Day 10: Light Head Voice (Falsetto)

From: 14-Day Pop Vocals Course With Camille
by Camille van Niekerk
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Description:

Today we begin working on distinct registration, with light head voice or falsetto [demonstrate]. Countless pop singers utilize this sound for stylistic effect, from Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande to Sam Smith and Charlie Puth. 

The easiest way to find this quality is to start your sound with breath, like you do when saying the word “how” or “hello”. Voice teachers call this an “apsirate onset”, meaning your airflow begins before your vocal folds come together and vibrate to make sound. Say the word how in slow motion to feel that: airflow with the H sound, and vocal fold vibration that begins on the “ow”. 

Aspirate or breathy onset prepares us to sing with a lighter tone quality for the duration of the note. We’ll cover other types of stylized onset tomorrow!

Because breathy singing isn’t usually our default, it can feel a little odd. Let’s use the syllable HEE or HOO to get used to it on this pattern. Notice we’re sliding or falling from pitch to pitch, because oftentimes in pop music when you hear falsetto, you also hear smooth, flowy phrasing. 

Exercise 1: HEE/HOO 5-3, 3-1 (sliding)

The initial h sound really helps! But naturally, we don’t always have lyrics that start with H, so how can we maintain this quality singing on other words?

Remember that you have control over your amount of airflow. You can shout, and you can whisper, but there are many levels in between those two extremes. Let’s try to find a good amount of airflow, just with our speaking voice. You can say any phrase; I’ll demonstrate on the phrase “hey you guys”. Listen and repeat, and don’t worry about sounding weird - just have fun with it!

Listen & repeat:
Whisper
Barely making sound
Quietly talking
Normal volume
Raising voice
Calling voice

The “sweet spot” for this light falsetto sound could be barely making sound or quietly talking. Notice the sensation of your air flowing when you speak in that way. 

Let’s take this into a sung exercise, either singing the words “who are you” or “who am I” [3-2-1–65]. Just for fun, we’re throwing a riff on the end. You might notice “who are you” is easier to maintain that breathy quality, because we end with a head voice-friendly OO vowel. 

Exercise 2: Who are you / Who am I 3-2-1–65

Let’s choose a spot in our song for some light, breathy head voice! First we’ll sing the lyric on HOO or HEE, just to find the coordination. Then, we’ll return to lyrics but keep that same quality and awareness of our airflow. 

Song work: Falsetto in “Never leave you”

Bb
“I will never leave you
F
I’ll always hold you tight
Gm
Love you and protect you
Eb
I will never leave you”
(Bb)

For homework, find an instance of falsetto in a song and sing the melody on HOO or HEE before you try it on words. If you don’t know where to start, Billie Eilish and Bon Iver have tons of pretty falsetto to choose from. 

Audio:

Pop Course Day 10 Exercise 1
Pop Course Day 10 Exercise 2

Lessons:

Instructor: Camille van Niekerk

Camille van Niekerk is a singer, writer and vocal instructor in Southern California. Camille began studying voice and performing in musicals at age seven. In 2010, Camille began working towards her BA in Music Education at Azusa Pacific University. She then earned her teaching credential from San Diego State University and taught classroom choral and instrumental music. Shortly after moving to LA county, Camille began her private vocal studio, providing vocal coaching, ear training, and recording for students of all ages. She is constantly refining her skills and methods for greater versatility and effectiveness. When she is not teaching, Camille enjoys singing with the L.A. Choral Lab and Ensoma Creative. She lives in San Diego with her husband and loves going to the beach, practicing yoga, reading, and cooking.