Developing Your Head Voice - "Head Voice vs. Falsetto"

If you’ve often wondered what the difference is between head voice and falsetto, then you’re no different to a lot of other people out there who ask themselves this very question. Once you’re able to identify the difference between the two, you will be able to immediately know where you are and never have to make a wild guess ever again. This article will expound a little bit about that to help you get a better understanding. So let’s talk about the head voice versus falsetto.

Many people don’t know the difference between head voice and falsetto. When your head voice is isolated, it’s hard to tell that from falsetto. Ideally, what you want is a good blend through your mix voice, using your pharyngeal resonator. But the difference is vocal cord closure. Falsetto is breathy and devoid of vocal cord closure and you feel it more in your throat. And what’s more, it doesn’t allow your voice to blend between registers. So actually, when you want to be sure where you are (falsetto or head voice), be sure to check if you can blend into your lower register. If you’re in falsetto, your voice will break; whereas if you’re in your head voice, you’ll blend straight into your chest voice with no cracks and breaks. That’s assuming you’ve had some voice training, of course.
For stylistic purposes falsetto is pretty cool. It works pretty well for effect, but to make the most of this more effectively would really depend on the mood of the song and the best way possible to deliver the song. Sometimes embellishment with a bit of falsetto can work wonders, and in some cases way better than head voice. Just be careful that you’re not substituting a high note you’re unable to hit, with falsetto. I believe a song has a life all its own, and that it tells a story. So let the song lead the way, so you can interpret the message in the best way possible.

You want your voice to be connected. Head voice gives you that connection. When you’re in your head voice you want to add a little bit of that mix, brassy resonance because it sounds heavier, fuller and more powerful. They’re both light, but falsetto is more hissy and airy, and would back off into a whisper; while head voice would back off into a quieter tone. I do hope that these handy tips have given you additional training to add to your daily vocal training routine. Feel free to download vocal training exercises here.

You are the instrument, learn to sing like a pro!

JOETT

Vocal Coach & Author
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