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Okay, so I'm reading this book by Roger Love. It came with a cd and it's all about Chest, Middle, and Head voice. I don't understand if head is really falsetto though. He says it's not, but it sounds like it is to me, even on the example recordings on the cd! I would go to a vocal coach, but I'm broke!!! I'm a college kid just trying to eat, for goodness sake! I know we have some reallly reallly reallly good singers in here with a lot of knowledge, so share the wealth! What are "chest" "middle" and "head" voice? Is falsetto the same as head? And how do you know if you're doing it ALL right??!!!

[shadow=gold]Amanda[/shadow]

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So here's todays useless information..........  enjoy

Falsetto is the maximal elongation of vocal cords with minimal glottic gap. It can be produced at almost any frequency, but is mostly produced in the upper range for both male and female voices. Falsetto was originally called "false voice" because of the use of castrates (castrated males) when women were not allowed to sing in churches.

It is the breathy sound that occurs when the vocal cords are allowed to separate. Falsetto will not blend with chest voice, therefore making it impractical to use except for special vocal stylings.

Luv Di  :oh yeah:

Thanks for that definition Di. It helps to visualize when I'm singing what's happening. But I thought I remembered in my little book it saying that the higher one goes, the closer their vocal cords get???????? What then makes the difference between high falsetto notes and high regular notes?

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Watch out for the SHARRKKS

i'm glad you asked this!  i've been trying to figure out the difference too....i've been working on the song 'i knew i loved you' by savage garden and it has a lot of parts that to me sound like falsetto....but i'm just not sure.....maybe someone who knows can listen to it and let us know....

well I dunno if this is right or not, but I always thought that your head voice is more of an operatic sound.... you can kinda feel it resonate in the top of your head (or maybe that's just my hollow noggin?)

and falsetto is kind of a "fake" high that you can't really feel resonate anywhere..... example... in the song Blue by Leanne Rimes... when her voice flips up and down in "BluuuUUuuuuUuuue" those high bits that she flips into are falsetto...

.........i think?


that's what I always thought, anywho

WHERE'S JAZZY WHEN YA NEED HER??

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Any discussion of head voice and falsetto involves a basic consideration of vocal phonation. Resonance, of course, has an effect on phonation in these areas, as it does in all areas of singing, but the primary differences between falsetto and head voice are phonational. 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.

Closed vowels such as [i] and [u] tend to lower the register change points. It is believed this is caused by the difference in acoustic "load" these vowels provide for the vocal folds. In effect, this increased acoustic load allows the vocal folds to make their adjustment more easily because they are not required to be the sole engines of resistance to the increased breath pressure as the pitch rises. The acoustic load provides some of the resistance necessary.

This is one of the reasons that men generally prefer closed vowels in the passaggio and above. The other primary reason for this vowel preference is the availability of a rich harmonic environment in the male voice which is able to activate the first and second natural resonances of the vocal tract (formants). An excellent article on this effect in the male passaggio can be found in the latest issue of the Journal of Singing (the official publication of the National Association of Teachers of Singing).

How much a singer is using falsetto or how much he is using head voice is not difficult to determine in most cases. If there is any ring to the tone, it is likely that the thyro-arytenoids are somewhat active and the transition has been, or is being made to head voice. If the tone is flutey and disembodied it is likely falsetto. But it is all a matter of degree.

Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA
Professor of Voice, Pedagogy
School of Performing Arts
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona 86011



Incidently the Castrati wasn't unpopular in the older days. Males reaching puberty no longer qualified for the honor of singing in the prestigious "Vienna Boy's Choir".  A few opted for castration as a means to stay on.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

A few opted for castration as a means to stay on.

Now that's dedication brutha!!

I'll say...

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Here's some information I had laying around about this topic:

According to Cathrine Sadolin the three registers are called chest voice (below c1 from women and below c0 for men).  Here she's referring to the note and octave on a piano.   The second part of the voice is the mixed register (c1 to c2 for women and c0 to c1 for men).  The head voice/falsetto is the high part of the voice (c2 to c3 for women and above c1 for men).  

She states that "for men this part of the voice (register) is called falsetto.  In this part of the voice the vocal cords are even and more stretched and only the rims of the vocal cords meet in the closed phase.  In the head voice the resonance in the chest is completely replaced by a resonance in the head.  You cannot feel resonance in the head as clearly as in the chest but in certain cases it may feel as if the head 'rings along'.  Many singing teachers call it singing 'forward in the face' or singing 'between the eyes'.  For men this part of the voice is also calleed falsetto or high falsetto.  For women this part is called the flute pipe, or flageolet register.

The notes are most probably produced by a muscular tension (the vocal flageolet), that makes the vocal cords become rigid, a little curved, and very thn.  In the vocal flageolet the cords do not vibrate along their entire length but within a shorter area in the middle of the cords that can be increased or decreased.  To sing above the high c you have to use the vocal flageolet.  Without the vocal flageolet these notes can not be reached.  

Not all women have this part of the voice.  If at some point in her adult life a woman has reached notes above c3 you can assume she has this part of the voice.  This part of the voice may be trained like all other parts."

She also discusses a sub-low register in her book, which she says can be heard in a small island off the coast of Bahrain where the pearl fishers on long pearling raids sing low sub-register notes.  She further mentions that registers have to do with divisions man has assigned to pitch and has nothing to do with sound color or problems with unintentional vocal breaks.

Here's more she talks about concerning the vocal flageolet and flute register:

"[The notes in this register] are probably created by muscular tensions which prevent parts of the vocal cords from vibtrating.  This particular muscular tension is called the vocal flageolet.  Here the vocal cords become rigid, a little curved and very thin.  During the vocal flageolet the cords do not vibrate along their entire length but within a shorter areas in the middle of the cords that can be increased or decreased.  This is exactly what guitartist do when they touch a string exactly in the middle after plucking it.  The string effectively becomes half its length and vibrates at twice the frequency.   The sound becomes an octave higher.  This is called the flageolet.  To sing above the high c you have to use the vocal flageolet .  Without the vocal flageolet these notes can not be reached."

Furthur she refers to problems trying to use vocal flageolet in lower pitches:

"If you sing with vocal flageolet below the high c you will only get a very thin sound that cannot be made louder.  If you try to make it louder it will create a break or split in the voice."

I thought this was good information because when I sing at c3 or above (which is falsetto), I'm conscience of the fact that I'm doing something different with my vocal cords...this information helps me to understand WHAT I'm doing.

Lots of useful info guys, thanks. It kinda seems like some agree that they are the same, while others believe theres a difference, and then to others it depends on gender.

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Hey guys.  Well.. while voice is my expertise, I don't profess to know all the technical and more presicely biomechanical proccesses going on.  I think people get hung up too much these days on technical terms with vocal registers and how they are defined, when the truth of the matter is, that even the "experts" don't agree on how to label things.  Each vocal coach i've met and researched has their own views on the voice and the classification of it's registers.  So in my view, it's not about being "right" but what works for you and your method of teaching.  I've seen it argued both ways, and convincingly so..

I like to think more from a practical standpoint and talk more about the kind of sound you are making and whether it is the type of sound that we are looking for or not.  When there is a teacher who says that falsetto and head voice are two different things, in my experience, they are wanting you to know the difference between an airy sound and a more focused sound that is forward and devoid of excess air.  I think visuals work better than trying to use technical terms and the difference between the two sounds is one is more open weak and airy, like a flashlight with it's wide beam and weaker light while the other is more narrowed down to get the air out and focused more like a laser beam.  

In vocal lessons, whether pop or classical, we work to get that laser beam focus of sound to make the registers move from one to the other seamlessly. In pop, that focused head voice serves as a kind of "fake belt" while in classical music, it is that ringing powerful tone that we all strive for.  The airier sound also comes into play and is useful, but moreso in popular styles.  Think Mariah Carey or other artists when they do those airy oohs and ahh's.. that's more what some would call a "falsetto" sound.  It's all head voice to me, and I tend to use the term falsetto only with guys.

As far as the upper range goes, yes some compare the falsetto to the woman's flageolet or whistle register, which may or may not be true.  Again, I don't care much for terms as everyone will use them differently.  I just personally call it the whistle range, and I think it starts in a different place for all women.  To say that anyone singing over a C6 is in flageolet or whistle, isn't accurate in my opinion.. I DONT have that light whistle like register in my voice.. I do however have the ability to get up to around an F6 (on a good day ).  But for me, it's less of a whistle sound (like mariah) as it is heavier.. It's just an extension of my head voice.  I've never found that light whistle register for me, and I doubt that I will.  Not everyone has it.

So rather than getting hung up on terminology, I try to think of what SOUND I'm going for or being asked to produce.  If you are doing a vocal program that is trying to show you the difference between falsetto and head voice, and wants you to produce a more head voice kind of sound, than in my view, they are merely trying to teach you how to focus your head voice sound to get you a better tone quality and match more with the lower register of your voice.  And some people call this a mixed register rather than head voice.

Rather than thinking in terms of registers, I tend to think in terms of "styles" of music and what sound I want to produce.  I could drive myself crazy trying to define every sound I make, and I could argue my perspectives to other professionals till i'm blue in the face, but we still are all going to have our own views, and the most important thing is learning what kinds of sounds you are trying to produce, and learning the right ways of placing and producing your sound to achieve your goals..  For example, these are the things I think for these different kinds of sounds:

Belting in chest voice above an A4:  I think low keeping my larynx low and relaxed while focusing the sound in the area behind my nose and adding more air

Fake belting: I flip into my head voice, REALLY narrow the feeling in my throat, and focus very much in the nose

Classical soprano: head voice, but unlike the fake belt the throat is more open and relaxed and I allow warm vibrato to enter in.. More open, tall,  and rounded vowel placements, but still placed forward at the bridge of my nose or "mask" area

Jazz Soprano: same as classical, but NO vibrato (except for coloring notes), and much more wide and bright vowels. Carry chest voice highter than classical sop

and on and on

And all the while, the basic technique and breathing, of course, is the same.  Anyhow, I'm not sure I helped at all .. but this is my viewpoint.  I may have to put up a demo file again that talks about and demonstrates the different styles and sounds.. I'll stop babbling now.. hehe

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Such useful information, Elisha.  And really, how can there be agreement on the whole issue of registers and falsetto and such, when different people (probably depending on where they come from) name the octaves on the piano differently.  The book I was using for my post came from someone who coaches voice in Europe (she's Danish) so I probably confused the heck out of anyone who knows the piano.  I take it that middle C is not called c0 here.  

I'd love it if you would put that demo file up...most definitely would like to listen to that!!

ok here's my little 2 cents worth.  I think that "falsetto" is done with the head voice, it's just an upper register, and I believe that "falsetto" when referring to a woman is known as the whistle register like mariah does in "emotions".  Now these are not facts at all this was just the way I've been taught and honestly, jazzy seems to be right on the money, different names for the same deal.

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[scroll][glow=darkorchid]~I'm the girl your mother warned you about~[/scroll][/glow]

I love this forum! Always some tidbit that can come in handy!!  :D

I like what you said about the flashlights, Jazzy. That helped a lot. I always thought there were two voices, a chest voice and a head voice. The chest voice was louder, stronger, easier to control... the head voice was that floaty, airy, kinda soft sound when I sang higher notes. And then I get this book... so confusing! I wish I had money to pay for lessons, but $$ doesn't grow on trees for a college girl... or anyone for that matter! Thanks for the help, chica.

Amanda

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As a yodeller, I need to be able to transition quite rapidly between my normal (chest) voice and what I call my head voice.  If I were to sing as if I were pretending to be a female, the sound I would produce would be quite different to my yodelling highs.  I can't put any technical terms to it, I just know it's different.   Falsetto always sounds somewhat screechy whereas I'm always striving for purity of sound in my head voice.

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Those who bring sunshine to others cannot keep it from themselves  
Snoopy

Wow...  :shock: I couldn't yodel if my life depended on it... seriously. I have a lot of respect for those who can. Kudos! (Plus, it sounds soooo cool!)

Amanda Gray

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If you are a college student, you could probably take voice class or private lessons via your college...they sometimes have them for students who are not music majors.  They may even have some free ones for people in the community.
You should check into it because voice lessons are SO great.
You might also consider minoring in music, if you have that interest


I've never heard the term "falsetto" used for women, only men.

Have fun!

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~Suzanne Lanoue~