Vocalist.org archive


From:  "Michael <chosdad@y...
Date:  Tue Jan 14, 2003  10:59 pm
Subject:  Re: Head voice from falsetto.(Some more questions).

Dear Nicolas and List:

It is important that we as individuals think critically and take
responsibility for ourselves. I can make a statement, and it may or
not be true. Some on this list have impressive academic backgrounds
and credentials (MS and DMA/PhD in voice, pedagogy, etc.) and in
general I would have more confidence in the verity of their
statements. However, even people with the best of credentials make
erroneous statements, and some issues are not satisfactorily
resolved, in my opinion.

At any rate, John Moody has a point of view, and he has every right
to express it. I have read and I own 2 books by Cornelius Reid, as
well as Anthony Frissel's "Tenor Voice" book, and John's writings
mirror these books, as John himself states. Personally I believe
there is merit to what those books are saying, but there is a lot of
opportunity to misinterpret and to question what is really meant by
those authors. I do not believe these author's writings (Reid,
Frissel) represent our current best understanding of vocal
functioning or vocal pedagogy. Nonetheless, if exercises inspired or
suggested by these books are helpful, go for it.

Does it really make sense for "head voice" to completely
overlap "chest voice" as Frissel and Moody write? I think I know
what they mean, but the literal statements make no sense to me.
Chest voice means a certain configuration of the vocal instrument,
and head voice another. Vocal registers cannot "mix" - sorry -
that's just physical reality. It is true that one can, however,
while in chest voice sing in a such a way that one makes a gradual
transition into say head voice, and if one interprets such a gradual
transition as "mixing" that is ok.

Both Reid and Frissel talk about the falsetto developing into
the "middle falsetto" or the "coordinated falsetto". What I think
they mean is that after a period of initial exercise of the falsetto,
the student will be able to produce true "head voice" which they
term "middle falsetto" or "coordinated falsetto". So the words are
quite confusing.

I believe I now possess (if imperfectly developed, but still)
a "middle falsetto" or "coordinated falsetto" - but I did not lose
the ability to produce "falsetto" - meaning (in the lower range) a
truly breathy, frankly horrible and without aesthetic merit sound.
Reid and Frissel's writings suggests to me that with practice
the "falsetto" just sort of develops into "head voice" and my
experience is quite different.

A few quick comments below, and I'll quit this thread.

Best wishes,

Michael Gordon
--- In vocalist-temporary@yahoogroups.com, "iacmf <iacmf@y...>"
<iacmf@y...> wrote:
> 1)My falsetto reaches F3-D3(C4 as the middle C),before a break
> occurs in my voice.Is there a technique i can use to avoid that
> break?
Except as an exercise, to be used sparingly, I do not believe the
vocal range you describe (or any vocal range for that matter) should
be sung in falsetto.

> By the way,i've read that it is impossible to connect falsetto
> with chest range.Mr Moody said,that what i should achieve is
> starting from falsetto and keepimg my voice connected untill the
end.
I would say that if you can pass smoothly into chest voice then you
are in head voice.

You must decide for yourself if John's advice is good for you. I
would assert that the desired vocal production is head voice, not
falsetto. If you are unable to find "head voice", a temporary use
of "falsetto" may be necessary and helpful.

> 2)Mr Moody told me that it can take years to develop head voice
>from
> falsetto.Does it mean that it isn't a proper method?
Ah - when people don't like an answer they go elsewhere. I would
have to agree with John that learning to sing takes time. The truth
is that few people have really well developed voices, and those that
have them almost always spent years to achieve it. That's the facts -
not opinion. The reason someone like say Pavarotti (in his prime)
was so celebrated is that few have achieved that kind of vocal
mastery. And I assure you Pavarotti did not just write to a
discussion list for help, do a few exercises, and two months later
become a big singing star.

> 3)When i try increasing the volume of a falsetto note,i can feel
> vibration on my chest.However my note remains breathy and weak.Is
> that normal?
Sure - you are going from a soft falsetto to a louder falsetto.





  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date  
21924 Re: Head voice from falsetto.(Something i forgot to mention.Really iiacmf <iacmf@y...>iacmf Tue  1/14/2003  
21925 Vowel Modification and Head VoiceMichael <chosdad@y...>chosdad Tue  1/14/2003  
21929 Re: Vowel Modification and Head Voice(To Mr Gordon)iacmf <iacmf@y...>iacmf Wed  1/15/2003  
21930 Re: Head voice from falsetto.(Some more questions).mjmoody2000 <mjmoody@c...>mjmoody2000 Wed  1/15/2003  
21945 Re: Head voice from falsetto.(Some more questions).Michael <chosdad@y...>chosdad Wed  1/15/2003  
21942 Re: Head voice from falsetto.(Some more questions).Lloyd W. Hansonlwh1 Wed  1/15/2003  
21944 Re: Head voice from falsetto.(Some more questions).Michael <chosdad@y...>chosdad Wed  1/15/2003  
emusic.com