What is falsetto? Know more about the qualities of this adopted voice!

 Falsetto is a voice produced by a vocal cord that has frequency above the modal or normal voice of a person. The ligamentous part of the vocal cords vibrate in whole or part to get this frequency range. It is used in singing in both sexes but less recognized in females.

Characteristic of falsetto voice is that it is more breathy and flute-like with less overtones. It is more sharp and less limited in dynamic variation and tone quality compared to modal voice. Often it appears hooty but some trained singers are able to get strong and powerful falsetto sounds. Though higher in pitch, falsetto is lower in loudness or amplitude compared to the modal voice at same pitch. 

Falsetto (Source: YouTube)

Also, read Anybody can sing (ABCS)

If we analyze the anatomy, one sees that in falsetto,  the vocal cord body is relaxed and only the ligamentous part moves.The vocalis muscle is relaxed and only the cricothyroid muscles are stretched. Different methods are used by singers to go falsetto. 

History of falsetto goes back many centuries. In 13th century, writers wrote about chest or pectoris, throat or guttoris, and head or capitis voices. The last one was meant to imply falsetto. In 16th century, Italy talked about it. It was called voce de testa that means head voice. Falsetto was used by olden days singers with voices in countertenor range to sing in alto or soprano range. This was before women joined choirs. In recent years, it is believed that there are three voices capable of being generated by a person: chest, middle, and head. The head voice of a man is equal to the middle voice of a female. It is used by many male singers  worldwide. It needs less effort but can strain the vocal cords if used in the wrong way, without training, and for prolonged times. Some people use it during speech as well and it is called functional dysphonia.