Definition of falsetto Falsetto

/fɔlsɛˈtowˌ/ - [folsetow] - fal•set•to

We found 8 definitions of falsetto from 7 different sources.

What does falsetto mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: falsettoes
falsetto - a male singing voice with artificially high tones in an upper register
		head register, head tone, head voice the higher ranges of the voice in speaking or singing; the vibrations of sung notes are felt in the head
Adjective
falsetto - artificially high; above the normal voice range; "a falsetto voice"
		high-pitched, high set at a sharp or high angle or slant; "a high-pitched roof"

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Wiktionary

falsetto (Noun)
Countable or uncountable The "false" singing voice in any human, usually airy and lacking a purity of vowels; created by utilizing the next highest vocal folds above those used for speech and normal range singing. It is commonly confused with the Head Voice register.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

falsetto (n.)
A false or artificial voice; that voice in a man which lies above his natural voice; the male counter tenor or alto voice. See Head voice, under Voice.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

falsetto
A singing technique that produces sounds pitched higher than the singer's normal range.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

falsetto
fawl-set′o, n. a forced voice of a range or register above the natural, the head voice. [It. falsetto, dim. of falso, false.]

Wikipedia

A falsetto voice is a special way of speaking or singing. If a man tries to imitate a woman’s voice he does it by speaking in a falsetto voice. When a man sings with a falsetto voice it sounds high like a soprano. Actors do this sometimes, e.g. Robin Williams in the film "Mrs Doubtfire" or Kevin Clash when voicing the character Elmo in "Sesame Street" and Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, with his R&B falsetto.

Women can also use falsetto, but when they do there isn't as big of a change in sound from their normal voices as there is in men. When women use falsetto the voice sounds lighter or weaker than it does when they speak or sing normally.

When people speak or sing, their vocal cords vibrate. When a man sings falsetto only the edges of his vocal cords vibrate. These produce harmonics. It is similar to playing harmonics on a string instrument by lightly touching the string at a certain point so that only part of the string vibrates. When a man sings falsetto his is usually one octave higher than his normal singing voice.

Falsetto singing was used in the days when women were not allowed to sing in churches. Instead, men sang countertenor. Later the popularity of the countertenor disappeared, but in the mid 20th century it became popular again for performing Renaissance and Baroque music. Today the tradition of men singing alto (with countertenor voices) still exists in Britain in cathedral choirs and some church choirs which are all-male choirs. It is not a big, operatic voice, a