Dear Michael and Vocalistes:
I would agree with your assessment that falsetto is seldom a useful device to learn to sing in the "high" voice. The singer must learn to sing in head voice. Head voice is not falsetto. Head voice is not an extension of chest voice. Head voice is not a mix of chest voice and falsetto. Head voice is a configuration of the vocal folds and a concurrent acoustic adjustment of the vocal tract that is unique to itself and, when learned and used, a continuation of enough of the quality of the chest voice such that the listener is not aware of a major change out of chest voice. Some prefer to call head voice the light mechanism as against chest voice as the heavy mechanism but this creates a false idea that head voice has less compression or is sung with less subglottal pressure or uses a faster air flow past the vocal folds or borders on breathy etc. Head voice is a ringing, brilliant and intensely emotional vocal quality that is produced by strong longitudinal tension of the vocal folds and a matching acoustic adjustment of the vocal tract which emphasizes a wide harmonic spectrum above the fundamental with a pronounced peak in the 2800-3200 Hrz portion of the harmonic spectrum. It is most often encountered in those who sing opera because of the need for such a high degree of emotional vocalism and the ability to be heard acoustically over a large orchestra. Head voice is, however, able to be sung in the most heart rending mezzo voce or half voice quality which only adds to the intensity of its effect through its innate ability to understate the high degree of emotion. that is present.
-- Lloyd W. Hanson
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