My Top 3 Singing Exercises to Develop Your Chest Voice
Woman singing into a microphone stood against a light blue background
What Is Chest Voice?
“Chest Voice” is probably the most common term for how singers describe the lower part of their voice. It’s the part of the voice that most (I won’t say all, because there are exceptions to every rule!) of us speak in and is really the foundation of our singing voice.
Why is it called Chest Voice?
Put your hand on your chest for me and say “Ah.” Did you feel the vibration under your hand? This is why it’s most commonly referred to as Chest Voice – because it feels like it’s coming from our chest.
It’s important for me to mention here that your “Chest voice” is not actually produced there. Any sound we make with our voice is produced by the vocal cords (also known as “vocal folds”), which sit inside our larynx (or voice box). What we feel are known as “sympathetic vibrations,” which refer to the perception of where our voice is resonating in our body. But those perceptions can be really helpful in identifying parts of our voice and communicating with others, which is why the term is still so widely used today.
Why Is Chest Voice So Important?
As I mentioned earlier, Chest Voice is really the foundation of our singing voice. It provides the basis for the power, strength, and intensity in our voice.
A well-developed chest voice brings depth and richness to our voice, provides a foundation for strong high notes, and helps us transition smoothly from the lower part of our voice to the upper part and back again.
So, how can you go about developing and strengthening your Chest Voice? Check out my 3 favourite exercises below!
1. Karate Chop “Huh” to “Ah” on a single pitch
Have you ever seen those older martial arts movies where the characters slip into their fighting stance before a big action scene? They raise their hands in front of them and make a quick “Huh!” sound. That’s what I want you to try. Keep it short and sharp, but not loud or forceful.
Do you notice the air and sound stop? That’s the vocal cords coming together.
Try that again a couple of times just to get used to the sensation, and then, when you’re ready, try adding the sound “Ah” on a single note at a comfortable pitch.
Try this a few more times and change the pitch of the “Ah” once you’re comfortable.
Why is this useful?
To develop chest voice effectively, we need what is known as vocal fold closure. That is, the vocal folds need to come together efficiently to help resist the flow of air from our lungs and help create a strong and robust tone.
The Karate Chop “Huh” closes the vocal folds fully and allows the body to experience true vocal fold closure. Moving to the “Ah” sound then allows us to take this feeling and muscular coordination and apply it to an easy, comfortable pitch.
2. Pouty, Whiney “Go” on a Major Triad
The next exercise on my list for Chest Voice development is singing the word “Go” on a major triad (1-3-5).
Here’s the thing: I don’t want it to sound pretty. I want you to pretend you’re a young child who’s sulking because they didn’t get their way. Make it really whiney and pouty and sing the word “Go.” For my male or lower-voiced singers, start on C3, and for my female or higher-voiced singers, try G3.
Here’s why this works:
The “G” is a really good consonant to help bring those vocal folds together. It’s reinforcing that efficient vocal fold closure.
The whiney, pouty quality not only helps bring those cords together, but it also helps reduce tension. We don’t want to be squeezing or forcing our voice, and the whiney sound helps with good cord closure without excess squeeze.
Using a word like “Go” keeps us grounded in a speech-like, spoken quality. At this stage, we’re not overly concerned with sounding “pretty” or “finished.” It’s about establishing and reinforcing good muscle coordination. Keeping it more speech-like makes it easier for us to focus on that.
3. “Bah” on a 5-Note Scale
Last on my list for today is the one I go to most often when working on chest voice: the word “Bah” (as in “cat” or “bat”) on a simple five-tone scale (1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1).
Why do I like this one so much?
The “B” is another great consonant to bring those vocal folds together. The “A” sound is a bright, wide sound that encourages more muscle engagement and a chestier resonance.
The scale is slightly longer and more typical of a “singing” exercise. Notice how we’ve moved from single pitches to 3 notes and now to 5 notes. We’re progressing the challenge for the voice with each exercise to see if we can maintain that coordination and engagement we’ve built from the previous exercises.
Final Tips!
Keep these exercises within a comfortable low range. We don’t want to take them too high (yet), because that involves different muscular coordination. For my guys or lower voices, I wouldn’t take these higher than D4. For my ladies or higher voices, I’d stop around G4.
If you feel any pain or discomfort while attempting these or any singing exercises, please stop. Singing should never hurt. You might need further guidance to make sure you’re on the right track.
Sing these exercises at a medium level volume. Don’t get too loud, focus on achieving a strong, clear tone that’s not breathy or weak. We want to establish solid coordination and good technique before we start thinking about working those louder, more intense sounds.
I hope you found this helpful! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for other topics you’d like me to discuss, comment below or get in touch.
If you’d like me to work with you personally on developing your chest voice, why not book a free consultation call here? I also offer a trial lesson at a discounted rate for all new clients.
Happy singing!