Nelly Furtado- Vocal Profile/ Range

Nelly Furtado

Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 2 Octaves 7 notes  D3-C6
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses: Strong, full low to mid range with a piercing, clear chest register. Her voice- whether singing low, mid or high- sounds well supported and achieved via good technique, meaning there is little to no straining.
Vocal Negatives:  Voice has a nasally tone and chest notes can sound stringy.

Countdown: Top 5 Contemporary Contraltos

"Alto" should have read Contralto

The operatic contralto range usually spans from an F3 to a G5 but amazingly our lovely pop Divas can do better than that, with many of them demonstrating the ability to reach at least 4 notes below the lowest requirement. Apart from the ability to reach an F3, contralto voices have other characteristics usually associated with them- though they are not always present- such as a smoky timbre, a lower access point to the chest register and a heavier weight to the voice. Below is a list of my 5 favourite contralto range capable Divas.

Note: Of course in reality comparing a pop singer to an opera singer is like comparing an apple to an orange so any opera aficionados don't bite my head off please...I need it for eating.

5) Mariah Carey: A singer who is associated more with the extreme highs of her voice rather than the lows its capable of. Her version of Stevie Wonders' You and I has Mariah demonstrating her contralto chops admirably, but she gains a lower place on my chart because some of the lowest notes she hits are produced by improper technique.

4) Lalah Hathaway: Has a weighty, thick contralto voice, that though heavy, is still is able to sing beautiful and complex melisma.

3) Cher: I've said it before and I'll say it again, Cher is a vocalist that is constantly overlooked. Her voice has a clarity that the other contraltos on this list do not and her chest register starts relatively low but, despite its weight, is still capable of hitting the fifth octave.

2)Sarah Vaughn: Her contralto range was warmer and sweeter than any of the other singers on the list. Her voice also had a beautiful smoothness and richness along with an operatic quality.

1)Toni Braxton: Her voice has "contralto" written all over it, and produces the tone, timbre and colour most people would straightaway associate with the lowest female vocal range. Out of all the singers on the list Toni's is the one that sounds best, and most comfortable, in the lower ranges of the voice .

Let me know of your favourite contraltos in the comments below!

Joss Stone- Vocal range/profile

Joss Stone

Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 2 Octaves  4 notes C3-G5
Whistle Register:  No
Vocal Pluses: Expressive, soulful voice that manages to maintain these qualities throughout the registers.The lower range has a beautiful cool, smoky tone to it whereas the belted voice is warmer with a gutsy, passion to it. Her head voice is also full, and bright.
Vocal Negatives:  The technique she employs to generate grunts and growls, though sounding good and in keeping with her vocal style, can cause problems to the voice if used extensively. 

Florence Welch (from Florence and the Machine)- Vocal Profile/ Range

Florence Welch

Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range:  2 Octaves 2 note F#3-A5
Vocal Pluses: Emotive voice that can go from warm cooing whispers to hard, shrill belted notes in a heartbeat. Strong individual vocal styling that  has been called "soulful" "bluesy" and "powerful". Beautiful head voice.
Vocal Negatives: Top chest notes lose warmth and softness, sometimes sounding uncontrolled and beyond her natural range.

Do you have any other vocal negatives or positives? comment below.

Chrisette Michele- Vocal Profile/ Range

Chrisette Michele

Vocal Type: Contralto

Vocal Range:  2 octaves 4 notes and a semi-tone (Approx). D3-Bb5

Vocal Pluses: Beautifully dark, textured, expressive voice.

Vocal Negatives: Limited range. 

Audio Clips

Lowest note (D3)

Highest Head note (Bb5)

Highest Chest note (F5):

Please Comment below with suggestions to help me fill out the vocal profile better, as I am not overly familiar with Chrisettes' music or voice.

Monica- Vocal Profile/ Range

Monica

Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 3 octaves B2- B5
Vocal Pluses: Voices strength comes from it's dark, thick low to mid range.
Vocal Negatives: Vibrato sounds unnatural and forced on the higher chest notes, and her head voice is somewhat limited.

Adele- Vocal Profile/ Range (in celebration of her number 1)

Adele

Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 3 octaves and 1 note. C3- D6
Vocal Pluses: Full and dark tone with a crystal clear belt.
Vocal Negatives: (Suggestions?)

Brandy- Vocal Profile/ Range

Brandy

Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 3 octaves and 1 semitone. G2- G#5
Vocal Pluses: Powerful control over her dark, lower and midrange registers.
Vocal Negatives:Voice quality diminishes as it leaves the low to midrange and ascends the chest register.

Jazmine Sullivan- Vocal Profile/ Range

Jazmine Sullivan

Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 3 octaves and a semitone. F#2- G5
Vocal Pluses: Rich, husky, heavy tone to the whole voice.
Vocal Negatives: Limited head voice

Fergie - Vocal Profile/ Range

Fergie

Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 3 octaves and 1 notes. B2- C6
Vocal Pluses: Powerful chest voice.
Vocal Negatives: Voice becomes harder to control the higher she belts.

This Video is by Naxxo

Fergie Profile suggested by "Shopaholic". Thanking you!  

Ke$ha- Vocal Profile/ Range

Ke$ha

Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 3 octaves and 2 notes. C#3- Eb#6
Vocal Pluses: Unique vocal style; Can be full of attitude and agression one moment and softer and more serene the next. (See Animal to hear these two styles on one track)
Vocal Negatives: Many find her use of autotune does not allow an accurate picture of her voice to be established.

Cher- Vocal Profile/ Range

Cher

Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 3 octaves 5 notes. A2- F6
Vocal Pluses: Solid contralto voice, with a dark, smoky tone.
Vocal Negatives:The heaviness of the voice makes it difficult to be flexible in its ornamentation.

Britney Spears- Vocal Profile/ Range

Britney Spears

Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 3 octaves  (C#3- C#6)
Vocal Pluses: Can sing in tune and has an instantly recognisable recording voice.Her real strength lies in her mid to low range, as it's where her voice finds its most pleasant timbre.
Vocal Negatives: Voice becomes nasal as it ascends the chest register, thinning and gaining an unpleasant twang to it.

(will not be including the exclamations)

Fiona Apple- Vocal Profile/ Range

Fiona Apple  

Vocal Type:  Contralto

Vocal Range: 2 Octaves 5 notes C3-A5

Vocal Pluses: Gorgeous low tessitura and a brilliantly expressive voice.

  

Amy Whinehouse- Vocal Profile/ Range

Amy Winehouse 

Vocal Type:  Contralto

Vocal Range: 3 Octaves and 1 semi tone D3-Eb6

Vocal Pluses:  Unique and thus instantly recognisable voice. Naturally adept singer with a great technique and brilliantly individual phrasing. Her voice is connected well through the registers and maintains its character throughout. Also has an emotive voice that communicates the songs subject exceptionally.

Vocal Negatives: Unique style may make it harder to adapt to different genres of music.

Sade- Vocal Profile/ Range

Sade

Vocal Type: Contralto

Vocal Range: 2 Octaves 3 notes D3-G#5

Vocal Pluses: Gorgeous tone and an expressive singer.

Vocal Negatives:   Limited range, and vocal style isn't adaptable to many different genres.

Alicia Keys- Vocal Profile/ Range

Alica Keys

Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 3 Octaves one semitone Bb2- B5
Vocal Pluses: Good, strong, smoky contralto tones at the bottom of her range and clear emotive chest notes at the top.
Vocal Negatives:   Her voice can sound heavy, and cumbersome at times, and lacks the agility that some of the other Divas have. 

This Video is by guisousacunha1 and lets you listen to her range

Miley Cyrus - Vocal Profile/ Range

Miley Cyrus

Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 3 Octaves one semitone C#3- E6
Vocal Pluses: Unique voice, that is instantly recognisable. Surprisingly wide range.
Vocal Negatives:  Nasal tone, and a chest voice that is shrill and piercing.

This Video is by guisousacunha1 and lets you listen to her range

Cheryl Cole - Vocal Profile/Range

Cheryl Cole

Vocal Type: contralto

Vocal Range:  1.7  octaves (Approx). f3- Eb5

Vocal Pluses: Voice has a pleasant soft quality in the head and mid range.

Vocal Negatives: weak voice that lacks strength or dexterity with a tendency to become thin and whiny as it progresses up the chest voice.

Audio Clips

Lowest note: F3

Highest head note Eb5

Highest Chest notes:A4

D5:

Lady GaGa - Vocal Profile/ Range

Lady GaGa

Vocal Type: Contralto

Whistle Register: No

Vocal Range: 2.5 octaves (D3-B5 approx)

Vocal Pluses: Powerful, passionate voice, with a rock tinge. Expressive voice that does not lean on melisma to impress.

Vocal Negatives: High belting can sound like shouting at times, which would indicate bad technique or singing outside of her range.

There are some higher notes in the video below, but I'm not including them in Gaga's range because I consider exclamations and singing as two totally different things. One requires a degree of skill- singing- and one doesn't- screaming and exclamations. If you want to know how big Gaga's range is if the notes in this video are included then Gaga has a range of 4 octaves 1 note.