Vocal Type: Soprano
Whistle Register: Yes
Vocal Range:3.1 Octaves. D3- F6 (approx)
Longest Note: 11 seconds
Vocal Pluses: Glorious soprano highs and amazing tenor like lows and a voice that is able to scream in a rock wail or be soft as any balladeer. Versatility is key to defining the voice of this lady. I would be very surprised if she is not classically trained.
Vocal Negatives: Nina's flexibility may not be to everyone's taste and it's likely the extreme way she uses her voice will turn many listeners off.
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Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Vocal Registers explained
The human singing voice is split into 4 distinct registers.
(1) Vocal Fry (the lowest)
(2) Modal
(3) Falsetto
(4) Whistle (the highest)
Each of these four registers has its own vibratory pattern, its own pitch area (although there is some overlapping), and its own characteristic sound. Below I will provide a short summary of each register with an audio example.
Vocal fry:
The vocal fry register is the lowest vocal register and is produced through a loose glottal closure which will permit air to bubble through with a popping or rattling sound of a very low frequency. The chief use of vocal fry in singing is to obtain pitches of very low frequency which are not available in modal voice. This register is not used that often in singing, and both men and women have been known to do so.
Modal:
The modal voice is the usual register for speaking and singing, and the vast majority of both are done in this register. As pitch rises in this register, the vocal folds are lengthened, tension increases, and their edges become thinner. A well-trained singer or speaker can phonate two octaves or more in the modal register with consistent production, beauty of tone, dynamic variety, and vocal freedom.
Falsetto:
The falsetto register lies above the modal voice register and overlaps the modal register by approximately one octave. The characteristic sound of falsetto is inherently breathy and flute-like with few overtones present. Both men and women can phonate in the falsetto register. The essential difference between the modal and falsetto registers lies in the amount and type of vocal cord involvement. The falsetto voice is also more limited in dynamic variation and tone quality than the modal voice.
Whistle:
The whistle register is the highest register of the human voice. The whistle register is so called because the timbre of the notes that are produced from this register are similar to that of a whistle or the upper notes of a flute, whereas the modal register tends to have a warmer, less shrill timbre. Women of all voice types can use the whistle register. With proper vocal training, it is possible for most women to develop this part of the voice.
(1) Vocal Fry (the lowest)
(2) Modal
(3) Falsetto
(4) Whistle (the highest)
Each of these four registers has its own vibratory pattern, its own pitch area (although there is some overlapping), and its own characteristic sound. Below I will provide a short summary of each register with an audio example.
Vocal fry:
The vocal fry register is the lowest vocal register and is produced through a loose glottal closure which will permit air to bubble through with a popping or rattling sound of a very low frequency. The chief use of vocal fry in singing is to obtain pitches of very low frequency which are not available in modal voice. This register is not used that often in singing, and both men and women have been known to do so.
Modal:
The modal voice is the usual register for speaking and singing, and the vast majority of both are done in this register. As pitch rises in this register, the vocal folds are lengthened, tension increases, and their edges become thinner. A well-trained singer or speaker can phonate two octaves or more in the modal register with consistent production, beauty of tone, dynamic variety, and vocal freedom.
Falsetto:
The falsetto register lies above the modal voice register and overlaps the modal register by approximately one octave. The characteristic sound of falsetto is inherently breathy and flute-like with few overtones present. Both men and women can phonate in the falsetto register. The essential difference between the modal and falsetto registers lies in the amount and type of vocal cord involvement. The falsetto voice is also more limited in dynamic variation and tone quality than the modal voice.
Whistle:
The whistle register is the highest register of the human voice. The whistle register is so called because the timbre of the notes that are produced from this register are similar to that of a whistle or the upper notes of a flute, whereas the modal register tends to have a warmer, less shrill timbre. Women of all voice types can use the whistle register. With proper vocal training, it is possible for most women to develop this part of the voice.
Whitney Houston - Vocal Profile/ Range
Vocal Type: Mezzo Soprano
Vocal Range: 3.3 Octaves. A2- C6 (approx)
Longest Note: 9 seconds - 'I will always love you'
Vocal Pluses: At her best she is able to belt powerful notes to excellent emotional effect. She also uses her pleasant sounding falsetto sparingly to lift and accent potentially boring melodies. Idiosyncratic vocal 'ad-libbing' makes her voice easily recognisable.
Vocal Negatives: Utilises a relatively fixed vocal range in most of her music. Her voice can become shrill in the upper range, especially when she attempts to belt these notes. Not always comfortable singing vocal runs.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Beyonce- "Halo" live at NAACP
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| Beyonce gets emotional while singing Halo live. |
*Interesting fact: It turns out that the song was actually meant for Leona Lewis which makes the album vocal arrangement make more sense*
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Sarah McLachlan - Vocal Profile
Vocal Range: 2.4 Octaves. F3- B5 (approx)
Longest Note: 9 seconds - 'Icecream' (live)
Vocal Pluses: Good control and nice timbre
Vocal Negatives: Tendency to yodel
Review: Beyonce "Halo"
Beyonce returns with a mid-tempo ballad from the Sasha Fierce album called Halo. Penned by the same persons who gave the world Leona Lewis' Bleeding Love, it follows in a similar style with the synths, strings and prominent beat combo.
Halo has Beyonce taking a new vocal approach with a harsher timbre and a noticeable shift in less vibrato.I would have preferred softer vocals to contrast the harsh synths and drums but overall it's still a great song which I prefer way more to Beyonces' last sappy ballad If I Were A Boy.
4/5OVERALL: More Sasha Fierce less Beyonce please
Lowest Note in 'Halo' F#3
Highest Note in 'Halo' F#5
Listen to Beyonces' single Halo below:
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Rachelle Ferrell - Vocal Profile/Range
Monday, March 16, 2009
Madonna Wallpaper & XML Template
Here is the next wallpaper. This time its of Madonna. We also have a preview for the Madonna blogger template - xml.
Demo it and download here
Madonna - Vocal Profile/ Range
Vocal Type: Mezzo- Soprano
Vocal Range: 1 octaves 5 notes and a semi tone E3- C5# (approx)
Longest Note: 17 seconds (Ray of Light at Live Earth)
Vocal Pluses: Adapts her vocal style to the music she's singing to very well. The middle of her range is her strongest suit: It's solid, with a warm colouring and clear a timbre.
Vocal Negatives: Voice becomes thin and nasal, very quickly, as it gets higher.
Until I have time to do my own research I'll post the video below. However, I'm not inclined to agree with a lot of the notes- you can, if you so chose to. The C#5 I've quoted above can be found at 1.36 on the word "here" and as per usual I have not included exclamations in the range.
Celine Dion - Vocal Profile/ Range
Vocal Type: Mezzo Soprano
Vocal Range: 3.1 Octaves B2- C6 (approx)
Longest Note: 13 seconds - 'The Reason'
Vocal Pluses: Strong, clear belting notes with a powerful vibrato . Not only a technically good singer but also an expressive one.
Vocal Negatives: Voice does not have much versatility so doesn't lend itself to different musical genres.
Longest Note: 'The Reason' (13 seconds)
Since the sound clips are not working I am using Youtube videos to illustrate the vocal ranges where possible. This Video is by WestVoice
Dream feat Mariah: My Love - Review
My Love sounds like any other Dream song, with its sparse, soulless, production. The lyrics have the Dream and Mariah Carey playing couple, and listing to the the world why their love is stronger than anything "the World can throw" at it. You know, typical 'us' vs 'them' type scenario.Vocally the Dream and Mariah harmonise well, as both singers have a smooth, airy quality to their midrange voices.
Mariah is up to her usual tricks, blending her higher and lower vocals for her verse, but its nice to hear her lower range being utilized. Her vocals, overall, have a more relaxed and organic feel than I have heard before; almost as if shes not trying so hard to make this a technical performance.
Point in case is the scratchy texture Mariah's belts are graced with when shes sings the "know" in "they don't know" at 3.24. I, for one enjoy the rougher texture to Mariah's voice but I'm sure this will have people who like to bemoan about Mariah's changeable voice citing it as evidence of her vocal decline.
Hopefully an insight into Mariah and Dreams' songs for her new album that he has been refering to as 'MC3'.
3/5
OVERALL: Kinda average untill Mariah starts singing
Mariahs High Note from "My Love": E6-F6
Update: The album was actually released as The memoires of an Imperfect Angel (read the review here).
Sunday, March 15, 2009
XML Blog Templates
Here are two diva blogger templates! Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera are both XML coded so you shouldn't have a problem uploading them to your blogger account.
Mariah Carey:
demo, installation instructions and download
Christina Aguilera:
demo, installation instructions and download
Mariah Carey:
demo, installation instructions and download
Christina Aguilera:
demo, installation instructions and download
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Alexandra Burke - Vocal Profile/ Range
Vocal Range: 2.3 and a semitone octaves. E3- Bb5 (approx)
Longest Note: 10 seconds - 'The Silence'
Vocal Pluses: Rich, deep texture. Strong low-midrange timbre
Vocal Negatives: Lacks vocal dexterity
Watch her range here at youtube
Wallpapers
Here are some wallpapers I made. Here we have Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and Leona Lewis. More to come soon.
''Why is having four or more octaves rare?''
Source: BBC Website
"Yma Sumac, the Peruvian soprano famous for her range, has died. Her voice spanned more than four octaves, but why is that so unusual? Many things were considered amazing about Yma Sumac, from her exotic costumes to her claims about being an Inca princess. But her extraordinary voice is what really made her special.
Known as the Peruvian songbird, it ranged over more than four octaves. It made her a Hollywood star in the 1950s and she stunned audiences globally throughout her long career.
To this day Sumac, who died at the weekend, is considered to have one of the biggest vocal ranges of any singer.
THE ANSWER
The human voice is very limited and we use only a small part of it Such a range is so unusual because the human voice is very limited and we use only a small part of it. This makes it very difficult to expand the vocal range and articulate such high notes.
Exploiting the range we do have comes down to physical aspects, like body structure and the length of vocal cords, technique and psychological attitude.
There has been a massive amount of research over the years to try and understand why our voices are so limited, says vocal coach Janet Edwards, who's worked with Leona Lewis and Spice Girl Mel C.
"What we do know is most people are capable of three octaves. The average person could sing within this range with very good guidance from an expert."
Most classical singers who have been professionally trained are still within this three octave range. A modern day comparison to Yma Sumac is Mariah Carey. She has a multi-octave vocal range which can reportedly reach five octaves.Mariah Carey's voice also scales the heights
"The young Mariah Carey used to sing in a lowish voice and then these stratospheric notes would sound more and more like whistling," says Gillyanne Kayes, vocal trainer and voice researcher.
"It takes a high degree of skill to sing across a range. The colour, or timbre, of a voice is not the same all the way through."
And octave range doesn't just come down to physical attributes and technique, it's about the psychological as well.
"People can have a fear of using their voice," says Ms Edwards.
"Teaching someone is not only about getting people to use their body properly and breath right, it is also about giving people the right attitude to free their voice. You have to look at the voice from all angles."
But having a wide range does not equal a good singing voice per se, says Ms Kayes.
"In the latter years of Billie Holliday's life it was a pretty limited range, which inevitably was due to her years of alcohol and drug use. But she had this enormous expressivity which she was able to convey in seven to 10 notes, which is actually the range of your average pop song.
'Someone like Amy Winehouse, for example, mostly limits herself to about seven notes in a song. It's very difficult at the top of the range because you just can't articulate words up there. It's more what I would call a whistling sound.'"
"Yma Sumac, the Peruvian soprano famous for her range, has died. Her voice spanned more than four octaves, but why is that so unusual? Many things were considered amazing about Yma Sumac, from her exotic costumes to her claims about being an Inca princess. But her extraordinary voice is what really made her special.
Known as the Peruvian songbird, it ranged over more than four octaves. It made her a Hollywood star in the 1950s and she stunned audiences globally throughout her long career.
To this day Sumac, who died at the weekend, is considered to have one of the biggest vocal ranges of any singer.
THE ANSWER
The human voice is very limited and we use only a small part of it Such a range is so unusual because the human voice is very limited and we use only a small part of it. This makes it very difficult to expand the vocal range and articulate such high notes.
Exploiting the range we do have comes down to physical aspects, like body structure and the length of vocal cords, technique and psychological attitude.
There has been a massive amount of research over the years to try and understand why our voices are so limited, says vocal coach Janet Edwards, who's worked with Leona Lewis and Spice Girl Mel C.
"What we do know is most people are capable of three octaves. The average person could sing within this range with very good guidance from an expert."
Most classical singers who have been professionally trained are still within this three octave range. A modern day comparison to Yma Sumac is Mariah Carey. She has a multi-octave vocal range which can reportedly reach five octaves.Mariah Carey's voice also scales the heights
"The young Mariah Carey used to sing in a lowish voice and then these stratospheric notes would sound more and more like whistling," says Gillyanne Kayes, vocal trainer and voice researcher.
"It takes a high degree of skill to sing across a range. The colour, or timbre, of a voice is not the same all the way through."
And octave range doesn't just come down to physical attributes and technique, it's about the psychological as well.
"People can have a fear of using their voice," says Ms Edwards.
"Teaching someone is not only about getting people to use their body properly and breath right, it is also about giving people the right attitude to free their voice. You have to look at the voice from all angles."
But having a wide range does not equal a good singing voice per se, says Ms Kayes.
"In the latter years of Billie Holliday's life it was a pretty limited range, which inevitably was due to her years of alcohol and drug use. But she had this enormous expressivity which she was able to convey in seven to 10 notes, which is actually the range of your average pop song.
'Someone like Amy Winehouse, for example, mostly limits herself to about seven notes in a song. It's very difficult at the top of the range because you just can't articulate words up there. It's more what I would call a whistling sound.'"
Leona Lewis - Vocal Profile/ Range
Vocal Range: 3 Octaves 3 notes and a semitone C3- F#6
Whistle Register: Yes
Longest Note: 12 seconds - 'Over The Rainbow' (live)
Vocal Pluses: Nice tone and texture to the voice throughout her range with a strong belt that has a pleasing vibrato to it. Chest and head voice nicely connected and she moves brilliantly between the two.
Vocal Negatives: Control of low notes is shaky and her belted notes become thinner and weaker the higher she sings
Friday, March 13, 2009
Rihanna - Vocal Profile/ Range
Vocal type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 3 octaves. A2- A5
Whistle Register: No
Longest note: 8 seconds - 'Hate That I Love You'
Vocal Pluses: Distinct sound that makes her easily identifiable. Voice sounds best in it's low to mid range- as done in the verses of Russian Roulette- where it finds a solid tone, that has a slightly smoky quality to it. It has also improved, in recent years, in the chest register, where previously her voice was once nasal and thin it now has strength and weight to it, sounding correctly placed.
Vocal Negatives: Her voice can still sound nasal at times.
Vocal Range: 3 octaves. A2- A5
Whistle Register: No
Longest note: 8 seconds - 'Hate That I Love You'
Vocal Pluses: Distinct sound that makes her easily identifiable. Voice sounds best in it's low to mid range- as done in the verses of Russian Roulette- where it finds a solid tone, that has a slightly smoky quality to it. It has also improved, in recent years, in the chest register, where previously her voice was once nasal and thin it now has strength and weight to it, sounding correctly placed.
Vocal Negatives: Her voice can still sound nasal at times.
P!nk - Vocal Profile/ Range
Vocal Range: 3 octaves. C3- C6 (approx)
Longest Note: 7 seconds
Vocal Pluses: Vocal texture is interesting with a husky lower range and a raw rocky belt . Voice also has an attitude to it that lends to the material she sings.
Vocal Negatives: Higher belting note's texture becomes coarse and throaty which can be painful to listen to.
This Video is by guisousacunha1
Vocal Classifaction
Here is a general picture of how a voice is classified into its relevant voice type. This form of classification is more relevant to opera and choral singers but the definitions have naturally spilled over to popular singers.
Female voices can be split into:
* Alto: Lowest female voice type G3 to F5
* Contralto: F3 to F5
* Mezzo Soprano: A3 to A5. Most typical vocal type for women.
* Soprano: Highest female voice type. Range lies between a C4 and a C6
Male voices can be split into:
* Bass: Lowest male voice type.F2 to F4
* Baritone: F2 to F4 most common male voice
* Tenor: c3 to c5. Most typical vocal type for women
* Countertenor: Highest male voice type. Range lies between a G3 and a F5, however higher notes usually sang in falsetto.
These are all approximations and as you can see its quite difficult to fit a popular singer into a particular voice type when you consider someone like Mariah Carey. Mariah can go from a G2 to a G7 which is higher then the highest female voice type and two notes off being lower then a bass.
Female voices can be split into:
* Alto: Lowest female voice type G3 to F5
* Contralto: F3 to F5
* Mezzo Soprano: A3 to A5. Most typical vocal type for women.
* Soprano: Highest female voice type. Range lies between a C4 and a C6
Male voices can be split into:
* Bass: Lowest male voice type.F2 to F4
* Baritone: F2 to F4 most common male voice
* Tenor: c3 to c5. Most typical vocal type for women
* Countertenor: Highest male voice type. Range lies between a G3 and a F5, however higher notes usually sang in falsetto.
These are all approximations and as you can see its quite difficult to fit a popular singer into a particular voice type when you consider someone like Mariah Carey. Mariah can go from a G2 to a G7 which is higher then the highest female voice type and two notes off being lower then a bass.
Whistle Register
Have you ever wanted to know about the Whistle Register? Well here you go. The Whistle Register, also known as the 'Flageolet Register', is the highest human vocal register. Its name is derived from the whistle sound that is produced when notes are sung in this register. A tone is classified as being a "whistle" note typically when it is a C6 or over.
It is also possible for males to sing in this register, the most famous being Adam Lopez.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Mary J Blige - Vocal Profile/ Range
Beyonce - Vocal Profile
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Christina Aguilera - Vocal Profile/ Range
Vocal Range: 4 octaves. C3- C7
Vocal Range: Yes
Longest Note: 20 seconds - 'At last' (live)
Vocal Pluses: Has a very nimble voice which allows for incredible vocal runs. The texture of her voice, particularly her belted notes, is unique and powerful, whereas the midrange is heavy and thick.
Vocal Negatives: Tends to force the higher chest notes, causing her voice to sound coarse and pulled. Although able to sing in the whistle register they tend be laboured and require a vocal run to access.
This Video is by cazeterow
Mariah Carey -Vocal Profile/ Range
Vocal Range: 5 octaves. G2- G7
Whistle register: Yes
Longest Note: 20 seconds - 'Lead The Way'
Vocal Pluses: Vocal dynamics are second to none: able to go from a crystal clear, high octave belt to an airy whisper within the space of a word. Has gorgeous low and high notes that are complimented by an uncanny ability to pitch an exact note without the need of vocal runs. When Vocal runs are utilised by the singer they are incredibly accurate and always sympathetic to the song's key signature, tempo and style, thus giving her the moniker the "Queen of melisma". Technically a brilliant singer.
Vocal Negatives: Voice lacks an emotional connection to the song, also as she's aged higher belted notes- above a C5- have become courser and harder to maintain for extended periods of time.
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