“Man in the Mirror” is one of the most emotionally charged songs ever written — and it takes a truly masterful vocalist to do it justice. Siedah Garrett, who penned the iconic track for Michael Jackson, delivers a performance that is both a lyrical statement and a vocal masterclass. This post breaks down the key singing techniques heard throughout her live rendition, so you can understand what makes it so powerful and how to bring some of those elements into your own voice.
The Opening: Chest Voice and Breathiness
From the very first phrase of “Man in the Mirror,” Siedah Garrett establishes a specific and intentional tone. She opens with a thick chest voice quality, meaning her vocal folds are vibrating with more mass, while allowing just a touch of breath to filter through the sound.
This isn’t accidental. Rather than over-singing immediately, she keeps the volume low and controlled, saving energy for the journey ahead. The melody repeats itself throughout the song, so starting at a restrained dynamic gives her somewhere to go. Beginning singers often rush to full volume too soon; Siedah Garrett does the opposite, drawing the listener in gently.
Glottal Onsets and Vocal Fold Closure
One of the most noticeable features in “Man in the Mirror” is how Siedah Garrett starts certain phrases. She uses glottal onsets, a small, clean closure of the vocal folds right before the tone begins, which gives the sound a grounded, earthy quality. This technique helps seal the folds before airflow begins, resulting in that characteristic richness in the chest register. Key techniques at play here include:
- Closing the vocal folds cleanly before beginning a phrase
- Using thicker vocal fold mass for a fuller, rounder tone
- Varying the level of breath in the sound to create textural contrast
Lip Position and Tonal Brightness
Throughout Siedah Garrett’s performance of “Man in the Mirror,” you can observe how she consciously shifts her lip shape to change the color of her tone. A wider lip position brightens the sound and can help close the vocal folds more efficiently. A forward lip position, by contrast, slightly darkens the tone.
These aren’t random choices; she moves between them to serve the emotional arc of the lyric, brightening when she wants energy and rounding when she wants depth. This kind of tonal manipulation is what separates a polished professional from someone simply hitting the notes.
Twang, Constriction, and Dynamic Control
In the pre-chorus sections of “Man in the Mirror,” Siedah Garrett begins to increase the level of twang in her voice. Twang involves a narrowing of the area just above the larynx, which assists in closing the vocal folds and projecting the sound more efficiently. She also introduces brief moments of constriction, a pressing together of the vocal folds for a grittier, more intense texture, but crucially, she releases it as she ascends in pitch. These techniques used sparingly include:
- Twang to support fold closure in the mid-range
- Constriction for expressive grit in lower passages
- Releasing tension as pitch rises to preserve freedom in the upper range
Larynx Flexibility and Thyroid Tilt
One of the most striking moments in Siedah Garrett’s performance comes when she allows her larynx to lower deliberately to darken a phrase. The larynx naturally lowers for lower pitches, but she goes a step further, doubling down on that lowering to deepen the emotional weight of a lyric.
The key is precision, because over-lowering can actually pull a note flat. Alongside this, thyroid tilt, a forward tipping of the thyroid cartilage that stretches the vocal folds, is present throughout “Man in the Mirror,” contributing to the sung, legato quality of her voice and enabling her vibrato to emerge naturally.
Belting at the End
As “Man in the Mirror” builds into its gospel-inspired finale, Siedah Garrett moves into what can best be described as a belt voice quality. The sound becomes thicker and more driven, sustained with what feels like effortless power.
Belting involves the cricoid cartilage tipping backward to thicken the folds beyond their normal chest voice weight, supported by increased breath pressure from below. Rather than screaming or forcing, she holds back to approximately 80% of her capacity, an essential principle for any singer wanting to sustain power without losing control.
Breathing: Short, Sharp, and Smart
A common misconception in singing is that big breaths always equal better sound. Siedah Garrett’s performance of “Man in the Mirror” challenges that idea directly. Because many of the phrases are short, and because a thick chest voice and belt quality actually require less air than singers expect, she takes small, quick gasps between phrases.
These short, high breaths also help stabilize the muscles of the ribcage and upper back, keeping the larynx positioned correctly for the next phrase. For singers learning this song, the advice is clear: resist the urge to fill your lungs completely. Take what you need, nothing more.
Musicianship and the Riffing Section
Toward the end of “Man in the Mirror,” Siedah Garrett moves into an improvised, riff-heavy section rooted in the gospel tradition. What makes this work isn’t luck or raw talent alone; it’s deep ear training and interval recognition.
By internalizing the scale of the key she’s singing in, a singer can instinctively hear which notes belong and which don’t, even in the moment. This is why scales and arpeggios practiced in context are so valuable. Riffing is not decoration. It is musical fluency, expressed in real time.
“Man in the Mirror” is much more than a feel-good anthem. As a vocal study, Siedah Garrett’s performance is rich with technique, from chest voice and breath management to larynx control, twang, constriction, belt, and emotional phrasing, all woven together into one cohesive and deeply moving performance.
If you want to learn more about how you can learn to implement these singing techniques into your own voice, let’s sit down for a chat and discuss if the vocal academy is the right fit for you. You can join us here.