Myths About Head Voice

Welcome to Lesson 3!

Before we dive in, a quick reminder:
If you’re still working on finding or getting used to your head voice from Lesson 2—keep going. It’s totally normal for it to feel unfamiliar at first. This coordination takes time, and the key is consistent, low-pressure practice. Even five minutes a day of light exploration can make a big difference over the next few weeks.

If you’re stuck, don’t just keep spinning your wheels. Go back to Lesson 2 and try some of the alternate techniques—or reach out in the community for help. Many singers hit a wall here before things start to click.

Now—on to the myths. We’ve all heard some strange things about head voice—some of it from well-meaning choir teachers, some from the depths of the internet, and some from that one guy in your cast who’s absolutely sure that “real singers don’t use head voice.”
Let’s break some of those down.

MYTH #1 – “Head voice is the same as falsetto.”
We tackled this back in Lesson 1, but it bears repeating:
Falsetto is a type of head voice—breathy, loosely connected, and often found in male singers. But head voice includes much more than that. It can be strong, clear, and fully connected.

MYTH #2 – “Head voice is weak.”
Ah yes, the age-old misconception that strength only lives in chest voice.
This myth has caused more shouty singing than I can count.

Let’s set the record straight:
Head voice is not weak.
Untrained head voice? Sure—it might sound small, airy, or unstable at first. That’s normal. Most people haven’t built strength in this coordination because they’ve spent their whole lives speaking and singing in chest voice.

But here’s the truth: The majority of female classical singing—sopranos and mezzos—is sung in head voice. Not falsetto. Not “mix.” True, resonant, powerful head voice.

That’s the sound soaring over a 60-piece orchestra, cutting through a full choir, filling a 2,000-seat hall without a microphone.
There is nothing weak about that.

So when someone says “head voice is weak,” what they usually mean is:
“I haven’t trained it.”

Weakness isn’t about the register.
It’s about what your body has—or hasn’t—built yet.
This course is where we start building.

MYTH #3 – “Only classical singers use head voice.”
This one is flat-out false.

Yes, classical singers rely on head voice all the time. But so do singers in pop, musical theatre, R&B, folk, Disney songs, K-pop, rock ballads, and pretty much any genre where high notes happen.

Ariana Grande? Head voice.
Brendon Urie? Head voice.
Julie Andrews? Obviously head voice.
Even that high note at the end of “Defying Gravity”? Technically… head voice. (Don’t fight me. It is.)

If you’re singing anything that’s high and resonant without yelling, you’re likely using head voice—whether you call it that or not.
This is about function, not genre.

MYTH #4 – “If it’s strong, it must be mix.”
Nope.
There’s this idea that as soon as a note in your upper range sounds powerful, it can’t be head voice anymore—it must be mix.

But remember: mix is a coordination strategy where both the cricothyroid (CT) and thyroarytenoid (TA) muscles are engaged. As it turns out, the vast majority of singing is some form of mix between the two.

Mix isn’t a place your voice lives—it’s an approach. A blend. A spectrum.
You can have a strong head voice, and it’s still… head voice. You didn’t magically cross a border into mix territory just because you added some resonance.
Let’s not confuse clarity with classification.

So let’s summarize:
Head voice ≠ falsetto, but falsetto is head voice.
Head voice isn’t weak—most classical singing depends on it.
It’s not just for classical singers—you’ll hear it in every major genre.
It doesn’t become “mix” just because it sounds strong.

We’re here to build smart, functional voices—not cling to outdated labels that limit you.

In the next lesson, you’ll get a chance to apply everything we’ve covered so far by assessing where your current coordination sits—and what that tells you about your next steps.

You’re ready. Move on to Lesson 4 when you are.