Tuesday 17 March 2009

[Vocal Profile] Rachelle Ferrell


Vocal Type:Mezzo-Soprano
Vocal Range: 4.4 notes, G2- D7 (approx)
Longest Note: 17 seconds [With Open Arms]

Vocal Pluses: Rachelle Ferrell is a technical and emotive vocalist who uses the whole vocalising apparatus to create the unique sound that has come to be her trademark. In a live setting this is most physically noticeable by the Diva’s mouth contorting as she shapes the sound leaving her singing cavity [America the Beautiful].

But within, the Divas technical ability continues, with excellent breath and core control allowing her mastery over dynamics [I’m Special]; holding notes for almost superhuman amounts of time, on pitch and without strain [Open Arms Live]; Yodelling [I'm Special]; crescendo with sliding scales [Only Took A Minute]; and scatting and singing complex melisma throughout the range [Anita Baker tribute].

With a dark and masculine lower range, the Diva has a weight present here that carries through all the voice- bar the upper belt and whistle register. Even at its lowest, the voice has a solid ring to it, and a clear and rounded sound.[You Don't Know What Love Is]

The midrange has a duel nature. It can be thick, with a nasal placement and weight to it [Welcome To My World]; or airy, sweet and light [I'm Special]. Both timbres are easily accessible, and though the former of the two is more akin to the register beneath and the mid-range belt it leads into, Rachelle exhibits freedom and control in both.

The belting range is largely head-voice dominant, becoming more so as it rises and sheds weight. It has a warm colour and elastic quality that allows upper fifth octave belting without strain or push [ Tribute to Natalie Cole]. This mix affords the voice a stability that allows for vocal tricks and held notes, even at the top of her chest voice [I can Explain].

The whistle register is piercing, bright and cutting. The Diva can jump to it from anywhere in the range, can hold notes within it and sing melisma into and out of it.[ Inchworm]

Vocal Negatives: Vocal delivery may be an acquired taste.









25 comments:

  1. Rachelle, does have an amazing whistle register and she can sing in soprano-deep alto range. I don't think this was accounted for.

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  2. are kidding me Diva you have made a review about her 25 second belt you should definitely re-do "update" her profile along with beyonce's, nicole's, solange's, pink's, patti's and leona's. and you should do a profile for Etta,
    braxton sisters, anita, gladys, chaka, brian mcknight and adam lambert.

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  3. She should be a soprano not a contralto. 

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  4. Hey DD, can she not whistle, or super high head voice???

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BdXSX7CCJQ

    Check out 06:34 onwards

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  5. Don't be trying to school me on Rachelle Ferrel, boi!! lol. She sure can! She is AWESOME. Think I might delete this post until I can do it some kind of justice! I mean to not even mention her as a capable of whistle register is just some kind of sacrilege.

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  6. Sorry DD, dont meant to be patronising!!!! But dont delete though, its a pretty awesome profile! :)

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  7. Oh come on !! You can not call this profile "Awesome"!! Now THAT is patronising LOL! Its awful! But I'll leave it for now....
    http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2bonn4NYi1qg2stzo2_500.gif

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  8.  Not, because being honest I have never really heard of her until joining this site, so bringing her to my awareness is awesome in itself!! Stop being down on it lol or I shall put you over my knee boyo! lol

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  9. Hahaha, I have my spiked paddle at the rescue boy!! I am pretty sure you would enjoy it though, so hardly a punishement :S pmsl ;)

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  10. http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lqcxg3AGcw1qb0rnf.gif

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  11. Diva...this is...idk a word in English to describe it accurately..."Sad" comes to mind. This is Rachelle Ferelle...how could you let this disgrace of a profile ride???? Please fix this...and do one on LeAnn Rimes, Reba, Regina Belle, Yolanda Adams, CeCe Winans, Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone, Colbie Caillat, Megan Hilty, Katherine McPhee, Heather Headley, Jill Scott, Deborah Cox, Jazmine Sullivan, Tweet, Fantasia and Usher in the "Divo" section lol. PLEASE!!!

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  12. this is such a f8cking sad profile. SAD.

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  13. Instead of tossing out useless vulgar comments how about you be civil and say what could be contributed to the profile to improve it. List out positives and negatives of the voice that miss ferrell posses. Rambling on and complaining about things yet doing nothing to correct them or aid in the correcting of them is just pointless to say the least.

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  14. HER LONGEST NOTE WAS 30 SECONDS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5gbUSv-mrY NOT 11

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  15. I'm waiting for a post on R&B singer, Tamia. She is severely underrated and overlooked.

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  16. They forgot to put that she is capable of the whistle register

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  17. She has a six octave range.

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  18. according to wikipedia?

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  19. LOVE YOU RACHELLE :D

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  20. I think she's a mezzo-soprano, not a contralto though her lower register is very strong. Her voice is an instrument, the multiple things she can do with it is just astonishing - I particularly love her ability to scat and imitate instruments. I've seen some deluded comments on Youtube (mainly from Mariah stans) saying she has no or poor musicianship... I mean, seriously?

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  21. You guys need do a post on DENIECE WILLIAMS AND DESIREE COLEMAN JACKSON ....

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  22. Terrible singer. She could scream into the 10th octave for all i care but she aint ever gonna sound gd.

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  23. umm i think rachelle's ferrells longest note is in why you wanna mess it all up? (28 seconds aprox) and highest whistle is eb7

    positive : amazing control over voice
    spectacular ease in transition from chest to mix and mix to head
    musicality (remarkable change in textures in her voice to go with the music and runs/scatts connected to the song)
    powerful lower notes with airy texture
    mixed voice is on point and has the capacity to do vocal runs that soar through all her register in a connected manner

    negative: she can be a victim of oversinging and make the listener saturated with runs and scatts
    low notes are sometimes achieved in an unhealthy manner (very airy lowering the larynx)
    true whistles have rarely been heard life, she rather mimic the whistle with super head voice
    she's not for everyone, a required taste and ear is needed to appreciate this spectacular singer

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  24. Another negative, for me at least, is how imitative her entire style is.

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