I used to do classical singing so used my head voice quite a bit, which suited the music i sang

I stopped lessons a few years ago and now want to sing powerful contemporary songs or songs from musicals. Thing is, in my chest voice my voice is very powerful and well controlled but theres a massive jump between chest and head voice.
I want to be able to sing entirely in my chest voice but i can barely make it up to an A/B on the stave and my throat hurts and not much will come out, it feels ike im gonna lsoe it any second.

It spoils it because i can be sounding good then it just gets ruined

Is there any explaination as to how to increase the range of your chest voice. I know this is the dreaded phrase but i have no teacher and can't get one at the moment.

Don't do this without the advice of a teacher.

The short answer is yes there is a way of increasing the range of chest voice and mix, but and this is a huge but as this is perhaps one of the riskiest ways of singing it is best done with supervision.

Get a teacher who specialises in this area.

Ok, thanks for the advice
I can't get a teacher so i'll just have to leave it

Hi ffliwt.

I have learned how to belt over the last two years. I think the important thing to remember is that it isn't 'increasing your chest voice' - your chest voice (or whatever you want to call it) will only go up so far. Your voice isn't unusual in that it stops being comfortable to sing in that way at an A or a B. When you go higher you have to modify/change what you're doing and one of the main ways to do this is belting. It's a different vocal set-up to the one you currently use for your 'chest' voice, which is why it's important to realise that they are two different things. It's perfectly safe if you're taught how to do it properly (West End singers sing like this night after night with no problems if they're properly trained) but you do need a singing teacher. If you push your voice to sing higher in 'chest' then you will damage it, so you do need to be careful.

There's some info on this forum if you use the search function. There are certainly one or two threads about belting which will explain it far better than I can!

Hopefully at some point you'll be able to have lessons and you'll be able to learn how to do it properly. It's not as hard as it sounds and you'll be able to sing the musical repertoire that requires that sound.

Wait until you get to college - I'm sure you will be able to get good, sound, healthy advice to get you going quickly. In the meantime, use your voice but treat it with respect - just as you would your violin!

I could, as others have, go into details of how to approach the "mix" safely. However I feel extremely uncomfortable doing this in writing over an internet forum.

This is something I only do in face to face lessons.

It is very easy to get wrong.

On a young voice it is very easy to damage the instrument i.e. the voice.

The difference between placing a voice for bel canto voice production and belt and mix, IMHO is something that can be trained. The practioner needs to have extensive knowledge about how the voice works physiologically and an acutely trained ear to listen out for when things are going wrong. The also need to have excellent observation skills to see the first signs of strain in the body.

This can not be done on line.

ffliwt, there are definitely some teachers in Birmingham who teach in this way. I'm not sure that the conservatoire do but certainly the School of Acting do and there are some others in the area who will teach that technique. I hope you'll be able to have lessons. The west end style belt is a very specific thing and you'll need to make sure that whatever teacher you find teaches that very specific set up.

Thanks, i really hope i can find/afford lessons when i'm there, i may not be studying it at conservatoire but singing is such a passion of mine and basically the only reason i don't sing anymore is because i cant sing anywhere close to the way i'd like to be able to, but i miss it.
In my chest voice, i can have a great voice (provided ive warmed up and been doing some practise!). Above a G/A, it's terrible It's not *necessarily* belting that i'd like to do, as in the musical theatre style, i just want to be able to sing properly without th massive break etc.

While not specifically addressing'belting', there is a great DVD produced by Gillyanne Kayes ( of 'Singing and the Actor' fame) . It's called 'Twang - the techniques' , and explains and demonstrates different key positions, the position of the larynx etc. I would recommend getting a grounding in these techniques before progressing to safe belting. Check it out on www.vocalprocess.co.uk

This is a video of a known Estill teacher demonstrating their craft.

I'm certain Gillyane Kaynes is extremely good at what she does. However I am extremely concerned about the concept of recommending a singer learns a technique from a video.

If you want to learn about the Estill method, find an Estill teacher.

There are no short cuts.

Gillyanne does not describe herself as an Estill teacher!!

Of course it's not recommended to learn technique (of almost anything) from a book. The DVD was aimed to complement the 'Singing and the Actor' book by providing plentiful audio examples. As the OP has said she cannot have a teacher at the moment, I think this DVD, which I have watched frequently, far surpasses any information that could ever be picked up from a forum. Certainly no-one could come to any possible harm from watching it and going through the examples. It would be very useful for background prior to having lessons - I agree it shouldn't be used as a substitute.

Really? I got this off her website:
"In 1996 Gillyanne became one of the first Estill Vanguard Licensees"

Please, I am a singing teacher. Don't tell me how to do my job. People can come to harm copying things off videos. It is safer to go to a teacher.

Gillyanne trained as an Estill teacher and their approach still has a lot in common with Estill, although she now wouldn't describe herself as an Estill teacher. The prerequisite for their Advanced Courses is that you have either done their initial Singing and the Actor training or Estill 1 and 2.

I think it's well worth reading the book and listening to the CDs, although I found that I couldn't do a lot wth it 'til I got a teacher. There's certainly no harm in informing yourself with the information and I'd definitely say that, in order to sing musical theatre repertoire, an Estill-based technique would be best for you.

Thanks for this much appreciated, i'll have a look. I understand the risks, and it is my own fault if i come to any harm, but this was the kind of answer i was looking for seeing as i explained i have no means of getting a teacher right now, i'm not going to be doing anything intensively or enough to cause damage. So thanks Helen
Yes it is safer to go to a teacher, of course it is, but it's not an option whatsoever for me at the moment.