Voice registers are the sections by which the vocal chords vibrate in order to produce a sound. Vocal chords are muscles that change in thickness and length. As a person sings ascending pitches, the vocal chords automatically become longer and thinner. As a person sings descending pitches, the vocal chords become shorter and thicker. It is when air is passed through the vocal chords and they open and close that sound is produced.



Listed below are the different kinds of voice registers that exist.

The Chest Register

The range of notes that are below the middle C are classed as the chest register. It has this name because of the deep or rich pitch that is created and also because the sound echoes throughout the chest cavity. Air flows over the vocal folds which are entirely apart and the vibration is often felt in the upper chest. The chest register is mostly used to achieve low voices, such as that of the bass.

Head Register

It is assumed that the human voice is separated into two registers. The lower part being the chest register, and the upper part being the head register. It has been named the head register, as singers believe that when they sing in this register, they have an echo of the sound in their heads, not their chests.

Middle Register

The middle register is not used as commonly as some of the other registers. It is a mix of pitches, and it is described as an area with which a vocal bridge or the passaggio may occur. This registry has been mastered by a singer if they can effectively mix the two pitches together.

The Falsetto

This voice is generally used by men rather than women. It is whereby a sound with which the pitch is slightly higher than that of a person's usual speaking or singing voice. This voice is produced by expanding and separating the vocal chords so tightly that it is only possible for the edges of the vocal chord to vibrate. The alto or soprano range can be achieved by using the falsetto.

Whistle Register

This register is generally used by females rather than males. It is the highest register of the human voice, which sounds similar to a whistle or a squeal. It is also otherwise known as the flageolet register. The pitches produced by the whistle register are generally above E6. This register is used in rare cases by coloratura sopranos when they are singing European classical music.

When entering the field of singing, vocal registrations are concepts that should certainly be mastered. They are assumptions which have been established in order to determine whether the human voice has the ability to change, either objectively or subjectively. There are those however, that believe that these registrations do not actually exist. It is considered by many to be a science, and not merely a theory.