Chest Voice - The Misunderstood Register

One of the habits I notice from female singers who have previous voice lesson experience is that they have a tendency to avoid their chest voice (low pitch register).  The chest voice enables both men and women to produce strong low notes, as well as creating a powerful and colorful middle section in the voice.  While the chest voice can quickly turn into a scream if used inproperly, it is almost as debilitating to not use the chest voice at all.  There are simple rules to observe when singing with a voice teacher that can clue you in to whether you are using your chest voice properly.

Rule #1 - Do my low notes resonate?  Or are they weak?
Rule #2 - As you ascend in pitch, do you lose flexibility in the voice, or perhaps feel strain beyond a certain pitch?  This could be a sign of carrying your chest voice too high.

If you find that your low notes are projecting well and you do not feel strain as you ascend in pitch, you are probably using  your chest voice efficiently.  With a voice teacher, you should be able to use your chest voice in a healthy manner that gives you additional power without sacrificing flexibility or vocal range.

DWS