Head Voice vs. Falsetto - A Tenor's Confusion
By Colin Barrett

What is a Falsetto?

Basically, head voice is not falsetto. Some people can lose all of the overtones when singing in a very soft head voice, but it is still not falsetto. The falsetto is the voice one hears when the adult male voice "breaks." The falsetto is distinguished from yet a higher part of the male voice: a white, small, vibrato-less sound similar to the coloratura soprano's highest "whistle register."

Is the Falsetto a Natural Voice?

Any sound humans produce may be said to be natural. The real question for the singer is whether this manner of singing is one that can be sustained throughout a concert - or a career. Both historical and modern evidence shows that tenors are as capable as other singers of doing so.

Didn't the Beach Boys Use Falsetto?

Yes, in a manner of speaking. The Beach Boys and many other popular music singers use very much the same technique we normally call falsetto. Actually, a widely varied use of the falsetto can be witnessed in most cultures (and in most species of animals as well). Even in 18th-century Europe the variation was notable. For soloists, the French preferred the approach of the haute-contre, a tenor voice with a falsetto extension. But, generally speaking, they used only falsetto-singing male altos in choral ensembles.

If Women Altos Can Sing the Upper Parts, Are They Singing in Falsetto?

No. Male and female altos often have very different sounds. How much this difference is attributable to sex-role conditioning is unclear. However, male altos are singing in the highest part of their voices, whereas women sing in the lowest part of theirs. Consequently, male altos typically have smaller voices, of somewhat greater clarity.

How Can Men Train to Sing in Falsetto?

Many tenors still find it necessary to train themselves. They simply practice singing - and sometimes speaking - in the falsetto register. Learning to integrate the falsetto and chest registers proves very useful as well. But, as with any music discipline, finding a teacher who is supportive, able, and willing to help is probably the best way for most people to learn this special and delightful manner of singing.