range. Deeper,
broader, fuller sound.
• Higher register “head voice”, higher, nasal-sinus
whistle resonated sound of a singer’s range. Much
lighter, brighter.
• Addition- we add the voices together to get the mix
Called the “faux” voice or “faux” belt.

5. HOW DOES ONE… WELL.. MIX?
• Focus on moving through range with Oh and UGH
sounds.
• Focus on keeping one fluid voice
• Focus on hiding the vocal break between both
vocal registers.
• Practice practice practice!
• Keep the vowels open!
Support with lots of diaphragm and breath support.
Closed off sound is bad!

6. PRECAUTION
• If you are mixing wrong, you will hurt your voice
• Stretching chest voice =/= mixing.
• Don’t push
• Vocal Nodules
• Polyps
• If there’s a push, then stop.

7. VOCAL NODULES AND POLYPS
• Difference: Nodules can go away, Polyps are
permanent.
• Symptoms: Raspy voice, hoarness, pitch flatness,
range decrease, pain when talking, pain from ear
to ear, can be caused by singing/yelling and
smoking as well.
• 2 to 3 weeks of no voice with lump in the throat
feeling, get checked.

8. PICTURES. YUM.

9. UNHEALTHY MIXING
• Idina menzel cracking on the Oscars
• Adele before she had her throat surgery in 2012
• Kelly Clarkson in her early career
• Lady Gaga circa 2009
• Katy Perry
• Sia, love her voice, Chandelier she screams
• Bruno mars, watch the veins in his throat

10. HEALTHY MIXING
• Kristen Chenoweth
• Anna Kendrick
• New Adele
• Beyonce
• New Gaga
• Here’s a good hint, if it sounds effortless, they are
probably doing it right

11. HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE MIXING
RIGHT
• If you are able to sing the song repeatedly, without
vocal exhaust
• Voice doesn’t hurt
• Effortless!
• Should feel fairly similar to head voice but have the
support of chest voice.
• Should sound like you are belting

12. HOW TO TELL IF YOU AREN’T MIXING
CORRECTLY
• You lose your voice after a few runs of the song
• Your voice hurts
• You are pushing, feeling like you are singing against
a wall
• Every vein on your neck is sticking out
• You music begins falling a bit flat.

13. KEEP IN MIND
• You won’t magically get a huge range.
• Range will take time, and sometimes no time is long
enough.
• Should help vocal stamina, if it begins taking away
the stamina, again, not helping.
• Practice practice practice! And you’ll fool them all
with your amazing ridiculous belts!