Falsetto

  • My question is actually consisted of two parts: 1) How do you recognize a more complex falsetto? I mean I can tell falsetto in r'n'b/pop songs and many other different styles, but I can't put my finger on falsetto in metal songs for example. I mean it really sounds like a head voice, so how can you tell if a certain part is sung in falsetto? Like is there a certain way of telling, I've noticed that there's an 'uh' sound at the end of each falsetto part in metal songs that I know are falsetto. Is this a proper way of recognizing it? 2) How can I accomplish reinforced falsetto? or give my falsetto more resonance? how to mix it with the head voice. Also I would like to know how does using head voice feel? I want to know when I'm into head voice or falsetto (I know how falsetto feels, but sometimes I get more resonance and I just get confused). Thanks.


  • Hello Musicreditrail-ga, As someone who tries to sing, I felt really appealed by your question. The doubts about falsetto and its relation to head voice are very frequent among singers -- even some coaches. Many directly think that falsetto and head voice are two names for the same technique -- which is not so, and you are aware of that, simplifying our approach to the point. So, how to tell the difference between them? Having done an extended search on the web, I think that this passage posted in English at the French website L'Atelier du Chanteur (http://chanteur.net/contribu/index.htm#http://chanteur.net/contribu/cLHfalse.htm ) by Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA; Professor of Voice at the Pedagogy School of Performing Arts at Northern Arizona University, covers all the aspects you want to clarify as posted in your question: "The modern definition of falsetto is a voice production in which the vocalis muscles (for simplicity's sake the thyro-arytenoids) are inactive and lengthened greatly by the action of the crico-thyroid muscles which are at their nearly maximum contraction. The sound is produced by the air blowing over the very thin edges of the thyro-arytenoids and the pitch is controlled mostly by a regulation of the breath flow. If, at any time, the thyro-arytenoids began to resist this extreme lengthening of themselves and provide some resistance to the action of the cryco-thyroids, the vocal mechanism begins to move into head voice. "The sound of the falsetto voice is weak in overtones and produces no singer's formant. This is because the very thin edges of the lengthened vocal folds, which do not display any tension in opposition to the stretching action of the thyro-arytenoids, are easily blown open by the breath and offers little resistance to the breath flow. "The sound of the head voice, however, is richer in overtones and has the potential to produce a substantial singer's formant. In other words, it has a 'ring'. This is caused by the increased tension of the thyro-arytenoids which creates a 'tighter' and more substantial edge to the vocal folds which, in turn, resists the flow of breath and builds a more noticeable pressure below the vocal folds (subglottal pressure). The male singer can easily sense this difference in breath pressure between the true head voice and the falsetto. "It is possible to move gracefully between the falsetto and the head voice. If the male singer can gradually increase the activity of the thyro-arytenoids in resistance to the stretching action of the crico-thyroids the tone will change from the flute-like quality of the falsetto to the ringing sound of the head voice and the singer will also experience the increase in subglottal pressure. It is a bit of vocal gymnastics that not all singers can achieve. It is also an ability that is not necessary. This change from falsetto to head voice (or, for that matter, from head voice to falsetto) is not the heart of the mezza-voce or sotto-voce sound. These latter techniques have much to do with a change in the resonance spaces for the singer. In other words, mezza-voce and sotto-voce are more involved with changes in resonance of the voice than they are with phonational changes of the voice. "The vowels have a strong effect on the transition from chest voice to head voice. The point at which the male singer enters into a 'call' or 'shouting' voice as he ascends the scale on the [a] vowel is usually considered to be the lowest or first point of his passaggio or bridge into head voice [primo passaggio]. The singer may be able to extend this 'call' voice about another fourth upward at which point he will usually switch into falsetto (if he is an untrained singer) or head voice (if properly trained) and this is his topmost or second point of his passaggio or bridge into head voice [secondo passaggio]. The difference between these two register activity points is known as the 'zona di passaggio'. However, if the same exercise is attempted in the [i] vowel the male singer will move into 'call' voice and change into head voice about a minor (or major) third lower. This is the effect of the vowel on the register change." Additionally, you may want to listen so a few samples which are recorded at the John Henny Vocal Studio website, one of them specific to compare head voice and falsetto: http://www.johnhenny.com/newfile10.htm I hope this answer meets what you were expecting. Otherwise please let me know by requesting clarification and we'll surely work it out. Thanks for your question. Regards, Guillermo







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