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Be it short-term or long-term. Is it true that if you use your falsetto on songs for more than those typical "uuhhhhs" and "oohhhhs" to give it a more sentimental/breathy touch, you could damage your voice permanently?

I'm not talking about singing something extremely loud or high like a song by Whitney Houston or the Opera No.2 by Vitas... More like Stevie Wonder or Adele or Bruno Mars.

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    No. Of course not. There are singers who sing in falsetto for their entire careers. These include classical/operatic counter-tenors, and heavy metal singers (but that's a different matter).
    – user1044
    Oct 1, 2012 at 0:34
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    I reckon Barry Gibb would say no. Reports that outlasting the rest of his brothers has anything to do with singing Falsetto are unconfirmed.
    – Widor
    Oct 1, 2012 at 11:08
  • Counter-tenor is a style of singing that is all falsetto, and there are schools where you can be trained to sing in that style. Counter-tenors are men who have a natural baritone or tenor range but learn to sing operatic-style alto and mezzo-soprano in falsetto. Now centuries ago there was also a type of adult male singer called a castrato (look it up) who could sing alto or soprano without falsetto. But the surgical procedure in young boys used to enable that kind of singing in adults has been illegal for a long time, thank goodness, and there have been no castrati for centuries.
    – user1044
    Oct 3, 2012 at 4:36
  • @Widor I heard that Barry Gibb did it so much he got stuck that way, and wasn't able to sing/speak any other way ... ;-) (joke)
    – Time4Tea
    Jul 25, 2018 at 12:50

4 Answers 4

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The actual mechanics of the act of singing in a falsetto voice should be understood for starters. This article delves into the specifics:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falsetto

A reputable voice teacher would the wisest choice to develop a falsetto voice while minimizing strain or damage to the vocal chords. To better understand vocal chord structure and vulnerabilities, I've found this article to be very informative:

http://www.drugs.com/health-guide/vocal-cord-disorders.html

I don't know if you are asking in general or for yourself but I hope this information helps answer your question.

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It greatly depends on one's technique and body.

If you ask about doing permanent damage, then I believe it can happen, even if you don't strain your voice so much.

On the other hand, I know a few people singing soprano after voice change (falsetto) for many years in boys choir (today they're >20 years old, and still their voices are not any worse). But they were trained to sing the way they sing.

Please note, that this very question regards health - and one should never rely on internet experts when it comes to health advice, but on professionals - singing teachers or phoniatrists/laryngologists.

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    So your throat got sore from singing falsetto and you permanently damaged your voice? Sorry, when it comes to health personal experience doesn't cut it for me.
    – user28
    Oct 1, 2012 at 18:11
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    @MatthewRead You are very right. I've restated my answer as the previous one was more like anecdotal evidence, that just confirms that "people who sing falsetto and don't hurt their voice exist", and not that "one can't damage his/her voice by using falsetto". BTW - my voice is fine :)
    – Jack L.
    Jul 25, 2018 at 10:17
  • IMO, NO ONE has damaged theor voice because of falsetto. If it does, most likely it's not becaise of falsetto. It could be due to other health reasons which will affect other registers too.
    – Vehrnesto
    Jul 27, 2018 at 7:42
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I am a countertenor (male who sings alto and soprano entirely in falsetto), and since I am, I can safely say that there is nothing at all dangerous about falsetto. Look up Philippe Jaroussky, and see for yourself!

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Not at all! Bee-gees i.e.! well mm that's not the best example, they've totally lost their voices for doing it wrong. :S

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