Hi,

Everytime I sing I hear a cracky voice. It's not  something that's too bad but its still there and it affects the clarity of my voice when I sing. I am currently at "improving vocal tone" in the 30-day lessons and was wondering if there was an exercise along the line that would help me get rid of the cracky sound in my voice when I sing. Or is there something else I have to do?

Hi, Allen! Please see below for notes from our last live lesson, and feel free to check out the video here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXqiqTyxoBM&t=2666s

How to shift registers smoothly to avoid CRACKING

Within warmups:

1. Don’t worry about it and let the warmup do the work for you (ie: lip trill, MUM, GUG)

2. With arpeggiated patterns, use each interval jump as an opportunity to “reset” if needed: anticipate what your voice wants to do, and determine whether you’ll do what your voice wants or extend past it. 

3. Start with top-down registration: it’s easier to get back into chest voice from head voice from vice versa.

4. Slide over your passaggio from a more open vowel (in chest voice) to a more closed vowel (in mix) to train lightening/thinning as you ascend. 

Within songs:

1. First, put the song in a key that makes your job easier (if the original key is tough). 

2. Plan your registration ahead of time (don’t leave it to chance). Use the original artist as a template, but deviate as needed for your voice. 

3. If switching, use a warmup syllable that helps you find that placement. Then, keep that placement when you return to lyrics. (ex: WUH/BUH for chest voice, NAY/NO for mix, HOO/WHEE for head voice)

4. Identify problematic consonants or vowels (that cause you to crack) and modify them (ie: open up OO and EE to be more open; replace unvoiced consonants with voiced ones)

5. Know your limits and how much “vocal effort” a specific section will take (when you’re in “danger” of cracking, everything has to be on point - posture, breathing, vowel, etc)