Vocalist.org archive


From:  "katherine94040 <modulate58@a...
Date:  Wed Jan 15, 2003  9:24 pm
Subject:  Re: Head voice from falsetto.(Some more questions).

With all due respect to all of you, and most especially to Mr Hanson,
for whom I have had great regard back to the old Vocalist, Cornelius
Reid does not teach that falsetto is "between" head and chest. I
think you need to read again. I studied with Cornelius for nearly 12
years. Although I should be smart enough not to try to speak for
the "guru", I will take this on anyway.

Cornelius teaches two registers, lower (chest) and upper (falsetto).
He teaches that both men and women possess two registers and that the
vocal mechanism is asexual, i.e., operates identically for both sexes.
The chest voice never needs much definition, We all know what it
sounds like, coarse and loud. The "pure" (in quotes because we never
get anything in the vocal mechanism entirely pure) chest voice runs
from F below low C downwards. The "pure" falsetto has a basic range
of B-flat to B-flat(crossing middle C), give or take a note or two.
Its character is breathy, without vibrato, and short-lived (about 3-4
seconds) due to the fact that the vocal folds are open and do not
resist the outflow of air from the lungs. In the female voice, the
falsetto is relatively quiet. In the male voice, it is loud and
reminds me of nothing so much as a factory whistle which is how I
describe it to my students. It is vitally important to develop both
registers to maximum health because each represents a part of the
muscular action involved with singing. The arytenoids (as we know)are
responsible for closing the vocal chords. When used in relatively
pure action, we get "chest voice". The crico-thyroid group is
responsible for opening the folds and for stretching them to change
pitch. When used in relatively pure form,without the closing action
of the arytenoids, we get falsetto. So both must be exercised and in
good trim in order for the vocal mechanism to adjust properly for
each and every pitch, volume level and vowel within its range.

Head voice, then, is the healthy properly produced vocal sound made
by a combination of muscular activity from both muscle groups.
Developing a strong and powerful falsetto is a vital step toward
finding the strong and powerful head voice. I think it is so very
important that people do not misunderstand the nature of the
falsetto. I have been following this and a previous discussion in
which several people referred to falsetto in terms that suggest a
sweet, small, delicate sound of some sort. If that is what one
believes it is, it is easy to understand why that person would fail
to see the connection between this and a powerful head voice and so
misunderstand Reid's teaching.





  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date  
21949 Re: Head voice from falsetto.(Some more questions).Michael <chosdad@y...>chosdad Wed  1/15/2003  
21955 Re: Head voice from falsetto.(Some more questions).Lloyd W. Hansonlwh1 Thu  1/16/2003  
21981 Re: Head voice from falsetto.(Some more questions).mjmoody2000 <mjmoody@c...>mjmoody2000 Thu  1/16/2003  
22045 Re: Head voice from falsetto.(Some more questions).Michael <chosdad@y...>chosdad Fri  1/17/2003  
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