Wednesday 7 March 2012

[Vocal Profile] Tina Turner


Vocal Type: Mezzo Soprano
Vocal Range: 3 Octaves 4 notes and a semitone F2-C#6
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses:Energetic and natural voice that has a character that is readily identifiable. Tina Turner's exceptional control means she is capable of varied timbres and tones that give her a great versatility that allows her adapt to many different genres of music [Rock/Pop/Adult Contemporary/Blues]. Her great technique has ultimately resulted in her still singing well, into her seventies.

Tina Turner sounds comfortable and at ease with second octave notes, which are reached seemingly effortlessly. The notes themselves are thick and full, with a husky, androgynous quality to them [In Your Wildest Dreams ]. Her midrange is also thick and rounded with a warm and full timbre that is connected seamlessly to both the lower range and the belting range.

The mastery of her lower range is mirrored in the belting range of the voice. She has the ability to sing high up into the fifth octave, but the voice finds the most resonance at around a C5. Whereas previously it had a rasp and an edge to it- Respect- it has since mellowed and smoothed as she has aged- Golden Eye. This change could also be due to the Diva adapting her technique and mixing more to reach the higher notes. If this is the case, then artistic choice is dictating the coarseness of the timbre more so than anything else.

Surprisingly for someone with such a strong lower range, Tina Turner also has access to a mid-weight, but bright and piercing head voice [Two People].

Vocal Negatives:Some of Tina Turner's earlier trademark growls, grunts and raspy vocals were achieved via questionable technique.






70 comments:

  1. DD you are officially a legend! To the same level as our Tina! You really hit the nail on the head with the positives and the negs! It just goes to show you though that if you know your own voice well (like Tina and indeed Cher) you can continue on and sound fantastic! Lovin it dude!! ;)

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  2. AWESOME singer,there i said it.

    seriously?tina has amazing control over her voice.i also agree with the  vocal negatives,when i saw her growling like a lion i was like "wtf o.O?".amazing contralto-like lows and impressive soprano highs.

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  3. why does the video say 4 octaves and 1 note and the profile say 3 octaves and 4 notes

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  4. they're including exclamations. 

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  5. Diva Devotee ,i know its totally off topic but,how about a profile on patti Lupone?

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  6. Gotta love how you throw shade at certain artists with such lame profile pictures lol 

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  7. she is 3 octaves right ? 

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  8. She has 4 octaves

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  9. Oh, you did Tina! Love ya DD!! X

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  10. Great to hear from ya Karen, You were missed!

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  11. Missed you too - thanks for the sweet message. All good now and sang my Dolly gig tonight. Went well!

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  12. Don't be silly! You've had other stuff to deal, so you take as long as you like! Did your gig go okay and when do we get to hear you in action?! 

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  13. Believe me , it isn't intentional! lol. I thought it was a nice enough pic. 

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  14. isnt she an coloratura contralto?

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  15. Tina's legs are the most age defying thing I've ever seen, they do not look like they belong on a woman near in her 70s.

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  16. Does unhealthy mean abusive marriage and performing on stage with a fracture jaw, nose and collapsed lung? Tina never did drugs and was not a drinker.

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  17. Obviously staying in an abusive marriage is a pretty unhealthy lifestyle. ;D

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  18. I agree, I have been through that stuff with both my parents (not so much coke but drink) and it was hell. I am only glad I was born with a wise soul able to see through it all...I take my hat off to her for keeping it together and being a solid and responsible example for her kids to follow!

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  19. Totally. She is one damn impressive human being besides being a great singer.

    Sorry to hear that about your folks Stuey. I grew up with an alcoholic as well.

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  20. Its not great...but this is (one of many) anthems to describe that past situation...


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmc8bQoL-J0

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  21. Did you mean applying to your past or to Tina's?

    Personally i don't feel any connection to this tune. I don't really see myself in such terms. Bit too much "American talkshow a la Oprah" speak for me. ( no offense intended, for some people those kind of terms feel right)

    Tune is very lifting in itself though. :)

    Here's one BY a real "survivor" of such a situation, only way worse than I experienced. ( when she was 17 her alcoholic father shot her mother and then himself in front of the house while she and her 13 year old sister were inside)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1UmMdlsTSU

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  22. My own past, although it is very generic in its theme and could be pretty much applied to any situation, the commercial powerhouse that was Destiny's Child. Tbh I would more likely to apply this one for myself...


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXLB-xeoOhk&list=PL06E0430ADAC28377&index=19&feature=plpp_video



    Crikey what a horrific situation, my heart goes out to her! Absolutely gorgeous song btw, I am stealing that for my favs playlist. Thanks for sharing :)

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  23. Yes, I can see you would apply that song. I noticed you tend to shy away from too confrontational exchanges. More of a peace maker eh? ;) Good song.
    Don't think I could come up with a song which I feel would apply to my situation but I certainly, like Shelby, am at the stage where I understand the why and forgive as it were.

    Since you liked the Shelby song, you might find it interesting to know she played all the instruments on that song ( and the whole album actually) herself. Apart from writing and producing ( under her own label) the thing. Regular one Woman Show she is these days. Even touring with only the guitar.
    But though it has absolutely nothing to do with anything...my all time favorite Shelby song remains this one. i just love the phrasing :)
    And I suppose it does somewhat applies to me. But not relating to my youth

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ha2za1c7AA

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  24. I try to be the peace keeper, I got into a rather heated and nasty argument with one person here a while back and it left me feeling awful, I really snapped and got personal, which is not like me so now I try to be a bit more chilled out.


    She is clearly a very talented lady, this is my main reason for loving this site. I would never have heard of half the divas I listen to now if it wasnt for others sharing their tastes. Another great vid! I just wikipedia'd her and was shocked to see she didnt even have a picture (shock) so I added one lol

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  25. Yes, I saw that argument and how badly you felt about that.

    Cool! I forgot you have editing powers over on Wiki.

    Shelby Lynne is, many have stated and I tend to agree with, the most underrated singer in music today. Certainly nobody can emote like Shelby. I will pester you with one more..a Dusty Springfield cover. ;)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDnbRlpE3jA

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  26. Yeh there was only a couple to choose from, but that one was by far the best!


    I have really taken to her chops, she is very talented indeed. A rare thing to sing a song and make it totally and utterly believable, these new chart pop tarts should take notice.


    Its a bonus as I love a bit of Dusty too, another legend! More vids poached for my collection...much thanks :)

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  27. Kelly an influence on Shelby?

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  28. Lol no, the other way around.

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  29. Been trawling online for reviews ect to clarify her voice type, if you see anything stating such data fire it my direction and I will add it to her page, I meanwhile am going through endless google pages lol the joys.... :p

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  30. Whoa....you been busy harvesting! Very much appreciated!! I am impressed also as her reviews (from Allmusic) are all pretty good, that site has a rep for being a bit harsh sometimes too! Loving your work!!

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  31. Oh and ps, just found a review stating she has a contralto voice....check it out and let me know what you think!


    http://www.allmusic.com/album/temptation-mw0000098901

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  32. oh I don't know about these different voice classifications Stuey. Only one I usually recognize is Soprano but that is because I came to the realization it's one I tend to be drawn to.
    But that review is spot on regarding that album IMO

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  33. I generally tend to be the same, I do sopranos more often than not, but prefer either those or contraltos. They are a more interesting listen! The middle tone of a Mezzo or Baritone if male just sounds a bit boring....I like the extremes hehe I guess thats what intrigued me about her voice. Some of the reviews are pretty great!

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  34. I used to have most of these in a playlist on my youtube channel.

    Removed that list because I am a hothead and was annoyed at her giving interviews about being honest, appearing at St Louis Pride and still firmly refusing to just answer the question regarding her sexuality with a straight ( pardon the pun) answer.
    But she is an amazing singer. I think one of the reasons she flies so under the radar is her refusal to be pigeonholed so I suppose I should be surprised...or annoyed.

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  35. I had no idea there was question about it. What do you think? Or is it pretty much conclusive lol

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  36. Oh I think definitely bi with a stronger leaning towards lesbian. She's been living and traveling with her "manager" for the past 7 years or so. Ever since that 'manager" left her husband( Shelby's former manager) and moved in with Shelby.

    And actually I have a DVD where she sort of comes out when introducing this song as dedicated to her "manager", looking in her direction most of the performance and throwing her a hand kiss at the end.
    I mean those lyrics are pretty clear I'd say.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub-ifnA0shk

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  37. Actually I landed on this site looking for such info on both Alison Krauss and Shelby Lynne. I saw that there has been more than one request for a vocal profile on Shelby here.

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  38. Yeh, you are probably right. The signals are hardly subtle! As for the profile's on these ladies I noticed a while back the request for Alisons. I just did a search on youtube for vids on both of their exact ranges but there is nothing as of yet otherwise I would have thrown together a profile myself, might have to look up some other video streaming sites.

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  39. Yeah, I know there isn't because I have pretty much seen every video that appeared on Alison on youtube since 2008.
    But I did make a playlist intended to aid DD in the making of such a profile on AK


    http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCFA444A01B53BDBF

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  40. Awesome! I will try to throw some pros and (hard to find) cons too! :)

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  41. Why are there so comments on this thread about other singers and very few on Tina?

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  42. Was she ever a smoker of cigarettes?

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  43. Can any one help me I have a Tina turner CD gold disc private dancer finished in 24 carat gold personally hand signed by Tina turner her self with certificate of authenticity as well and I am looking to sale where is best place for me to go about the sale of it my email is kevinbutler27@hot mail.co.UK if any one can help thanks Kevin

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  44. Can anyone tell me what the two high notes are at the end of Goldeneye?

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  45. I'm not a moderator or anything but you're going a bit off-topic here. I know this is about Tina Turner but still... Have you tried a new website called eBay? I've heard it's quite a good site. But the question is why you'd want to sell such a thing?

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  46. I thought she did smoke? :/

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  47. She's not a contralto, she's more a dramatic mezzo I think. Really great low notes like a contralto but definitely more of a mezzo the higher she goes.

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  48. Actually her voice was already this way from the beginning if you read her books and other movie stories and documentaries...


    She was known to be manly sounding with a raspy coarse voice, and thats how Ike discovered her unique tone...

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  49. Oh Ms. Tina Turner, The, Undisputed, Queen of Rock & Soul...


    Where do I begin?

    That Voice of hers: Rough, Tough, Husky, Coarse and Raspy yet Smooth, Supple and Sensitive - all at once.

    I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HER INSTRUMENT. It was "Raw" and devoid of any polish.


    (Albeit, I do prefer her music between 1960 - 1979, she has remained, and still remains, a GRAND performer)

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  50. Not a Contralto, at all. Interesting, I cannot bring myself to say she's a Lyric Mezzo. The voice simply isn't Lyric-like. And to some degree a stringy quality. Metallic qualities. The voice is sizable. Dramatic Mezzo possibly?

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  51. Tina is a dramatic mezzo, though she rarely uses her top notes nowadays (this is a natural thing with age).

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  52. That makes so much sense taking into consideration her qualities and size. I'm appreciative of the site, which tries to inform one of the singers' voice and what makes it what it is. The concept behind it is brilliant. BUT, LOL@Contralto. So Out of the question.

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  53. Speaking of stringy qualities to one's timbre, I have managed to learn how to use mine to create this emotive growling that sounds like a rabid dog coming for you kitties. I'm so proud of myself...LOL.

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  54. That helped you learn to growl? lol


    I wanna hear =D

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  55. I'm still smoothing out the kinks but I'll sing something quick and link it to you....

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  56. How far into your range are you able to carry the growl?

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  57. Still not my strong suit... Horrible tempo control throughout and the grit was definitely overbearing. I'm still learning how to do it...and ignore my talking voice... I'm always delusional when I first wake up... https://soundcloud.com/black-robin/singing-with-grit

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  58. About A4-D5 then its out. I'm still trying to learn how to growl up there but when I go higher it turns into a stamina buster...most of the time growls won't even come out when I attempt to growl the same way I do in my lower belting register. All that comes out is sheer slicing volume and this occasionally guitar riff like stringiness that I can never replicate when I want to.

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  59. ...I nearly went urban on you bruh. Oh HELL no! lol Sasuke! The pronunciation is "Sauce-K".

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzjkc8__Gv4



    Anyway, you JUST learned how to do it so carrying it higher won't be as easy. It's not bad at all. Better than Christina's who practically growls almost all the time. And as I've said before, I love your timbre. Listening to some of the inflections you choose & the quality, you seem somewhat Gospel-oriented. Man, once you master the growl completely, you've got to learn how to manipulate the texture of your voice so that you can add that grittiness to your vocals. To die for. I LOVE the gritty vocals, which is Joshua Ledet was arguably my favourite that season of AI. Him and Hollie (her POWERFUL mid belts SLAYED).

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  60. I'm southern so I'll end up saying it like Sass-uh-gay. LOLOLOL... Us southerners say hard Gs for Ks....But I'm no fan of gospel. I love the grit involved with rock though.

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  61. Don't get back handed now! lol Ehhh, some people in that Genre can successfully pull the grittiness off. Others go overboard with it. Steven Tyler? Perfection!

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  62. Be prepared...I like to take blows to the face though (Take that how you wanna)... Just be ready when I come for dat ass with my Krav Maga. LOL.

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  63. I thought I knew what you meant, UNTIL the parenthesis LOL! That wasn't intended to be ambiguous, was it??? lol

    And did I say Steven TYLER??? I meant Steve Perry! LOL! Yes, Steve Perry of Journey is perfection.


    And the hell is a Krav Maga? lol

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  64. Lol, it was meant to be perverted. Lol. And Krav Maga is Israeli martial arts.

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  65. Yah, you gotta smack yourself twice for that..for sure lol And that's a weird art. Is it one of those odd styles like Capo-era

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  66. I'd love for Tina to record again...but only if it was truer to her rock and soul roots than what she was doing since the 90s.

    Also, she sounds like an Alto to me - I think her profile is right there. Listen to her her duet version of "The Best" with Australian rock tenor Jimmy Barnes. Their voices blend *perfectly*. I've always understood it like "Alto female is similar to tenor male".

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUkIiyUT3o4

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  67. Tina Turner is one of the least disliked singers I can think of. I've certainly never heard of anyone in my lifetime who dislikes her, and as far as I'm concerned who ever could? She's great!



    At worst, there are those who don't like her 80s-onward stuff as much, but still like her earlier stuff and/or Tina herself.

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  68. Keyshawnsam@yahoo.com22 May 2014 at 18:50

    Tina Turner Vs Etta James

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