What is a voice break?

What is vocal break or passaggio

_Passaggio_, which is Italian for "passage", is a range of notes at the top of a singer's range where the voice naturally transitions from a lower to higher register. It includes the area where the voice changes from chest voice to head voice. There are two main passaggi, one for men and one for women, though, in women, the passaggi are not nearly as well defined as in men.

For men, the passaggio is more of a break between the modal register (chest) and the falsetto register (head). For women, it is more of a gradual blend of the two, resulting in a less abrupt transition.

Chest voice or modal register

The chest register, also known as the "modal" register, is the lowest register of the human voice. It is formed when the vocal cords are brought fully together and vibrate fully for their entire length, with the majority of the body of the sound being developed in the chest cavity.

Falsetto register or head voice

The falsetto register, also known as the "head" register, is the highest register of the human voice. It is formed when the vocal cords are brought only slightly together, with the vibration coming from the edge or outer portion of the cords, rather than their full-thickness vibration with the chest voice.

Mix voice

This transition between registers is commonly called the "vocal bridge" and the register that a singer uses while negotiating this transition is called "mixed voice" (and sometimes incorrectly "head voice").

In bel canto singing, the passaggio in women is sometimes called "covered" and the male passaggio is called "open."