Hey all,

I know that speaking with a falsetto voice is artificial and not desirable, but I wanted to know if singing in falsetto could help train the vocal muscles?  I've been practicing my voice by singing in my car during my daily commute and it gets difficult for me to naturally hit the high notes.  At a certain point, I can't help but break into falsetto.  Still, something about it makes my voice feel worked out.  Maybe it's the pitch shifts.  Still, I have no idea whether it's good to use falsetto even as a voice training exercise.  So, is it bad to also practice falsetto when singing?  Can it help with voice training in general?  Or should I avoid singing in falsetto at all costs?  Again, I do try to go as high as possible in my normal voice, but I like to mix it up and sing in falsetto for the more challenging notes. 

Thanks.

Yes. It stretches the upper range.

You wouldn't want to speak in it, and it's not the most pleasant tone to sing in unless you've had a lot of practice, but it's a good vocal workout that can help to stretch the muscles a bit. I have found, though, that singing at the very top of your chest voice is a bit better of a workout, so I'd recommend doing that first. Try singing some first-tenor choir notes.

LTL,

This is a big subject and not an easy answer.  However, when I started, I had a 2 octave range that started in the low base.  Two years later I have lost a little on the low end but I have a 4 octave range and I am not into falsetto.  I will be singing in a choir this Christmas as a soprano.     My teacher started working with transgendered individuals in the mid-1970's.  She has books on this and on how to rehabilitate damaged voices.  She was one of the first and is the best.
1.  Warm up your voice – I'll figure out how to describe this tomorrow.
2.  Start to sing where you are comfortable and work up.  Go up to about ½ octave lower than the top of your range.   
3. As you can, extend up a note or even two and sing up to there.  The key is to sing a song that goes that high but doesn't just stay that high.
4. Spend a few minutes talking every day as well in a voice that much higher than you currently speak.
5. When your voice is tired, do a cool down.
6. Start talking all day long just a little higher – a note or two.  Then, as you raise your singing voice, raise you talking voice.
7. Get unbiased feedback on your speaking voice.
8.  Learn how to clear your voice and how to cough without hurting your voice and to do so as a woman.
9. Repeat
Warning:  Never stupid things to your voice like a public performances at outdoor weddings in October where I live.  (It's literally freezing here.)  I damaged my voice going to loud for too long three weeks ago and it still isn't back. 

Hugs,

Jen

Quote from: Carrie Liz on October 24, 2013, 09:39:04 PM
Yes. It stretches the upper range.

You wouldn't want to speak in it, and it's not the most pleasant tone to sing in unless you've had a lot of practice, but it's a good vocal workout that can help to stretch the muscles a bit. I have found, though, that singing at the very top of your chest voice is a bit better of a workout, so I'd recommend doing that first. Try singing some first-tenor choir notes.

Basically, I just sing with whatever is in my car stereo.  Depending on the song or artist, my pitch can go all over the place.  So, I do both falsetto and non falsetto singing.  It's just difficult because my voice is so naturally low and my singing is atrocious.   It's very frustrating.  Still, glad to know it's not bad to use falsetto for training purposes.  It may be annoying and stupid sounding, but at least it may help. 

Quote from: JLT1 on October 24, 2013, 11:28:35 PM
LTL,

This is a big subject and not an easy answer.  However, when I started, I had a 2 octave range that started in the low base.  Two years later I have lost a little on the low end but I have a 4 octave range and I am not into falsetto.  I will be singing in a choir this Christmas as a soprano.     My teacher started working with transgendered individuals in the mid-1970's.  She has books on this and on how to rehabilitate damaged voices.  She was one of the first and is the best.
1.  Warm up your voice – I'll figure out how to describe this tomorrow.
2.  Start to sing where you are comfortable and work up.  Go up to about ½ octave lower than the top of your range.   
3. As you can, extend up a note or even two and sing up to there.  The key is to sing a song that goes that high but doesn't just stay that high.
4. Spend a few minutes talking every day as well in a voice that much higher than you currently speak.
5. When your voice is tired, do a cool down.
6. Start talking all day long just a little higher – a note or two.  Then, as you raise your singing voice, raise you talking voice.
7. Get unbiased feedback on your speaking voice.
8.  Learn how to clear your voice and how to cough without hurting your voice and to do so as a woman.
9. Repeat
Warning:  Never stupid things to your voice like a public performances at outdoor weddings in October where I live.  (It's literally freezing here.)  I damaged my voice going to loud for too long three weeks ago and it still isn't back. 

Hugs,

Jen

Thanks for the advice.  I do try talking in a higher pitch but it's difficult to control it.  My voice always has been pitchy and adjusts according to my mood or my emotions.  When I get excited or interested my voice gets higher and more femmy (well compared to my natural voice).  When I'm shy, bored or scared, it gets deeper.  I have to be more aware of this and keep my voice at a higher pitch consistently. 

LTL

The most important part was the warm up and cool down to protect your vocal cords and to extend range.

Warm up and cool down: Start mid range and while breathing out, slide down over 4-5 seconds to where you chest voice starts (you can feel the chest voice by the rumble in your chest) while saying Ahhhhhhh.
Repeat, starting at same pitch,
Repeat one note up X2
Repeat one note up X2 except saying Ooooooo
Repeat one note up X2
Repeat one note up X2 except say Eeeeeeee
Repeat to top of pitch then sing what ever.....s
Once the top of pitch is easy (control not important) start the process one note up.
Repeat.
Once your ready to stop, Repeat the entire process
I added an octave in six weeks

Quote from: learningtolive on October 25, 2013, 07:37:17 PM
Basically, I just sing with whatever is in my car stereo.  Depending on the song or artist, my pitch can go all over the place.  So, I do both falsetto and non falsetto singing.  It's just difficult because my voice is so naturally low and my singing is atrocious.   It's very frustrating.  Still, glad to know it's not bad to use falsetto for training purposes.  It may be annoying and stupid sounding, but at least it may help. 

That's good. Singing along to female singers on the radio is pretty much my favorite form of voice training. (not the most effective, but I'm sure this has a great deal to do with why I only lost like half an octave of my soprano range when my voice changed, so I can definitely vouch that it does work at least somewhat.)

Quote from: Carrie Liz on October 25, 2013, 07:53:21 PM
That's good. Singing along to female singers on the radio is pretty much my favorite form of voice training. (not the most effective, but I'm sure this has a great deal to do with why I only lost like half an octave of my soprano range when my voice changed, so I can definitely vouch that it does work at least somewhat.)

When songs with a male singer come on, I just do a femme harmony vocal.  If it's The Eagles, I work myself from Glenn Frey on upwards.

Singing more has definitely helped me get more comfy speaking in a more feminine voice.