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Falsetto is commonly misunderstood, and its definition has changed over time. I’m Camille van Niekerk with 30 day singer, here to help clear up any confusion you might have.
First, what is falsetto?
Falsetto is a function of your voice, meaning your vocal folds (or vocal cords) are operating in a specific way, and there’s a distinct sound quality that results. With falsetto function, your vocal folds are stretched out longer than they are when you’re speaking, and only the thin edges of the folds are making contact. Pretend my hands are the vocal folds, and the difference in contact would look like this in falsetto, compared to this in your speaking voice or what we sometimes call your chest function.
What does falsetto sound like?
There’s a breathy, light quality to the sound, and we most often hear falsetto used for higher pitches. A great example of a singer who uses lots of falsetto in their singing is Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. Billie Eilish is also known for her frequent use of falsetto.
What’s the difference between falsetto and head voice?
This is where voice teachers might disagree! The most current and widely accepted understanding, at least within the world of contemporary, evidence-based voice teaching, is that falsetto and head voice are functionally the same, the main difference being the “closed quotient”, or the amount of time the vocal folds are closed within each cycle as they vibrate. All that means for you? Think of falsetto and head voice as the same basic mode, with falsetto just being breathier and softer.
Why is it called falsetto?
Historically, falsetto was thought of as a “false” component of the male voice. Some singers today still think that only male singers have falsetto. In reality, despite differences in the size of our vocal folds, male and female singers have the same basic vocal functions. We all have a speaking voice (or chest voice) function, and a head voice function – and when we’re singing with a soft, airy sound, that’s what we call falsetto.
The old definition of falsetto as exclusively male is thought to have caught on because of the distinct difference in tone quality between a male singer’s speaking (or chest) voice sound and their higher, lighter head voice sound. Again, vocal fold length has a lot to do with this! The average female singer’s vocal folds are shorter, producing pitches generally higher than the average male singer does. The difference between a female’s speaking voice and head voice may be less distinct, leading people to include their head voice as part of their “real” singing voice, rather than a “false” voice.
Whoever you are, your speaking (or chest voice) function AND your falsetto (or head voice) function are equally important functions of your voice and need to be trained for you to have full access of your range and vocal control.
0:00 – Intro
0:29 – What Is Falsetto?
1:06 – Falsetto Sound
1:34 – Falsetto vs Head Voice
2:22 – Why Falsetto?
3:55 – Outro
5 Easy Tips on How to Find Your Singing Voice –
Daily Exercises for Great Singing –
Avoid These Singing MISTAKES –
5 Minute Vocal Warm Up Exercises –
Beginner ALTO Vocal Exercises – Easy 10 minute warmup –
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Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.voiceaffairs.com/how-to-get-a-breathy-tone-for-style/