Is Falsetto Singing Always Right? Ben Adjei Discusses with Meroni
The third edition of the Ben Adjei @ 5 series was broadcast on 26th July 2020, at 5pm. The series forms part of a number of activities marking the 5th year of the soloist’s career. This edition featured Isaac Ntim Buah (known as Meroni) from Gramophone Chorus, in conversation with Ben Adjei on the subject of falsetto singing.
For the first time in the series, Ben began his Facebook live broadcast with a few minutes of voice training, focusing on ideal singing posture and running through several scales.
Ben began the discussion by expressing his displeasure at the tendency for some tenors to sound like the alto voice when they use the falsetto technique to sing high pitches. Falsetto is a term borrowed from the Italian “false”, which is used to describe singing with a “false voice”, usually employed by male voices in an attempt to sing above their usual range. Isaac admitted to using the technique for just that purpose - when notes seem out of his comfortable range - but also for its pleasing tone.
Ben Adjei demonstrated the possibility of producing a strong tenor tone without using falsetto when he sang excerpts of the solo part from FW Peace’s “And I saw a New Heaven”. He highlighted one particularly high C which is popularly performed with the technique. Isaac agreed with Ben, going on to admit his use of the technique for that particular note.
Isaac proposed that, since tone and range vary with each person, the use of falsetto came down to individual preference, for both comfort and aesthetics. He spoke at length about some of the characteristics of such a voice and how they may aid or hinder the performer’s ability to deliver. His mention of the thinness and lightness of the falsetto-voice was noteworthy, as it contrasts with the usually heavier texture of a tenor.
His primary concern, however, was that the right notes were struck with confidence, and that was acceptable if an individual could only manage that with a falsetto.
During the interlude, Isaac gave a performance of James Armaah’s M’akoma so Adea - accompanied by Vincent Agbeko on the keyboard - to which Ben joined.
The second half of the broadcast focused on some comments and questions from the online audience. One viewer suggested that the use of the technique also depended on the mood of the song under consideration. Ben Adjei clarified that he was not trying to censure the technique: his concern was the use of the technique as a way to cover-up for a singer’s under-developed vocal range.
The discussion focused next on how to reduce the dependence on falsetto. Isaac advised his fellow tenors to rehearse constantly, to find and understudy a role model, to learn to better their individual voice. Ben chipped in with encouragement, suggesting that singers should put in a conscious effort to improve and outdo their role models. He added that every choir should have a standard for their tenors, and choir directors should work at improving their singers to achieve these levels of performance.
He also shared a few tips on how he improves his own tone, including his use of fasting to free up his vocal path and rehearsing songs in keys higher than their original. He wrapped up by entreating singers to not remain in their comfort zones.
The broadcast ended with a performance of Newlove Annan’s Okyeso Nyame by Ben and his guest.
The next episode of this series features Prof. Sekyi-Baidoo in a conversation about understanding the words we sing. It will air on the 23rd of August.