Allen Rascoe

Allen Rascoe

Teaching Experience: 25 years | Voice Teacher

09/27/2025 |1 min to read

Too Heavy/Big Chest

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Too Heavy/Big Chest

The common vocal issue of a too heavy chest voice is connected to the falsetto voice (or stretcher muscle) not working well, or maybe not at all.

When the stretcher muscle does not do its job, then the other main muscle, our closer muscle, has to compensate. When it does this, it becomes overworked; trying to do the job of stretching that it is not designed to do.

Since the muscles have to do their own specific jobs and be in the right relationship, then when this does not occur, the voice becomes unbalanced. The closer muscle tries to adjust the vocal cords to meet the pitch requirements. However, its job is not to stretch, so proper adjustment of the cords as the pitch rises becomes impossible due to the closer muscle not being qualified to do the job of the stretcher muscle.

The results are the singer having to push the pitch with force; increasing volume and breath blasting. After a while the vocal cords cannot stand the excessive weight and the cords "buckle" under it all - they separate. Once they separate, it takes ever more volume and breath blasting to attempt to get them back together. Yelling somewhere near a pitch becomes common.

Ultimately a singer develops problems such as vocal nodules. The closer muscle basically becomes a lone wolf, trying to do it all; ending up broken and alone.

 

About the author

Allen Rascoe

Allen Rascoe

Allen has been enjoying singing since he was a little kid. He officially studied voice at ECU and USC. However, he ran into some vocal trouble. The search for healing led him to the studio of Dr. Joel Ewing, and into the world of functional vocal mechanics. Allen has explored vocal truth, and thus highly recommends the writings of E-Herbert Caesari, Cornelius Reid, and William Vennard. He is blessed to invite and accompany folks on the journey towards vocal wellbeing. The adventure awaits!

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