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Acting in Plays, Singing/Why does singing in falsetto hurt

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Expert: - 10/9/2008


Question
Good day!  I would like to ask why singing in falsetto hurts, especially in the high notes.  I wish to be like Scholl but every time i attempt to sing in falsetto, it feels like my vocal cords are strained.  Every time I sing low notes in falsetto, it hurts as well and I tend to switch and sing with my chest voice.  What should I do?  Don't I have any more chance to become a countertenor?

Additional information: I cannot reach higher than G4 nor lower than G2.

Answer
Hello, Ras –

Thank you for the question.

How to sing in "falsetto" or as a legitimate countertenor is virtually the same discussion.  The essential difference is the repertoire.  Check out any of the CDs by:
CHANTICLEER
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_m?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=Ch...

CHANTICLEER is on top of the totem of professional men's choral groups.  Every member is fantastically educated, trained and dedicated.  As you are listening you will be able to distinguish the highest voices, i.e., the "sopranos" from the altos.  Their category is in relationship to their natural voice.  For example, many baritones prove to be excellent countertenors.  But, it starts with passion.  You have to really-really want to devote (sacrifice) your life to that mode of singing or you are wasting your time and money.

Whether it's the repertoire of the INK SPOTS from the '40s, all of DOO WOP, the current and centuries-old sacred and secular music performed by CHANTICLEER, the operatic countertenor roles such as Handel's JULIUS CAESAR, or the revival of the greatest hits of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in the Broadway smash success, JERSEY BOYS – the very high-voiced popular and legitimate countertenor has always had plenty of opportunities to pay their bills with the sound of their voice.  At some point – if what you are seeking is a professional career – you must decide what genre of music appeals to you most and then get the appropriate training.  Trying to figure it out on your own, or worse – attempting to imitate a favorite singer – is not the way to go.

To succeed in Classical repertoire, you must get into the best Conservatory or University you can afford.  For the pop variety, including Broadway – come to me.  It's all about the vocal workout.  In addition to beefing up your falsetto range, you are talking about demonstrating a smooth passage into your natural voice.  It's all about blending.  And that means – placement.  The complex scales I teach will help you develop, expand, and maintain a sure passage from one end of your range to the other.  How to do the scales cannot be simply described on an Internet bulletin board.  Then it's about applying those techniques to the material you want to do or that someone is creating for you.

Do you have anything posted on-line I can listen to?  If you do, I will be happy to give you some feed back.

I am a professional singing teacher and vocal coach in San Francisco.  To book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List – http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/875945167.html I am also the fine arts critc for SanFranciscoSentinel.com.  All my articles and interviews provide a link to my personal e-mail.

Take a look at my You Tubes:

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Sean Martinfield

Expertise

I am a professional vocal coach in San Francisco. In addition to answers from a previous web site (Askme.com - where my "tag" was "VocalCoach") I have published over 2000 responses related to vocal training - particularly as it relates to Musical Theatre and Opera. I have 24 years of experience as Personal Trainer to singers and actors in the San Francisco Bay Area. I sang professionally for 20 years and know what it means to live the life of a musician. I can determine your voice category, i.e., Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Alto Belter, etc., and how to broaden and strengthen your range. Need an audition song for a Broadway Musical? I will give you suggestions that are appropriate to your vocal category and to requirements specified in the audition notice. I have also created a vocal methodology, "The Belter`s Method". It will enable those in Musical Theatre to practice more efficiently because it focuses on the demands of professional performers as well as to those auditioning for school and community productions, and as University and Conservatory performing arts majors. If what you want is a better voice and more control over your career moves and choices, contact me. Also, as the Editor of SanFranciscoSentinel.com, it is my privilege to review productions at the San Francisco Opera, Ballet and Symphony, as well as Broadway National Tours booked into San Francisco's Orpheum, Golden Gate and Curran Theatres. I also review works by A.C.T (the American Conservatory Theatre) and Magic Theatre. I cover select films, tributes and retrospects, and various international film festivals – particulary those booked into The City's opulent Castro Theatre – including the LGBT Frameline Festival, International Film Festival, Silent Film Festival, Jewish Film Festival, etc. For private vocal instruction, I can be contacted through SanFranciscoSentinel.com. Look under: Seán Martinfield, Sentinel Editor and Publisher.

Experience

As a vocal coach, I work primarily with singers and actors throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. My students range from absolute beginners to working professionals, from pre-schoolers to senior citizens. The vast majority of my clients come to me through recommendation. I know how to identify any singer's vocal category, i.e., soprano, tenor, alto, baritone, etc. I know how to muscle-up every singer's vocal range and to expand it beyond conventional definitions. I have developed a vocal methodology for those who want to know how to belt, THE BELTER'S METHOD. As a singer who spent half of his career doing Bel Canto, I know that classical or Italian methodologies do not work in Standard American music. Bel Canto cannot be "adapted" to meet the needs of contemporary American music, including the demands of the Musical Theatre. There are a number of major components to my work as a vocal coach. The first is to identify the client's vocal category and to strengthen and maximize the vocal range accordingly. Then it's about teaching a reliable vocal workout that will enable the client to gain better control of their musicianship. That includes scale work to expand the vocal range and to improve placement, breath control, and diction. Then we work on material for the audition portfolio, the immediate job or assignment, a recording session, etc. My task to is to better equip singers and actors who are hoping to or relying upon their performance skills and vocal endurance to maintain a career in the Performing Arts. My clients regularly appear in cabarets and musical productions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Some have worked in New York and gone on National Tours. For more information, Contact me at: Broadwaybelters@yahoo.com

Education/Credentials
San Francisco State University – BA in Theatre Arts; graduate work in Theatre, Philosophy, and Comparative Reiligion. Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley – Graduate work in Ethics

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