Where you place your voice will affect the quality and volume of the sound you make. So, when singing, where should you feel it?
Most people produce the best sounds when feeling resonance sensations around the eyes and cheekbones. This area, also called “the mask” is the ideal spot for placing your voice.
Let’s find out more about vocal placement and how to position your voice!
When Singing Where Should You Feel It?
When you focus your voice on different parts of your body, the sounds produced will change. This action is vocal placement.
Singing with correct vocal placement will help you create the best sounds with the appropriate volume. The proper body part to place the voice may vary depending on the sensation of each person.
In general, when singing, you should feel your voice in “the mask” on your face. This area is around your cheekbones, nose, and eyes. Focusing your vocal sound on this place will help you sing better.
To sense the vibrations in this spot, you shouldn’t force your vocal sound there. For instead, let your tongue, jaw, throat, and neck relax when you belt out a tune.
Besides the mask, many people recommend sending the sound through their heads to the outside. This vocal placement helps you reach the high notes easier.
To know more about types of vocal placements, you can watch this video. It will show you the difference in the produced sounds of different vocal placements.
How To Know Your Proper Vocal Placement Through Feelings?
One person’s best resonant zone can be different from another. So, you should explore your vocal placement to find the suitable one for you.
Here is the guide to discover voice placements and some vocal exercises.
How to explore voice placements
First, keep your thumbs above the chin. Then, move the index fingers to different positions around the nose while feeling the resonance.
In this way, you can define the suitable spot for situating the resonance.
- If the chosen position is behind the nose, you should feel the brightness and brilliance of your voice.
- The resonant sensations will appear in front of your mouth and cheeks when you move your finger to your cheekbones.
- Another possible placement is the place forward your jaw and ear. The sensations there come from the back of your mouth.
- You can also try feeling the sensations when your finger is at the back of your ears.
- For a dark and blurry resonant sensation, place your sound in the neck area under the jaw. Then, put your finger on this position and feel it.
Some resonance techniques
You can learn the following techniques when you find the most comfortable place to locate your resonance.
Head resonance
Yawning is the first thing you need to do to concentrate your sound on the head. Resonant sensations will appear in your larynx. At this time, elevate your soft palate and lower the back of your tongue.
After that, pronounce some consonants such as sh, t, d, n, and l. The tone of sounds you make with this technique will be softer and higher.
Chest resonance
This technique can help you to create darker tones. Like head resonance, you should start with yawning. Then raise the soft palate, let the larynx down and try to maintain the vibrations in the mask.
“N” exercise
If you want to develop voice placement effectively, you should try this technique.
Lift the top of your tongue and place it at the back of the upper teeth. Then, create a soft vibration after your nose.
This exercise can help you make bright and high tones, but you need to limit the low end. You will gradually improve your resonance and sing with specific words easier.
Some Useful Vocal Methods To Sing Better
In addition to correct vocal placements, proper vocal methods will help you develop your voice and sing better. Below are some basic singing exercises you should know to improve your voice.
Warm-up exercises
It’s essential to do warm-ups for your voice before starting any vocal exercise or singing. This activity will help your vocal cords and larynx have a good preparation before working.
You can consult the following warm-up exercises for daily practice.
Humming
Humming is an effective way to make your voice soft and stable. You can practice this exercise at any time and anywhere, even in public places.
To hum, you need to separate your upper and lower teeth while still keeping your mouth closed. Then, choose a middle note in your vocal range and make a “Hmm” sound with it.
After that, repeat humming with the two lower notes and two higher notes of the first note. You’d better do this exercise 3-5 times per session.
Articulate words ending with “ng”
The ending “ng” of words like “sing” is a nasal sound. So, articulating this sound can help you feel the resonance in the mask. By this exercise, you can transfer between the head voice and chest voice more easily.
Lip trills
Another warm-up exercise that helps you control your breath and stabilize your vocal cords when singing.
You can start this exercise by trilling both of your lips without making any pitch. Then, repeat and add a pitch while trilling and hold it in 3 seconds.
Continue to add higher or lower pitches to your lip trills. You will have a tickling feeling in the area around your forehead.
Solfege
In this exercise, you will train your ears in hearing pitches and sing them.
Start practicing solfege by singing with the middle C to the up and down. Remember to listen and check if you reach the correct pitches while singing.
You can raise the starting pitches over time until reaching the highest one in your vocal range.
This exercise is still possible to do without a piano. You can download a piano app or try practicing with no help from any instruments. In this way, you will enhance the listening ability of your ears and sing more accurately.
The Siren
If you find the above exercises are challenging, The Siren is a simpler one. You will copy the sound produced by a fire engine with your voice.
You should begin with the lowest note you can sing, then increase gradually. Then, repeat with the reversed order of notes.
When you find it difficult to reach the low or high notes, your vocal cords get tired. You should take a rest and start again after a while.
Mah-May-Me-Mo-Mo
Many singers like this vocal exercise as it’s easy and can improve your singing ability.
To do it, you select a note and sing “Mah-May-Me-Mo-Mo” on this note. You should pronounce the “M” clearly while singing.
It’s better to start with a low note such as A3, then go up to an octave. Sing slowly and try to make it in one breath.
In this exercise, good intonation is essential to produce excellent sound. Practicing and relaxing at the same time will make it easier for you to do it than pushing yourself.
Creaky Doors
If you want an exercise to strengthen your vocal cords, you can try Creaky Doors. It’s a bit complicated, but it’s good for building the cord closure properly.
To do this exercise, you need to create the irritable sound of a creaky opening door. Try not to take air to make this sound, but the sound shouldn’t be too breathy or jammed.
Hotty Gees
Hotty Gees is a common vocal exercise to remove tension for singers before their performance.
To do Hotty Gees, you will pronounce the word “gee” with a sleepy cartoon voice. Try to make it sound as dopy as possible. This activity will create pressure that is beneficial to your cord closure.
Nasty Nays
Another vocal exercise that can make your cord closure better is Nasty Nays.
You will say the word “nay” with the most obnoxious sound possible. Then try it with different tones in your range. When you feel tired in reaching any note, it’s time to take a break.
I love to sing
The arpeggio included in “I love to sing” can help you improve your vocal range.
In this exercise, you will sing “I love to sing” while smiling. The combination of smiling and singing will create a bright and clear sound.
We recommend that you begin with a low note around Bb3 and go up to an octave. Then, turn back to the middle notes and the starting point.
You can repeat several times with high or low notes as you desire. When you find “I love to sing” is comfortable to do, try it in one breath. It’s beneficial for your breath support.
Conclusion
Hopefully, through this post, you have known where you should feel when singing. Finding your correct vocal placement will help you sing better.
Besides, you can practice the vocal exercises we recommend above to improve your voice. Thank you for reading!
