Tips : Identifying the chest and head voice

Did you know that you have two parts to your voice? This is essential information for women, and interesting information for men.

Put your hand flat on your chest and say 'me me me' in a deep voice. Then say 'me me me' in a very high voice. You may feel vibrations when you are using your deep (chest) voice and no vibration when using your high (head) voice.

Men have a head voice, like women do, and that is called the falsetto voice. But, during puberty, a boy's voice 'breaks' and descends into the chest, there to reside unless a man consciously uses his head voice.

Women's voices do not break, and so a woman uses a combination of her head and chest voice. Generally speaking, the most commanding and authorative voice for a women is her chest voice. Women should still use their head voices, as part of the wonderful range of expressiveness available to them, but strive to choose which resonance to access, for greater effect.

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