| | From: "Lloyd W. Hanson" <lloyd.hanson@n...>
Date: Wed Apr 3, 2002 2:03 am
Subject: [vocalist] Re: Re: how do you define 'head voice'?
| Karin and Vocalisters;
Usually the definition of women's voice registers does not include
falsetto voice. The most commonly experienced registers for adult
female voices are usually categorized as:
Chest Voice
Middle Voice
High Voice
Whistle Voice (sometimes called flageolet voice)
Many variations on these registers are not uncommon but most female
voice experience these basic categories.
By contrast. male voice experience only
Chest Voice
Head Voice
Falsetto Voice
In addition to these basic registers there are areas that occur
between each register that become the transition area between
registers. Traditionally these are called the "passaggio" areas or
passage areas. In classical singing the voice must learn how to
make the transition between registers as seamless and non-appearing
as possible so that the effect is that the voice is able to move from
its lowest to its highest notes without any appearance of having
crossed passaggio points or having moved from one register to
another. Because of this desired "one register" appearance there are
teachers who are unwilling to acknowledge the existence of individual
registers but only speak of the "one register" of the well trained
voice. However, most singers are very aware of the different
feeling of singing in the different registers of the voice regardless
of how seamless their voice appear to the listener.
The inventor of the laryngeoscope, Manual Garcia, promoted an
extremely breathy phonation in the middle voice range as a precursor
to a more efficient phonation in this same range. He referred to
this type of voice as the female "falsetto" but its use was only as a
training device toward a more accepted middle voice. It is my
understanding that Cornelius Ried also teaches this device or one
that is similar. It is my opinion that this is not the same as the
male falsetto primarily because the female vocal folds are much
shorter than the male vocal folds and are, therefore, unable to
assume the same vocal fold and phonational dimensions which are
necessary for production of male falsetto. This idea is also
supported by the fact that basses and baritones are more easily able
to produce a falsetto voice and many tenors find it impossible or
most difficult. Basses/baritones have longer vocal folds than tenors
and are more easily able to create the vocal fold configuration
necessary for the production of true falsetto.
I have not mentioned this before but I think it is important to
recognize that the voice is able to shout which is not the vocal
quality that is usually associated with singing except in the most
dramatic of stage situations. The shouting voice is often referred
to as the "call" voice or that voice which we use when we call out to
someone at a distance. Many of the pop singers who have been
referred to me as examples of those who use the head voice I would
define as using this "call" voice which is quite different in quality
and vocal function from the male head voice. The call voice is
studiously avoided in all forms of classical singing and is, in fact,
a signal that the passaggio area of the male voice has been reached
and the singer producing this quality has not learned how to make the
transition into head voice. If the call voice is continuously raised
in pitch the male voice will usually break into falsetto and the head
voice never appears. This is a common occurrence in male voices as
they begin to mature enough to be able to learn how to sing in head
voice. The break or "crack" must not be allowed to continue but,
instead, a carefully guided and controlled technique must be taught
that allows the voice to move into head voice.
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