Falsetto in the Adolescent Voice

1. By Chris Nappa Falsetto in the Adolescent Voice

2. Historical Background • Falsetto has evolved in many cultures from around the world. • Such places include medieval Europe, Mexico, Hawaii, Switzerland, Central Africa • All of these styles developed independently and are all diverse in concept.

3. Yodeling • Yodeling – The intentional shift in register between falsetto and chest voice. • This technique was used in Switzerland and rural Europe. • Used to identify oneself and show the yodeler’s location. • Also performed at large venues for the entertainment of the masses. • Central Africans were able to create extremely elaborate 3-4 part polyphony utilizing this.

4. Traditional European Falsetto • Used so that women would not have to be part of a choir in order for higher pitches to be used in polyphonic writing. • Often shown in operas to indicate that a man is playing a female role, also typically comedic. • The term Falsetto originated in the 16th century when the physician Giovanni CamilloMaffei coined the term for basses singing in a soprano register.

5. Production • Falsetto does not incorporate much of the vocal folds at all. • It vibrates the ligaments on the outside of the folds due to the cricothyroid dominance, which creates the high, thin sound associated with falsetto. Subsequently this causes the glottis to not fully close especially in untrained singers. • The laryngeal placement between modal voice and falsetto stays the same, however, since the pitches produced are now higher, the resonators must re-adapt to this to keep tones resonant.

6. Accessing Falsetto • Have students vocalize upwards on [i] and [u] vowels. • All falsetto should have some of these vowels in them just to allow better formant tuning. • Another way to begin accessing falsetto is imagining there is an attic in your head and placing the sound there.

7. Strengthening • It is important to strengthen the falsetto to the point where the falsetto and modal voice overlap by about an octave allowing for greater color possibilities in both registers. • Ways to strengthen it are as follows, descending lines starting on SO and going up in a half step progression, also purposely creating situations where one is forced to break their register by going back and forth between the two registers.

8. Basses • Basses and baritones have been shown to typically have better falsetto than tenors. • This due to the fact that their vocal folds are thicker thus allowing them to have more adduction naturally when they are pulled by the cricothyroid. • This is important because this knowledge can be used to teach other voice parts how to more use their mechanism better, allowing for a better falsetto like a bass or baritone.

9. Application • Studies show that those who sing in their falsetto during their voice change have an easier time adjusting to their new registers. • It is extremely useful for relaxing the voice especially after a long day of rehearsal since most of the vocal mechanism gets a break. • Also some adolescents lose their ability to get into their falsetto so this time in their lives is especially important to reinforce this skill.

10. Questions?

11. Food for Thought • How have you used falsetto in your training? • Do you think falsetto is an important skill for a singer to have?