Head Voice vs. Chest Voice: 4 Differences

Before teaching vocal techniques, voice teachers often review voice types (soprano, alto, tenor, bass/baritone) and registers. Vocal registers are ranges of tones of the human voice. The vibrations of vocal folds, the folds of mucous membranes that stretch across the larynx, produce different tones. There are two main registers: chest voice (which covers the mid to lower range of a voice) and head voice (which consists of the higher range). Singers can practice vocal exercises to strengthen and expand their vocal range. Singers often employ multiple vocal registers in one song or aria to show off their range and create a more vigorous performance.

The term “head voice” broadly refers to a singer’s upper register. When you sing high notes, there’s a good chance you are using your head voice. The vocal cords naturally shorten to meet that upper range and reach higher notes. The head voice range is the highest register a singer has before hitting the whistle register, which not everyone has. Mariah Carey’s head voice extends to the whistle register. “When I was a little girl, I would wake up and be so raspy that I would talk like a little squeak,” Mariah recalls. “Then I learned how to make that into something that became like a whistle, like whistling, but with your vocal cords.”

Singers can employ the falsetto and head voice to sing higher notes, so these ranges are often confused for one another. Male and female singers have a falsetto, which reaches into the higher end of your head voice. It has a lighter and softer sound, almost like a flute. The difference is how the vocal cords behave; when singing in falsetto, the vocal cords come slightly apart, but when singing in the head register, they remain together and give the voice a more robust quality.

The chest voice consists of the middle and low notes of your vocal range; this is the range you use in your speaking voice. When you sing in the chest voice, your vocal folds vibrate across their entire length, producing a fuller, more robust sound than the head voice or falsetto. When female singers use this voice register, it may be known as belting, especially when the singing voice has a powerful, resonant quality. Singers require proper airflow, phonation, and support to sustain this middle voice.

People can be prone to vocal fry when speaking in the chest voice. Talking with a breathy quality in the lower part of your vocal range requires a loose glottal closure, leading to a cracked and foggy sound. Practicing vocal health is essential for maintaining your speaking and singing voice.

There are several differences between the head voice and chest voice, including:

1. 1. Quality: The vocal tone and timbre of these voices vary. Singing in the chest register can have a more pronounced, booming quality, while the head voice can be brighter.
2. 2. Range: Head voice spans a singer’s higher register, and the chest voice covers the lower voice range.
3. 3. Sensation: The sensation of singing also differs between these registers. When singing lower notes in your chest voice, you can feel the vibrations in your chest. When you sing in full head voice, however, you feel your voice in the crown of your head, behind your eyes, and between your ears.
4. 4. Vocal cords: On the anatomical level, thin vocal cords create head voice, and thick vocal cords create chest voice.

Mixed voice is a method of singing that uses both your chest voice and your head voice: The head voice allows you to reach higher notes, while the chest voice provides strength. Singing in this area of your chest and throat can give you better control over your voice and the notes you can hit.

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