What is the Difference Between Head Voice and Falsetto Singing?
Singing is more than an artistic expression or vocal talent. It’s also a craft that requires nurturing and knowledge. It also requires training your voice and body to have the proper form necessary to sing at your best. A common misconception is that head voice is synonymous with singing falsetto. It’s not. One clue is to look at the etymology for the word Falsetto: It comes from the Italian word for “false voice.” That’s because to produce that range the vocal cords have to be stretched to the max, causing only the edges to vibrate instead of the entire cord. In the 16th and 17 centuries, women were not allowed to sing in churches so castrated men took their place, singing women’s parts with their “false voice.” In modern times, falsetto refers to a style of singing and is defined as the “lightest” vocal sound reached by the human voice. Because it’s an extreme range it falsettos are inherently weak and tonally limited. While your vocal cords may be moving, the muscles controlling the
