Does the falsetto have any part in the development of the head voice?
This inoffensive thing is still the subject of a considerable amount of
more of less inflammatory debate both as to what it is and what it does.
Without delay let me assure every one that it is perfectly harmless.
There is no other one thing involved in singing, immediate or remote,
from which the element of harm is so completely eliminated. It is held
by some that it is produced by the false vocal chords. This position is
untenable for the reason that I have known many singers who could go
from the falsetto to a full ringing tone and return with no perceptible
break. Now since it will hardly be argued that a ringing, resonant tone
could be produced by the false vocal cords, it is evident that the
singer must change from the false to the true vocal cords somewhere in
the process--a thing which is unthinkable.
It is held by others that the falsetto is a relic of the boy's voice,
which has deteriorated from lack of use. This seems not unreasonable,
and a considerable amount of evidence is offered in support of it. We
may safely assume however that it is produced by the true vocal cords
and the lightest register in the male voice. What is its use? Unless its
quality can be changed it has little or no musical value. There are some
teachers who claim that the falsetto mechanism is the correct one for
the tenor voice and should be used throughout the entire compass. I am
not prepared to subscribe to this. There are others who believe that the
falsetto should be developed, resonated, so that it loses its flute
quality, and blended with the head voice. This seems in the light of my
experience to be reasonable. When this can be done it gives the singer
the most perfect mechanism known. But it cannot always be done. The
voice is individual, and the entire sum of individual experience leaves
its impression on it. I have found many voices where the falsetto was so
completely detached from the head voice that it would be a waste of time
to attempt to blend them.
But there is one place in voice training where the practice of the
falsetto has a distinct value. I have seen many tenors and baritones who
forced the heavy chest voice up until they developed an automatic
clutch, and could sing the upper tones only with extreme effort. To
allow them to continue in that way would never solve their problem. In
such a condition half voice is impossible. It must be one thing or the
other, either the thick chest voice or falsetto. The falsetto they can
produce without effort, and herein lies its value. They become
accustomed to hearing their high tones without the association of
effort, and after a time the real head voice appears. The thing which
prevented the head voice from appearing in the beginning was extreme
resistance, and as soon as the resistance disappeared the head voice
made its appearance. This was accomplished by the practice of the very
light register known as falsetto. When the head voice appears the use of
the falsetto may be discontinued.
The thing expected of the teacher is results and he should not be afraid
to use anything that will contribute to that end.
It is in the upper part of the voice that mistakes are most likely to be
made and ninety nine per cent of the mistakes is forcing the voice, that
is, singing with too much resistance. So long as the resistance
continues a good full tone is impossible. The plan outlined above for
eliminating resistance has been tested with many hundreds of voices and
has never failed. The idea held by some that such practice can never
produce a large tone shows a complete misunderstanding of the whole
matter. That it produces the full power of the voice without sacrificing
its musical quality is being proved constantly.
Every day we hear the story of voices ruined by forcing high tones. Who
is responsible? Each one must answer for himself. With the hope of
diminishing it in some degree, this outline is offered.