Control and Clarity

Welcome to Lesson 6.
If you’ve been working through the Vocal Function Exercises consistently—amazing work. That steady daily commitment is where vocal transformation really begins.

In Lesson 5, we focused on building coordination and endurance using the Vocal Function Exercises (VFEs). These exercises helped train your CT-dominant setup and build control without tension or strain.

Today’s Focus: Strengthening Control and Clarity
If you’ve been doing your VFEs consistently—great job. That daily work has set the foundation. Now we’re building on it with two targeted exercises:

  • Descending scales
  • High sustained tones

These tools refine your coordination, improve breath and tone control, and help you maintain a light, CT-dominant setup even as pitch drops. In short: they’re how head voice becomes not just accessible—but reliable.

Here’s what we’re building:

  • Endurance in your upper range
  • Stability and clarity in sustained tones
  • The ability to stay light as you descend
  • Breath control that supports ease, not effort


EXERCISE 1: Descending 5-Tone Scale
Start on a pitch near the top of your head voice range.
Sing a five-note descending scale: ♪ 5–4–3–2–1 ♪
Use “oo” (like food) or “uh” (like cup)—whichever feels easier to keep light and steady.

Goal: Stay in that thin, CT-dominant coordination all the way down.

And here’s the key:
It’s okay—and expected—for the voice to get quieter as you descend. That’s a good sign. It means you’re staying light instead of shifting into a thicker, TA-dominant setup.

If the voice gets louder, grabs, or feels chesty as you go down:

  • Start a little higher
  • Back off your airflow
  • Allow the tone to fade slightly if needed—it’s better to stay thin and quiet than strong and thick for this exercise

Repeat down by half steps until you reach your break zone or the point where coordination begins to shift.

Pro Tip:
Record a few takes. Listen for sudden changes in tone quality or volume. These subtle shifts tell you a lot about your underlying coordination.


EXERCISE 2: High Sustained Tone (Tone Builder)
Pick a pitch near the top of your head voice range.

Take a full, relaxed breath.

Gently begin a tone on “oo” (as in “food”) with:

  • A clear, easy onset
  • A light, steady sound
  • No visible tension or strain

Sustain for 6–10 seconds—or until clarity or steadiness starts to drop off.

Then rest.

Move up or down a half step and repeat the process. Stick with pitches that feel sustainable without grabbing or pushing.

If you start to feel tight, breathy, or forced:
That’s your cue to back off or drop to a more manageable pitch. This exercise is about precision, not power.


Reflection Prompt
After each round of both exercises, take a moment to reflect:

  • Did the tone stay in the same quality throughout?
  • Did the voice thicken or strain as you descended?
  • Did you feel like you were “holding” the tone, or letting it happen with ease?
  • Were you able to keep it soft—even if it meant getting quieter?

Keep a short log of your reflections each day. What’s changing? What’s staying consistent? These small insights are key to self-coaching.


Daily Exercise Plan
You can now begin including these two exercises in your daily vocal routine.
They’re short, targeted, and will produce real results when practiced consistently.

Suggested Practice Time: 8–10 minutes/day

  • Descending Scales: 3–5 minutes
  • High Sustained Tones: 3–5 minutes

Why don’t we suggest adding more right now?
Because at this stage, your cricothyroid (CT) muscles are still developing—and like any muscle group, they need time and consistent, targeted use to grow stronger.

Adding more exercises too soon can actually slow progress or reinforce unhelpful habits. These two are more than enough if you do them with intention.

So stay with the plan. Give your voice space to adapt. Build strength gradually and you’ll get farther, faster.

What if you’re short on time?
Totally understandable. Adding another 8–15 minutes on top of the Vocal Function Exercises can feel like a lot—especially if you’re balancing school, work, rehearsals, or life in general.

Here are a few ways to manage it:

  • Split your practice: VFEs in the morning, Lesson 6 exercises in the evening
  • Alternate exercises: Do descending scales one day, high sustained tones the next
  • Minimum dose: If you’re short on time, just do one of the two exercises once per day—even 3 minutes is better than skipping entirely
  • Stack with warmups: Use these as your “pre-sing” conditioning before rehearsal or gig prep

The most important thing is consistency—not perfection.

So start with what’s sustainable.
Be patient. Show up daily in some small way.
You’re not just building vocal technique—you’re building strength, flexibility, and trust in your instrument.

How You’ll Know You’re Ready for Lesson 7:

  • You can stay in thin, CT-dominant coordination through full descending scales—without flipping or thickening
  • You can sustain high tones for 6–10 seconds with minimal effort and stable clarity
  • You’ve practiced these exercises at least 5–6 days per week for 3–4 weeks
  • Your head voice feels more stable and usable across exercises and repertoire

If that’s not happening yet—that’s okay. Stay here a little longer. The gains from these exercises are cumulative.

There’s no deadline. Only progress.

When you’re ready, Lesson 7 will help you expand these skills into melodic phrasing and light mix transitions.
I’ll see you there.