Practice Songs Helpful for Learning Mixed Voice (Middle Voice) [For Women]
The term “mixed voice.” If you’re interested in singing, you’ve probably heard or seen it at least once.
Many of my vocal training students say, “I want to be able to use mixed voice!” However, I feel that surprisingly few people actually understand what it is.
So what exactly is mixed voice? Simply put, it’s “the voice between chest voice and head voice.” That’s why it’s also called middle voice.
In actual songs, it’s mainly used to cover the high-tone range that’s hard to hit with chest voice, but by changing the balance of how much chest and head voice you mix, you can create a wide range of vocal expressions.
In this feature, I’ve gathered female singers who skillfully use mixed (middle) voice to express their songs.
I’m sure you’ll find plenty to reference when you practice with the goal of mastering mixed voice yourself.
I hope you find it helpful.
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- Easy-to-sing songs recommended for women in their 20s with low voices | Also great for getting a good reaction at karaoke!
- A collection of cool songs that sound great when sung by women, originally male songs
- Recommended for millennial women who aren't confident singers: easy-to-sing karaoke songs
- [For Beginners] Recommended Enka Classics for Karaoke — Women Singers Edition
[For Women] Practice Songs Helpful for Learning Mixed Voice (Middle Voice) (71–80)
EverythingMISIA
This was MISIA’s seventh single, released in November 2000.
MISIA’s mixed voice is characterized by a solid, powerful tone.
It leans more toward chest voice, giving the impression that the vocal folds remain firmly engaged rather than released like in falsetto.
One advantage of mastering mixed voice is the ability to freely control the blend between chest voice and falsetto, enabling a wide range of expressive singing—and this is a prime example.
While male vocalists often use mixed voice to extend their upper range, it’s also fascinating to hear female singers employ mixed voice the way MISIA does here.
Love Storyshiki
A skilled singer-songwriter and musical actress from Kyoto, Shiki released this track on her first album in 2008.
In fact, this is one of my productions—I handled the arrangement, played keyboards for the backing tracks, and of course did the vocal direction.
Having studied voice and music at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in the U.S., Shiki has exceptionally strong vocal ability.
She moves seamlessly through chest voice, mixed voice, and falsetto to interpret the song.
While her mixed voice is often used to soften the attack of a more falsetto-leaning tone, the mixed voice she employs for the high notes at the end of the song is very powerful and extremely effective.
Because you are hereUru
This is singer-songwriter Uru’s first digitally released single, issued in February 2020.
In terms of single releases, it’s her ninth overall.
Uru is known for her beautiful, clear voice, and it seems she primarily uses mixed voice when singing in the mid-to-high range.
Her falsetto also sounds softer and has fewer high overtones than a pure falsetto.
As a vocal quality, she may frequently employ a mix voice that leans toward falsetto.
By doing so, the falsetto used on the song’s highest notes feels even more effective.
This LoveAnjura Aki
This is Angela Aki’s fourth single in total, released in May 2006.
It was used as the ending theme for the anime BLOOD+, and around the same time it was also aired in commercials as the Japanese image song for the nationwide Toho-distributed Korean film Daisy.
The song itself is a grand ballad that makes highly effective use of string arrangements, and over that backing track, Angela Aki’s performance shines with a beautifully rendered contrast in her vocal delivery.
To express this “contrast in singing,” it’s essential to switch appropriately and smoothly between chest voice, mixed voice, and falsetto.
It’s a challenging song, but definitely try practicing and mastering it.
Shineieiri reo
This is Leo Ieiri’s second single, released in May 2012.
It was selected as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama “Kaeru no Oujosama” (Princess of the Frog).
In Ieiri’s case, her natural speaking voice is likely relatively bright and high, and in the song she doesn’t use an overtly soft, easy-to-recognize mixed voice like that of an R&B singer.
So at first listen, many people might wonder, “Where’s the mixed voice?” However, the powerful voice she uses in the mid-to-high range is probably a chest-dominant mixed voice, achieved by tightening the vocal folds to reduce breathiness.
If she sang entirely in chest voice, her expression would become a bit rougher; by using mixed voice in those spots, she skillfully keeps her expression under control.