This is not the traditional definition of "falsetto," which is a man singing in a woman's range. It also refers to a sound that cannot be connected to the chest voice...I have not heard a woman sing in a falsetto like voice who could not connect it to the chest voice. Is there such a thing?
Kristina
--- In vocalist-temporary@y..., Dean FH Macy <deanmacy@a...> wrote: > Gag! Oops! TILT! > > >>Hi Mary~ > >> > >>Your teacher is most inaccurate, because the term falsetto ONLY applies to men! > >> > Ahem, this is a reprint of Lloyd Hansen's excellent tretsie from two > years ado on Female Falsetto. Vocalisters take note- > > "It is helpful to keep in mind that the action of the vocal folds > determines the sonic spectrum of the phonated sound. If the folds are > thick, somewhat shortened, and internally tense as is found in chest > voice, a greater mass of the vocal fold is oscillating during phonation. > That is, the various defined areas of the vocal folds are all in some > degree of oscillation. This includes the mucosal membrane, the vocal > ligament, and the thyro-arytenoid muscles, sometimes > called the vocalis muscle. > > If the vocal folds are elongated they become less bulky and thinner. As > this occurs, the vocalis muscle must gradually release its tension > against the stretch of the crico-thyroid muscles. > As this release is accomplished, the vocal ligament must assume more and > more of the longitudinal tension support of the vocal folds in lieu of > the loss of the vocalis muscles activity. In this condition, the mucosal > membrane and the vocal ligaments are in oscillation. > > This is commonly called the middle voice or, by some, the mixed voice. > > Once the vocal ligament becomes the primary support for the vocal folds > it is no longer a primary oscillating portion of the phonated sound. > When this condition is achieved the primary oscillating portion of the > vocal folds is the mucosal membrane. > > This condition is most often called head voice or high voice. > > An altogether different condition occurs with falsetto. In falsetto the > vocal folds do not adduct or approximate as completely as in normal > voice. More air is passed over the vocal folds with a resultant breathy > quality that is characteristic of falsetto voice. Because the vocal > folds do not complete-ly adduct there is less breath pressure below the > folds, commonly called sub-glottal pressure. Although the mucosal area > is still the primary oscillating portion of the vocal folds it is doing > so without the complete closure of the vocal folds and the resultant > sound does not achieve the richness of quality that is possible in head > voice when there is complete closing and complete opening of the folds. > Without complete closure or adducting, a fundamental and only a few > overtones are produced as the air "leaks" past the vocal fold > membranes and achieves only partial oscillation. > > It is possible for any voice to create this quality by simply increasing > the breath flow past the vocal folds. The difference between men and > women in achieving this falsetto voice is that > many men, especially the lower voices, can produce ONLY this voice in > their upper ranges. > This is because only in their upper extremes are the vocal folds > sufficiently lengthened so that they can achieve the partial closure of > long vocal folds necessary for falsetto voice. > > Confusion exists when male voices are able to phonate in head voice into > the highest parts of their ranges and these ranges coincide with the > lower female ranges, and when they can do > this with a quality that is much richer than falsetto. In reality these > singers are capable of, or have learned to extend their head voice > configuration. Vocal folds are fully adducted, > the vocal ligament sustains the longitudinal tension of the vocal folds, > and the mucosal membrane is the primary oscillatory portion of the vocal > folds. Because the resultant sound in some ways resembles the quality of > falsetto and because the pitch of such phonations is above the normal > range a conclusion is made that the singer is using falsetto voice. > > Such is not the case. > > Many counter-tenors are capable of producing this extension of the head > voiceconfiguration. Others achieve a similar quality through the use of > the falsetto configuration. The difference is in the functional > operation of the vocal folds themselves. As less adducted vocal folds > phonated with increased breath emission (falsetto voice) are gradually > completely adducted, the breath emission is reduced because the vocal > folds become more efficient in obtaining complete closure and developing > greater sub-glottal breath pressure. Once this condition is achieved, > the singer has migrated from falsetto into true head voice. Many singers > can teach themselves to do this, especially lyric tenors. > > Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA > Professor of Voice, Vocal Pedagogy > Northern Arizona University > Flagstaff, AZ 86004" > > And my 2 cents. I have worked with little kids for a long, long time > and most of the dollar musical words after all this time have been > purged from my system. Don't condemn a teacher because of his lack of > vocabulary. > > Dean FH Macy > > -- > -------------------------------------------------------- > http://www.mp3.com/stations/epilogue_records_artistshtml > http://www.mp3.com/LizSmith and > http://artistlaunch.com/artist3.asp?artistid=3461 > http://www.mp3.com/Katelyn and > http://artistlaunch.com/artist3.asp?artistid=3387 > http://www.mp3.com/Emmy and http://artistlaunch.com/artist3.asp? artistid=289 > -------------------------------------------------------- > "Success does not come with the gifts from God. > Success comes from the talents you develop from > the gifts He gives you." (Riker-Next Generation) > > >
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