Falsetto facts for kids

A falsetto voice is a special way of speaking or singing. When a man uses falsetto, his voice sounds much higher, almost like a woman's voice. Think of actors like Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire or Kevin Clash when he voices Elmo on Sesame Street. Barry Gibb from the Bee Gees also famously used a high falsetto voice in his songs. Kellin Quinn from the band Sleeping With Sirens uses it too.

Women can also use falsetto. However, the change in their voice isn't as big as it is for men. When a woman uses falsetto, her voice might sound lighter or a bit weaker than her normal speaking or singing voice.

Imagine stretching your mouth into a wide smile and saying "ee," but you sing it. That's a bit like how falsetto feels.

How Falsetto Works

When people speak or sing, their vocal cords vibrate. These vibrations create the sounds we hear. When a man sings in falsetto, only the very edges of his vocal cords vibrate. This creates a higher sound.

It's a bit like playing a string instrument. If you lightly touch a string at a certain point, only part of the string vibrates. This makes a higher, clearer sound called a harmonic. Similarly, when a man sings falsetto, his voice can go about one octave higher than his normal singing voice. Sometimes, a falsetto voice can sound a bit breathy.

Uses of Falsetto

Falsetto singing has been used for a long time. In the past, women were not allowed to sing in churches. So, men would sing in a high voice called countertenor instead. This was often a falsetto voice.

Later, countertenor singing became less popular. But in the mid-20th century, it became popular again. It was often used for performing older music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Today, you can still hear men singing alto (which uses countertenor voices) in some cathedral choirs and church choirs in Britain. These are usually all-male choirs. The falsetto voice isn't as loud as an opera singer's voice. It blends well with the voices of boys in the large spaces of churches and cathedrals.

Sometimes, falsetto can be used for funny effects. For example, in the famous music piece Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, a falsetto voice is used for a roasted swan.

Images for kids

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  Glottal cycle, falsetto

See also