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Headvoice-chestvoice, Falsetto and the passage
di Laura Pigozzi
laura.pigozzi@fastwebnet.it

Headvoice-chestvoice
Headvoice is a subtle timbre emission obtained using only vibrations of the skull.
Chestvoice utilises, on the contrary, vibration of the torax.
We can understand this better if we imagine our body like a violin or a cello: the lateral narrowing typical of the two instruments, is similar to the human neck that has the same function of separating the two voices.
But you must pay attention, things are not so simple because in chestvoice there is a component of headvoice and viceversa. Headvoice interferes more with chestvoice than the contrary.
Exercises done to improuve chestvoice have beneficial effect on headvoice. Viceversa, bettering your headvoice will produce a more brilliant chestvoice.
The two voices are obviously interrelated. It is not possible to have only one of the two with good results. If you are certain of having, for exemple, good low tones but few high tones, you can be sure that your low tones are not really good.
 

Falsetto and the passage
Falsetto is the timbric structure, concerning the larynx, that prepares the passage from chestvoice to headvoices.
It is important to work on this passage because the voice has to reach one and only one colour for the both registers. It is extremely important to reach the same quality of sound. In this case also, is it necessary that an experienced person teaches you how to do it. For this delicate phase there are no 'do it yourself' exercises. There are many singers that have two voices or even three! It means that they did not work properly on this passage.

Falsetto is in fact an intermediate welding between the acute headregister, and the low register coming from the chest. Falsetto is a kind of protection utilized by the larynx, in order to move from one register to the other without damage.It is a device to limit the damages provoqued when the voice is forced into the acute register. Making use of a metaphor invented by Tomatis, we can say that the passage from one register to the other is similar to the change of gear in a car.

Falsetto corresponds therefore to the clutch that through 'disengagement' allows to pass from one position to the other softly. This happens if the larynx is relaxed. Therefore falsetto is a release that allows to reach headvoice. Falsetto is a defence for the larynx.

We must add that often we can find falsetto defined as sustained headvoice. in reality this was definited as accomodated falsetto since 1826.
In order to utilize fully falsetto and make it work, it is necessary to remember its function of clutch.

Wheather or not it is possible to work on falsetto and on the passage, shows how badly the voice has been utilized and also how much damage has been done to it. If that is the case, the work af adjusting falsetto is pratically impossible.
The art of singing means also art of erasing the passages. Working on the passages means in fact wishing to make them dissappear.
 

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COMMENTS
Inserited on 14/3/2004 at 12.25.30 by "mishven"
Comment:
I agree totally with this theory. I have recently learned a new singing technique which reccognizes the voice as an instrument. In order to achieve different pitches, one must use differnt parts of the chest face and skull for resonance. The crucial point of singing a scale is the transition note, going from chest to head, this is what you describe as the falsetto. Practice of this technique can iron out any problems during the transition, making the scale sound seamless, from low chest notes to the highest head notes.
 
Inserited on 23/3/2004 at 13.45.01 by "laura.pigozzi"
Comment:
reponse to mishven_NOSPAM_@hotmail.com
Dear friend,
your mail has touched the key-point of the singing technique. Actually all of one’s effort should make the scale sound seamless, as you rightly pointed out. By achieving this, everyone will get “a single voice” from the lowest notes up to the highest, thus eliminating the “step” between chest and head voices. As this is a difficult result to achieve, I had to create some specific exercises aiming at solving this problem, and I agree with you about the importance of resonance points which are wery “busy” during this kind of job.
Thank you so much for your kind mail and remarks.
Kindest regards.
Laura Pigozzi
 
Inserited on 27/6/2007 at 22.37.04 by "arts"
Comment:
Hi ... I've been reading singing articles a great deal in the last month, and this is the first one that spoke about the importance of "tone" or that there be "only one color for both of the registers." That has been my goal for years (though, pardon me, I am self taught). Thousands of people can hit a note, but what is the TONE at that note! Your transition point is another great principle. You should write more articles on this subject, coming at it from different points.
 
Inserited on 28/6/2007 at 16.54.17 by "laura.pigozzi"
Comment:
Hello "arts"
Thank you for your kind comment. I agree with you abour the importance of transition point that it is the key in order to have the very same voice with all of the registers. Thanks again
Laura Pigozzi
 

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Last Modified Date: 12/11/2003



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