Monday 16 March 2009

[Vocal Range] Celine Dion


Vocal Type: Lyric Soprano
Vocal Range: 3 Octaves 1 note and a semitone B2- C#6 (approx)
Longest Note: 13 seconds - 'The Reason'
Vocal Pluses: Celine Dion is a technical singer who has great understanding of vocal placement, support, and projection. With this knowledge comes the ability to sing complex vocal runs with speed and accuracy. It is also responsible for her ability to hold a note, perfectly on pitch, without any wavering, better than most- see All by Myself .

Celine Dion's lower range is dark and slightly raspy but, for the most part, well supported and accessed via healthy technique. Her midrange can be warm, and slightly airy with an easy, lyrical quality- see Falling into You- or can be soft and sweet, though more substantial in its weight- Because You Loved Me. It leads effortlessly into her strong, clear belting range. This part of the range is noticeably contrasting to the lower half, being cooler in colour, thinner in texture and sharper in timbre. Celine Dion is astonishingly able to reach up into the sixth octave in this part of her range, so brilliant is her ability in mixing her belting voice with her head voice.

Celine Dion's head voice alone, is full and weighty, with an operatic tinge and control-see video below- though it is not often used by the singer.

Vocal Negatives: The nasal quality of Celine Dion's belting voice, as well as it's piercing quality can become overwhelming at higher frequencies. Also her lower range is weak and breathy.






100 comments:

  1. "Voice does not have much versatility so doesn't lend itself to different musical genres"? o.O

    You obviously do not know Celine's opus very well. The woman sings in French and English, has recorded albums of pop, soul, rock, r'n'b and French chanson genre.

    Dion is also known for being excellent at carrying gospel melodies, jazz scat-singing, Christmas tunes and patriotic anthems.

    If that's not versatility, I must be losing my marbles.

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  2. Also there is a video on youtube where she sings some fragment of opera. She is extremely versatile singer!

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  3. She's just perfect. I can listen to her all day. 

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  4. hey guys, this profile was made on the fly- hence the basic profile. Was waiting for other peoples input before I updated. Will get on to it soon!

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  5. Whatever happened to Celine? Is she still performing/recording?

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  6. I agree with Vocalist1 - Celine is probably the most versatile pop diva of all (if you know her work) - she really can sing just about anything.

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  7. I would say Lyric soprano is more accurate when describing her voice type in classical terms. Her voice does not have the typical weightiness of a mezzo-soprano, such as Idina Menzel. It has a bright and ringing tone to it. Celine has a very french way of singing. Which is apparent I guess, due to her Quebecois upbringing. Her placement is more towards the nasal cavity, which accounts for her tendency to sound nasally at times.  However, her placement of her voice gives it a somewhat unique timber that is immediately identifiable. It acquires a penatrating timbre, and the harmonics in her voice, what we classical singers term 'squillo' or singers format, acquires a certain richness to it.

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  8. Celine is more of a lyric soprano to me. Her ethereal timbre is floaty and weightless, nothing like a mezzo. And her voice is very nasal, her vibrato sometimes too pronounced

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  9. Never knew quite how amazing this woman was!!! I always knew she was better than nearly everyone around her but I've gotta say, I now think she excels Mariah - obviously not in range - but in understanding of her voice and control of her voice.

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  10. Mega late reply to your post but as you may have already found out she is indeed still doing her Vegas gig and is also apparantly recording two new albums, one French the other English obvs! She had a magic to her back in the day....stratospheric voice anyway for sure

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  11. I agree she definately has that spinto thing due to the resonance in her voice being from predominantly the nasal cavity. Great voice for sure and also an intelligent way in which to use her voice. I agree that she could indeed be a lyric soprano, but its been a while since I have really heard her sing live to determine such a claim.

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  12. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHNeL5lhKMY
    the note she just hit at 3:18 seems to be an Eb6,checked it with musebook tuner (:,seems legit?

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  13. Wow I don't care what note that is....lol it was amazing! She tore it apart!

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  14. yea definitely xD

    tough it was not a healthy technique,still impressive.

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  15. Celine for the most part is a rather technical singer however she seems to let loose on stage a bit too much as she focuses her resonance in her nose and often supports from her throat and adds too much head to her mix. However when she is performing with more vocals than stage presence she provides one of the most excellent sounding vocals I have ever heard.

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  16. Im astonished that the note sounded so perfect even though we could visual see her throat about to explode lol.

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  17. I wouldn't say that.  Mariah has a better technique overall, I think.

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  18. She does it, but not WELL.

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  19. Her lower range is barely there. Breathing down there doesn't count. There has to be legitimate chest tones. Her middle is strong, and her upper is strong up to a certain point. Her voice isn't very well coordinated at all. And there's nothing operatic about her head voice. That is what we call a pseudo-sound.

    "Celine's head voice alone is bright and weighty"- You do know those two things are complete opposites? A weighty voice is a heavy, dark voice, so unless Celine is a master of chiaroscuro, which she isn't, this makes no sense.

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  20. Perhaps a better technique but if you put these singers next to each other and listen to their live performances, Celine consistently sounds better and more comfortable with her voice as a whole - whereas Mariah on occasions doesnt sound at all comfortable with her voice and this I think is down to the fact that until recently she feels like she has to display her whole range which doesnt always end well

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  21. From the performances I have seen by her I would be inclined to agree about her forcing from the throat, that mixed with the nasal backing adds a certain cut in her voice but she seems to use it in an adept way.

    People often slate her for being too soppy ect but I have to admit she does have one of the most gorgeous voices when she tones it down!

    http://youtu.be/UxVR-y8419w <--- This is one of my favs! Touching and uplifting!

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  22. DD I love how you get this right and wikipedia fails! I wish I could use this site for my edits, I really do, due to it being a blog though they will not accept it as reliable.

    There it states her having a 5-octave vocal range, which we all know is total balls! So frustrating! Even more so the fact that it like the recent Adele article stating her having the same range is 'reliable' considering its totally and utterly exagerated....

    Having a listen to her songs this morning...not the power ballads though, its far too early for that gig lol

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7m5aKWu77I&feature=related
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm30Taxdl58&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK54SWlyCoM

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  23. Yep, that should have read "full and weighty" thanks for the spot!

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  24. You're so right! Wikipedia also says that Nicole Sherzinger has a five octave range!

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  25. Eugh, thanks for the heads up there, I read the "source" stating that, and it claimed nothing in regards to her supposed massive range....data has now been removed!

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  26. if u compared celine's voice than the voice of any (other)
    singers...celine's voice was so powerful,she knows how to hold note in
    many ways.... until now...she can hit c5,c#5 and even g5....
    therefore,celine's voice was so powerful,loud and incomparable belting techniques........
    A very technical singer...that i ever known....


    This G5 by Celine is miles better than the one used on here.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

    @:29 (belted E5, glissando to G5)

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  27. This G5 by Celine is miles better than the one used on here.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

    @:29 (belted E5, glissando to G5)

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  28. You guys got this vocal range too! Celine has a 5 octave vocal range!

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  29. I really love celine dion when she perform on stage.. =)
    her voice make me flown... ^_^

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  30. i love her as a singer...

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  31. @facebook-100000317910427:disqus @ScottishStuey:disqus That note was not Eb6. It was more like a mid fifth octave belt and yes terrible technique...

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  32. Her lower range is not weak... :)

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  33. You know, I would argue that she's really a lyric mezzo - having listened to her voice and thought about it, she sounds her most comfortable singing from about F#3-A5, which is basically mezzo heaven. Her head voice above A5 is a weak and disconnected falsetto, while her chest voice has a lot of weight when she needs it down considerably lower than any soprano. The timbre of her belts also suggests that she mixes a bit lower than sopranos, and the reason I think many people consider her a soprano is because she has a thinner voice than the typical mezzo.

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  34. I have to say lyric Mezzo

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  35. Eb5, It's not a terrible technique, Celine wanted to arouse emotions, it was intentional. This note sound very well.

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  36. I don't think her voice has enough weight to be a typical mezzo type. She's most definitely a soprano to me. That nasal cavity access she has can give her belts a cutting sound but her voice, though very well supported and strong, is actually not especially thick. Her head voice "rings" and the belts of her songs are generally rather more upper than midrange.

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  37. that doesn't mean she's versatile

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  38. I love what you did with Celine Dion's profile. But she calls herself a mezzo-soprano. I think it's better to trust the woman herself when it comes to her own vocal instrument.

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  39. (HD) Celine Dion Live Vocal Range - The Recording Sessions: A2-D6 3.5 Octaves
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IszgMk9YvNQ

    her vocal range is 3.5 octaves!

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  40. She sound like a pure goat!!! Can stand her belting "bleeting" anymore! I just couldn't find myself listening to any song of hers beside my heart will go on... Even that happened only when I watched titanic re-runs.

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  41. She sounds like a pure goat!!! Can stand her belting "bleeting" anymore! I just couldn't find myself listening to any song of hers beside my heart will go on... Even that happened only when I watched titanic re-runs.

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  42. i dont like celine.she have very cold voice

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  43. She was told by an opera master that she's a "soprano if he ever heard one", after she sang Habanera from Carmen for him. And to solidify that--that's a mezzo song.

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  44. Go look for Charice's youtube videos--she can sing The Prayer, Adaggio, All By Myself, pop songs like Louder/One Day, do rap--Justin Bieber's Baby--she is the most versatile singer at aged 20 years!

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  45. She has only gotten better with age in my opinion.
    Also, it's odd how her range and ease only grew as she got older.
    When she first came around I would have never believed she could belt a Bb5 with vibrato like here
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiP-SkQR0zU

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  46. 6 or 7 octaves not 3 !

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  47. Dude....Show me your facts...... No human can sing in seven octaves....The biggest range a person has is Adam Lopez and it is from E2-E8 and that is barely six octaves

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  48. Actually the biggest range on record is that of Tim Storms, his Vocal range spanning from G-7 (G Seven octaves below Middle C) to G#5, 12 Octaves.

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  49. I did not know about Tim, but Georgia Brown has the largest range( for a woman at least) 8 octaves

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  50. Not what I would call one of the world's great singers though.
    It's like an average violinist owning a Stradivarius. To me that anouncement would be like..'''good for you dude, now move along, I'm listening to Stuart'' ;-)

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  51. Oh I agree completely.

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  52. Georgia Brown's record was refuted for lack of proof. Her shown range is A2-F8, Which is 5 octaves, 5 notes.

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  53. Is there a better Celine pic out there, this one is rather unfortunate! It looks like she is trying to gobble the mic...

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  54. https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQQZmmxXpQHHVKV2CMpUdi2llftAmshXISzkrRw9NnIA8M5FP8d

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  55. Slightly better yeh, but she still got a twinkle of mic lovin' in her eye lol

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  56. lower range is weak and thin, upper belts seem forced, which is odd considering she is known for her amazing technique

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  57. what vocal range does my heart will go on have ?

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  58. Actually, it's entirely possible to HIT 7 octaves, seeing as I've done it (C1-C8 in one range test). It's hard as hell, and no one would EVER want to sing that many octaves. It's just not useful. I prefer to sing in a standard 2 or 3 at most.

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  59. Hey! I am a musicxician and to my opinion Celine is the greatest singer of the 20th Century, and no matter that we're in the 21st now, she still is among the GREATEST musicians and voices of our time. With her Spinto-Lyrical soprano voice, she is one of the few singer who can combine pop, jazz & bel canto-related techniques, her tessitura is geniousaly big - from at least the Middle C to above higher C, her voice is full and creamy in all registers and her diction is perfect!

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  60. Hey! I am a musiician and to my opinion Celine is the greatest singer of the 20th Century, and no matter that we're in the 21st now, she still is among the GREATEST musicians and voices of our time. With her Spinto-Lyrical soprano voice, she is one of the few singer who can combine pop, jazz & bel canto-related techniques, her tessitura is geniousaly big - from at least the Middle C to above higher C, her voice is full and creamy in all registers and her diction is perfect!

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  61. It's such a shame that she uses her nose to sing like her life depended on it. The power she has in her belts is beyond human, but it's so hard for me to listen to her singing when she does it so nasally. She definitely however earned her place in the vocal trinity.

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  63. She hit Eb6. Please, change her vocal range.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdwf8IuKTxI

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  64. Longest note - 16 seconds "I surrender"
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PFgbLnUcZE

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  65. Celine is a good singer but a bit over-rated. I do not like the sound of her tone and accent when she sing. But to each his own.

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  66. ahahhahahhah....

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  67. and you are not only sounding like a pure goat, you are a goat! debil!

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  68. cuse me but there is Georgia Brown with 8 octaves! go and see...

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  69. no its G2-G10! 8Octaves

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  70. No. Her record was revoked for lack of proof. Look it up.

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  71. Are you totally sure she's a soprano? I'm not an expert in this, but comparing her cover of "It's all coming back to me now" with Lea Michele's cover, Lea's voice sounds much lighter than hers.

    Celine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDxoj-tDDIU
    Lea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxzWv2PAM0Q

    Also, she even says she is a mezzo (Although it's possible that she missclasified her own voice like Mariah did), so I think she could be (A very light one, thought).

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  72. This profile is definitely in need of an update!

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  73. Just randomly stumbled on this video, quite impressive and hilarious too at some points :D

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=UU19Lr5VhwQ&NR=1

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  74. Celine Big Fan23 July 2013 at 13:30

    Celine's the LONGEST note is 20 second in the end of "I surrender" Acapeella ver. Hope you have heard :3

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  75. patti labelle vs celine dion who is better

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  76. What a silly question. Such different singers.

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  77. this is mistake i mean who's voice is better

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  78. That is in fact even sillier. You might argue who's technique is better, you can say which voice you like better but there is no way to determine who's voice is "better".
    What are you going to use as the bar or even the standard. There are no measurements for "better voice" .

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  79. This needs update because of her vocal improvment in Las Vegas from 2011

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  80. She's a total soprano. Listen ther operatic sound and her belt. That's all you need to hear to tell. Comparing her voice to Lea Michelle is like comparing apples and oranges.

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  81. Can somebody please explain to me why Celine Dion is classified as a "Lyric Soprano"?

    I had always assumed that she were a "Full-Voiced- Lyric Mezzo-Soprano" or "Coloratura- Mezzo-Soprano" with an extremely strong Upper-Register (partially becaue of her operatic training) thus, at times, giving the allusion that she may be a "Spinto-Soprano" perhaps?

    Thank you Guys.

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  82. Celine's highest note is C#6???

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  83. True, but she has a lot of stamina as well as volume and power, which I guess is why some people say she's technically great.

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  84. But no human can hear that low so how is that valid? :/

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  85. Well, have you ever stood by an elephant making infrasound? That shit is utterly debilitating especially at great resonance. You might can't hear it but you definitely can feel it. Also have you ever heard the myth that when you come into close contact with a Yeti that your freeze from fear and get sick to your stomach? Well that is also infrasonic vibrations at such a high pitch and resonance that it is causing debilitating nausea and delirium. Hes a low enough frequency can do that... Wait...LOL, I got so off topic...

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  86. I understand you can "feel" the vibrations of sounds and use technologies to verify the notes but I do find those records a bit pointless. The Georgia Brown one is just as puzzling.

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  87. On the upper end of the spectrum, we can't feel hypersonic disruptions because their wavelength is so small that they are easily distorted let alone hear them except under extreme circumstances. The infrasonic wavelengths pass through us due to their larger wave lengths. That also explains why when my mom farts in her bed, I can feel it in my room.

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  88. That's what I thought as well...Full-Voiced Lyric Mezzo Soprano is exactly what I placed her as... Though, everybody has a different ear I guess.

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  89. I'd like to know from real vocal experts and musicians what you think of Celine's voice and her as a vocalist/musician? I've seen many comments on Youtube (not so much on here as most seem positive and praise her) that claim she's not that great a vocalist or musician at all. Granted many are from Mariah fans but still... It's interesting to see such a huge difference in opinion and many stating alleged facts proving that she isn't good (or is) and I think she's probably one of the most debated about - you rarely see people wanting to disprove Whitney, Mariah, Aretha or Patti's vocal and technical skills.

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  90. she possesses a five-octave vocal range mezzo - soprano not soprano

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  91. Where's your proof?

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  92. sorry 3 octaves and ,why so many poeple those were saying she has 8 octaves ?

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  93. I need to see some sources.

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  94. Arjun Unnikrishnan5 November 2013 at 12:11

    The easiest way to find out if someone has a good technique is how well they've preserved their voice, I think. As far as we can see, like Patti, Aretha and Tina, Celine has kept her voice in great shape, even now effortlessly reaching her upper and lower vocal limits.

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  95. Arjun Unnikrishnan5 November 2013 at 12:13

    That's personal taste, no?

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  96. She's definitely kept her voice in good shape in comparison to Mariah (though her voice was naturally healthy compared to Mariah's who has nodules) but there are some comments I've stating she is really not good at all and some go as far as saying "she can't even sing". I would put these comments down to their shade/hate for Celine and the fact that they probably feel the need to big up Mariah, but a lot of the people commenting also claimed to be knowledgable enough about singing and music to make such wild statements… It's just baffling. I mean, Celine isn't a perfect vocalist technique-wise but she's definitely very good imo.

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  97. her new album is terrible i'm sorry to say

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  98. Maestro Kent Nagano remarked, "All you just sang was soprano" after she auditioned with two solos of Carmen.

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  99. Arjun Unnikrishnan6 November 2013 at 13:16

    Yeah. I think it's the fact that she's not perceived as "cool". She has an unusually great voice for a white woman, and knows exactly what to do with it and how to use it well. And she's been consistently adult-contemporary. Some don't like that kind of music, so trash her. Also, she does sometimes get a little too much nasal, but I still love her more than the other two just because she didn't ruin her gift.

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