head voice
1
7.1
- noun
- /hɛd vɔɪs/
- Specialized
:
voz de cabeza
- On the other hand, descants are well suited to students who have fully developed their head voice.
- head voice register
- head voice or upper register
Examples
-
Speaking in head voice or upper register will help children learn to sing in it.
Academic text (2006) -
I can still sing loud with a powerful mixed voice, but I lose a lot of subtlety in the dynamics of my head voice, and I have a much harder time transitioning between chest and head voices.
Blog text (2) -
The head voice is the hardest one to deal with when you get upset with yourself.
Blog text (31) -
The first step is the development of the singing or head voice, which is not a simple task that can be accomplished in one lesson.
Academic text (1994) -
Males could sing in head voice, which is called falsetto.
-
Whenever possible, start children in the upper register (head voice) and work downward.
Academic text (2006) -
I was unable to support my upper range without cracking, and my transition from midrange to head voice was extremely audible.
Academic text (2015) -
Lloyd has a great mixed voice and glides through difficult lines, flipping from chest to head voice with remarkable ease.
Blog text (10) -
The loft register (or head voice) is used primarily in singing and is characterized by a light, thin, or sweet timbre.
Academic text (1996) -
To reach the high notes, she practiced singing in her head voice to develop her vocal range.
Synonyms
Higher singing notes that you feel in your head not your chest
A high singing voice that feels like it rings in the head
Antonyms
- Specialized
1
5.5
The lower part of the singing voice that sounds full and is felt in the chest
How High
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently built from 'head' + 'voice' — a B1 learner who knows both words can infer this refers to a kind of voice associated with the head (i.e., the higher/resonant register). Similar terminology exists in many languages (e.g. Spanish 'voz de cabeza', French 'voix de tête'), which supports the expected inferability without special prior exposure.
Etymology
Head voice comes from singers who feel the sound in their head rather than in the chest, a light, ringing feeling that helps them reach high notes. That's why head voice means 'the higher, lighter part of the singing voice'.