How To Sing In Falsetto: Tips & Tricks

To develop a falsetto voice, you must pull your vocal cords thinner and longer. When singing falsetto or higher pitched notes, many people raise their face and chin up higher, whereas they pull their chin inwards when performing lower notes.

how to sing falsetto

Introduction

Falsetto is often perceived as the highest type of singing voice. However, this isn’t exactly true. It’s actually not possible to make a distinction between head voice and falsetto, since both the singer produces two different sounds with his vocal cords.

The main difference between these types of voices is that falsetto notes are sung without any vibrations in the vocal cords (glottis), thus creating a very airy sound.

To learn how to sing falsetto you must tighten your throat muscles and push your tongue upwards towards your palate (not necessary, but it helps). This action creates an obstacle for the airflow through the larynx which makes you able to sing high notes much easier.

How To Sing In Falsetto

Talented lady singing in falsetto
Talented lady singing in falsetto.
  • When singing in falsetto, you must sing with a very airy and thin tone. For this reason, the sound should come from your throat and not from your nose. The nasal cavity has many resonance points (formants), especially in the higher notes; when you sing high notes through your nose it’ll be hard to achieve good vocalization.
  • If you’re not sure whether or not to use your falsetto voice when singing specific passages, try humming the same song. It’s much easier to notice what kind of feeling and sound you get while humming than when actually trying to make a noise with your vocal cords. Also try humming in different tones: by making deep and strong sounds with your diaphragm you’ll be able to produce low notes, whereas with nasal sounds you can sing high notes.
  • If you’re not satisfied with your falsetto voice yet. then try to bend the upper part of your back backwards as much as possible while practicing. This position is very helpful for singing in falsetto, since it stretches your vocal cords and makes them thinner and longer. Also if you haven’t done this before, make sure that there are no objects on or near your throat when practicing (pillows or bed sheets for example).
  • Another good tip is to keep touching the back of your mouth cavity with the tip of your tongue while practicing. Many singers do this unconsciously while singing, and it really helps with vocalization in falsetto.
  • When singing in falsetto you must imagine that your voice is coming from everywhere around you; the sound should fill the room. You can practice this by humming (or actually loud-whispering) into a pillow. If you do this correctly then the sound should feel like its surrounding every part of your head and not only coming from your mouth.
  • To get higher notes while singing in falsetto, try to raise either one or both corners of your lips towards your nose and pull them downwards at the same time. This action will create even more tension inside of your throat and will for achieving higher notes. Also, try to keep a very straight back when practicing. This position stretches your vocal cords even further and gives you better results while singing falsetto.
  • Finally, never forget that even though there are significant differences between head voice and falsetto, these two sounds are not very different since the only difference is the degree of vibration in the vocal cords. As mentioned above, both voices are sung with vibrations inside of the larynx, so remember this whenever you have trouble distinguishing between them.

Why You Should Use Falsetto Voice

Woman singing in the microphone in the studio
Woman singing in the microphone in the studio.

There are many reasons why you should use falsetto voice when singing, and most of these reasons come from the fact that falsetto gives a certain element to your voice that makes it unique.

However, some people believe that this effect is only achieved while using the head voice, but this is not true; falsetto produces its own unique sound regardless whether you’re using your correct (crystal) voice or not. Here are some reasons for using falsetto:

  • It helps with vocal flexibility: Some famous singers like Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson used their head/falsetto voices more often than any other type of singing in order to improve their overall vocal range and flexibility (Michael Jackson has a five octave range).
  • It helps with vibrato: Falsetto is also helpful in developing your vibrato; since its sound is very similar to your head voice, it’s much easier to produce the same type of vibrations while singing. This will improve your vocal agility even more and make you a better singer overall.
  • You can sing high notes without straining yourself: There are many singers who simply cannot sing high notes while using their regular (chest) voice; some people refer to this problem as “falsetto-itis”. because falsetto is the only thing that lets them reach these crucial high notes. Still, if you practice falsetto often enough then eventually you’ll be able to sing high notes with your chest voice too.
  • It gives you a unique sound: This is the biggest reason why you should use falsetto when singing; it’s just so different than what most singers do that it produces its own special results and effects to the listener who hears you sing. These effects vary from one singer to another, but they’re always there and you should achieve them if possible.

Is it bad to sing in falsetto?

Close up of a man singing in falsetto
Close up of a man singing in falsetto.

Most of the professionals in the music industry have sung in falsetto on certain occasions when singing live, although they mostly use it to achieve specific effects while performing.

They do this because no matter whether our natural voice is chest or head, falsetto is always present in both of them so you don’t have to worry about damaging anything either way.

Expert Tip: However, if you are having problems using your normal (chest) voice then perhaps you should consult a professional before singing with additional pressure on your vocal cords; otherwise you could end up causing some serious damage that would be impossible to repair.

If not that, there are still chances that you will simply be unable to sing correctly while using falsetto and again the consequences can be devastating.

You should also be careful with your throat when singing through falsetto; you never want to push yourself too hard because it could give you problems in the future. The best idea is to try and follow these steps so that you can sing better than ever before:

  • Get rid of any tensions or pressure on your vocal cords by using some effective relaxing techniques (more info below).
  • Warm up your voice properly before singing for optimal results; this will improve your general health as well because warm muscles are much less likely to tear or break.
  • Try practicing falsetto every day for about ten minutes; remember that practice makes perfect so the more time you spend working on this technique, the better results you’ll get.

All these pointers will help you sing with less risks and more power, so give them a try!

Relaxing your throat before using falsetto singing technique

Woman holding her neck area to relax her throat
Woman holding her neck area to relax her throat.

The best way to relax your throat is by using some simple breathing exercises that are proven to be extremely effective when it comes to reducing unnecessary tensions on your vocal cords.

A great example of such an exercise is the following: start taking deep breaths through your nose since this type of breathing allows more oxygen into your lungs thus making you feel rejuvenated in no time.

Expert Tip: You can also practice humming while taking these deep breaths, which will improve the quality of tone even further; remember though not to go overboard with this humming because otherwise you’ll push yourself too hard.

Remember that using falsetto is a technique that should be practiced every day for around ten minutes so you can improve your vocal abilities quickly and with little effort. If you are persistent with this method then you will see some serious results very soon, even if it takes time to master this singing style properly. Good luck!

Why can’t I sing in falsetto?

There are many singers who simply cannot sing high notes while using their regular (chest) voice; some people refer to this problem as “falsetto-itis”. because falsetto is the only thing that lets them reach these crucial high notes. If you’re one of those singers who has a hard time singing high, then this is the perfect technique for you!

However, if you are having problems using your normal (chest) voice then perhaps you should consult a professional before singing through falsetto; otherwise you could end up damaging your vocal cords and that would be very bad news.

In any other case though, falsetto can still help make things easier for both beginners as well as professionals because it adds more flexibility to their voice. So if those high notes are giving you some serious troubles no matter how much practice you put into your regular voice technique, then try adding some falsetto and see what happens.

Woman looks frustrated because she can't sing in falsetto
Woman looks frustrated because she can’t sing in falsetto.

The best thing about this method is that it will make your voice sound very unique and attractive; not to mention how flexible it becomes when you learn to use the falsetto technique properly. However, there are still things that you should keep in mind when trying to sing through your falsetto:

  • Make sure that the tone of your voice doesn’t become too harsh; otherwise this type of singing won’t be very pleasant for the listener and in turn they will probably dislike your music in general (harsh voice in falsetto equals bad music).
  • Don’t push yourself too hard because doing so can cause irreparable damage to your vocal cords! The only time when pushing yourself further is acceptable is when you’re warming up and your voice is ready for more.
  • Master this technique as quickly as possible so you can show the world what you’re made of! After all. practice makes perfect and if done correctly on a daily basis then falsetto will be an invaluable asset to your singing abilities.
  • Remember that singing through falsetto is not just exclusive to male singers – even women can benefit from this technique because it gives them another good option when it comes to high notes; just remember though that falsetto should never become your only means of reaching those high notes because otherwise your voice won’t have much strength behind it.
  • There are many people who don’t know how to use their falsetto which is why they have a hard time hitting those high notes in songs; if you’re not familiar with this type of singing then perhaps the best thing for you to do would be to train your falsetto on a daily basis until this becomes second nature. You can also try mixing both techniques together because that will allow you to hit some extreme high notes without damaging your voice…

Is singing falsetto easy?

Well, it’s not the hardest thing in the world but you will have to practice this technique on a daily basis if you want to see some serious results.

Expert Tip: Remember that even though falsetto is an easy technique to use and master, this doesn’t mean that all singers can do it: some people simply cannot hit those high notes because their voice lacks the necessary strength.

But if you’re lucky enough to be one of those singers who has what others lack within their vocal chords then don’t hesitate to show it off!

If your friends or family mention anything about your singing abilities (or lack thereof), maybe now is the best time for them to realize how much potential you have when using falsetto; besides, everyone knows that practice makes perfect.

Remember that practice is the key to success so make sure you take advantage of whatever means necessary if you want to become a great singer. After all. falsetto is just one of the many methods that can help you out on your journey to greatness so use it wisely!

Conclusion

As mentioned before it’s hard to define exactly what falsetto really is because it depends on every individual singer. But as long as you manage to sing higher notes without any problems then you’re doing good!

Please comment if you have any questions.

I hope this guide is helpful is guiding you to sing falsetto and to explain what the term means. Happy singing!

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About Maggie Holding

Hello! My name is Maggie and I am a proud Editor/Author for PlayTheTunes. Coming From South Carolina, USA, my whole life I've sang and played the guitar and flute! I love music with a passion, and am ecstatic to help others in their own music journey!