Making Head Voice Work In Songs

Welcome to Lesson 8.
This is the moment a lot of singers have been waiting for:
applying your head voice work to actual music.
You’ve spent the last several lessons building coordination, strength, and awareness. Now it’s time to connect that work to real phrases, and learn how head voice functions in different vocal styles.

Goal of This Lesson
Apply head voice coordination to short musical phrases
Maintain CT-dominant function in context
Develop stylistic flexibility—breathy? clear? vibrato? no vibrato?
Choose head voice intentionally, not just as a default or survival strategy

Step 1: Choose a Phrase, Not a Whole Song
Start small. We’re not workshopping entire arias or belt numbers here. Choose one phrase near your upper range—something that could reasonably be sung in head voice and gives you a chance to move between a few notes, ideally with a sense of shape or direction. and gives you a chance to move between a few notes, ideally with a sense of shape or direction.
What you’re looking for is a musical gesture—not just a held note, but something with contour, intention, and phrasing. It could rise and fall. It could connect multiple words. It could resolve a tension. You want to test how your head voice responds in motion, not just in isolation.
Examples:

  • A soaring phrase from a musical theatre ballad
  • A lyrical line in an art song or aria
  • A pop pre-chorus that floats high and then releases
  • A backing vocal riff or stacked harmony line that sustains and resolves

If you’re unsure what to pick, look for a phrase you’ve struggled with before because it felt “too light” or “just a little too high” to handle comfortably in your usual setup.
Pick something that moves and helps you test line, not just pitch.

Step 2: Swap In Head Voice On Purpose
Now sing that phrase using intentional head voice coordination.

  • Keep the tone light—even if it sounds breathier or quieter than you’re used to
  • Focus on staying in CT-dominant function
  • Don’t try to match your chest voice tone—let it be different
  • Try multiple vowel substitutions if needed (“oo” or “ng” can help reset coordination)


You can also modify rhythm or pitch slightly to test how your head voice behaves across phrasing.
This isn’t about performance—it’s about testing function in context.

Step 3: Record and Compare
If you’ve sung the phrase before, try recording a version with your previous default approach—then one using your trained head voice setup.
Compare the two:

  • What changed?
  • Which one felt more stable?
  • Which one sounded more stylistically appropriate?
  • What would happen if you blended the two?
  • Notice whether your head voice starts to resemble a mix-like sound. Don’t chase it—stay in head voice so you can understand its full expressive range on its own terms.

Step 4: Try a New Phrase in a New Style
To expand your versatility, try applying head voice in a second phrase—but from a different style.

Style Guide

Genre

Common Head Voice Usage

Classical

Most female repertoire above the staff

Musical Theatre

Legit soprano roles, lyric ballads, golden age material

Pop

Breathier phrases, soft choruses, airy runs

R&B

High melismas, falsetto flips, emotional dynamics

Country/Folk

Light storytelling phrasing, high verse patterns

The point is to see how head voice shows up differently across styles. The same coordination can sound and feel completely different depending on what you’re going for.

What to Watch For
As you apply head voice in music, pay attention to:

  • How it feels—Does it stay light, or do you start to push?
  • Where you lose control—Does it thicken up mid-phrase? Flip out?
  • Tone clarity—Are you okay with breathiness, or do you want more ring?
  • Style compatibility—Is head voice the right tool for this phrase?
    There are no wrong answers—just opportunities to make better vocal choices.

A Note on Vibrato
Earlier in this lesson, we mentioned vibrato as one of the expressive tools available in head voice. As you begin applying your head voice to real music, take note of whether vibrato appears naturally or not.
You don’t need to force vibrato into the sound right now. For many singers, especially in thinner or newer coordinations, vibrato may not show up automatically. That’s normal.
Instead of trying to create it, ask:

  • Does vibrato start to appear on sustained notes?
  • Is it consistent, or does it wobble or come and go?
  • Does it differ by style? (Pop vs classical?)
    Use this as a moment to explore how vibrato functions for you in head voice. Some singers find that vibrato is a natural part of their expression; others may use a straighter tone, especially in contemporary styles. Either is valid.
    Let your musical choices guide you—not rules about what head voice “should” sound like.

What to Do This Week

  • Choose two short phrases (ideally from different genres)
  • Sing each phrase with intentional head voice
  • Record at least one version and reflect on the differences
  • If it’s hard to keep the coordination steady, revisit Lesson 5 exercises to reinforce CT dominance
    This is about ownership. Head voice isn’t just a fallback or “weaker” option—it’s a tool.
    Now’s your chance to start using it on purpose.


You’ve built a lot already—and now you’re making it real.
This is what technique is for: helping you sing music more freely, more expressively, and with more choices.
In the next lesson, we’ll explore where to go from here—whether you want to work on mix, agility, dynamic control, or just keep growing your head voice strength and confidence.
See you in Lesson 9.