Showing posts with label 2 octave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2 octave. Show all posts

Friday 11 November 2016

[Vocal Profile] Regina Spektor


REGINA SPEKTOR


Vocal Type: Lyric-Mezzo Soprano
Vocal Range: Eb3-B5 (C6) (2 octaves, 6 notes)
Vocal Pluses:Regina Spektor possesses a delicate and bright voice, dexterous enough to switch between the registers without any effort [Rejazz], execute complex melisma [Rejazz/ Oh Marcello], and hold notes without fatigue [Us]. Additionally, the voice remains homogeneous in colour and retains its attitude throughout the range.

Tuesday 24 June 2014

[Vocal Profile] Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez

Vocal Type: Lyric Soprano
Vocal Range: C3-Bb5 (2 Octaves 5 notes and a semi tone)*
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses: On the whole, Jennifer Lopez possesses a light voice that is well connected throughout the registers. For the most part the Diva prefers to stick to her middle range when singing, as it's where she finds the best tone and stability- with a smooth, easy sound [Hear: On The Floor].

Her lower range is where she loses vocal confidence, though surprisingly she is able to sing down to a G3 with some ease. Even at the lower end of the third octave, the Diva manages to maintain the character and tone of the voice [Hear: Jenny from the Block ], but this suffers the lower she goes.

Monday 30 September 2013

[Vocal Profile] Charlotte Church



Vocal Type: Full-Lyric Soprano
Vocal Range: 2 Octaves 5 notes and a semitone (Eb3-C6)
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses: Being a product of the classical world, Charlotte Church has received vocal training that has allowed for her to manage and understand the inner workings of her instrument. With this knowledge comes a voice that is confident, assured and skilful in its delivery. She would also have been taught about breath control, and this is shown in practice by Church’s ability to hold notes and navigate long phrases, often through registers, without losing breath or the correct support. It also affords the singer excellent mastery of dynamics; being able to begin a phrase loud and projected, but end it gentle and soft [Hear:Breach Of The Peace].

The lower range isn’t particularly extensive-  beginning in the third octave- but the control here means that Church is able to produce tones that are substantial and without the fogginess many Divas exhibit in the lower extremes of their range [The Rise]. Her voice leads seamlessly in tone and timbre into the midrange, and both share a distinct and identifiable character.

Church is primarily a midrange belter, being most comfortable at the upper end of the fourth octave and lower end of the fifth. This being so, the singer produces a tone that is weighty, full and resonant. As her head voice overlaps the chest voice- being heard as low as a  B4- the singer is often heard jumping between the two parts to create interest in the vocal line. However, she is capable in either register.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Church’s range is the head voice. Having honed it during her early years in the Classical world, the Diva exhibits a skill in this part of her voice that allows for impressive tonal variety. The voice here can be light and airy [Hear:Lasts, Or Eschaton ], thick and operatic [Sparrow], or balanced so brilliantly with its chest voice counterpart that it skirts the line between the two, never sounding quite like either.

Being so capable in her head voice and her mix, Church has no problem transitioning through the range; making it sound as if there are no breaks to be found in the voice at all. To further polish her notes, the singer is able to add a balanced and controlled vibrato that can either sound operatic or contemporary depending on the how she chooses to apply it

Vocal Negatives: It would be impressive if Church worked further on her fifth octave belting, while simultaneously developing her lower range.

Tuesday 11 June 2013

[Vocal Profile] Judy Garland


Judy Garland

Vocal Type: Middle-weight contralto
Vocal Range: 2 Octaves 3 notes (D3-G5)
Tessitura: E3-Bb4
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses:A fantastically identifiable voice – best known for her roles at MGM Studios, but also for her extensive back-catalogue; the entire voice has a warm, rich, incredibly velvety quality.

The low notes, encompassing a D3 [Old Man River] have a darkness that pervades much of the voice, and as most contraltos tend to, this part of the voice seems incredibly easy for Judy to hit both from the beginning of her career [F3 in Over the Rainbow original] until the end.

The middle range, starting at about B3 and up until Ab4, had that same richness, only now with more variations for volume than the lower range offered. Her voice sat incredibly easily in this part of the voice, and didn’t show any signs of fatigue even into her later years [Judy and Liza at the Palladium].

The high range, when executed using a ‘belting’ technique as she did through most of her later career, had an incredible capacity for power and dramatic highs, though they generally had to be built up to in the later section of a song. The belting range could be taken up to D5 [Get Happy], and the same rich and full tone that the rest of the voice had stands true in the high range, even moreso than the middle. She also showed in her earlier years that she could mix her voice brilliantly [White Christmas, Where There’s Music), thereby getting a sweeter, less overpowering sound, which she used in later years as well, though less frequently. When Judy decided to use head voice, though rarely displayed, it still shone with surprising brilliance and ease [Opera Spoof], encompassing at least G5 if not higher. The head voice lost no tone or warmth, taking on a nearly operatic quality that was incredibly full and bright.

Overall, though she is renowned for being an emotive singer, her technique was quite brilliant, and that she could even sing by the late 60s given her use of drugs and alcohol is quite amazing.

Vocal Negatives: The voice in later years began to lose some of the ease that her younger self had, though this is due in part to ageing, drug/alcohol abuse, and a natural lowering of the voice after her 20s. Some found her style of singing to be too abrasive and blaring, though this is entirely a personal taste.

Thanks so much to Marty M for putting this together!!

*I'll add some audio clips at some point, but here is a documentary about the singer for now:

Saturday 6 April 2013

[Vocal Profile] Lee Ya Hi

Lee Ya Hi

Vocal Type: Lyric Mezzo-Soprano
Vocal Range:C3-E5, 2 octaves, 2 notes (F#2-F#5 outlier range which includes exclamations).
Tessitura: G3-D5 (1 octave, 3 notes)
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses: An incredibly mature voice for a 16 year old girl-though it is clearly evident that her voice is still developing. This voice does not rely on its  range to impress, but leans more heavily on its emotive quality to do so; managing to convey the message of a song regardless of the language barrier. As well as being an incredibly emotive singer, she also possesses an amazing tone. Overall the voice, is thick, smoky with a raspy lower end, and a naturally coarse upper chest. Her falsetto is connected well to her chest register too.

The lower register (C3-F#3) is easily accessed with plenty of weight. It sounds mature and well developed- as heard in the song Because. She can also change the tone to a more mechanical one, if so needed- as heard in Am I Strange whilst maintaining a D3. Her tone remains rather mature at these depths [Hear: D#3 in Fool For Love], but she can add a slight warmth to the natural nasal quality to produce a melancholy tone [Hear: E3 of Because]. Overall, her lower register is versatile and brilliantly connected.

Her mid voice (G3-F#4) has even more tonal diversity; all stemming from her gorgeous nasal tone. Her mid voice also shows a great ability for ornamentation, such as that found in the intro of It's Over - where she demonstrates a gorgeous scat. However, like the lower-range, she can also add warmth to this middle register, creating an entirely different emotional vibe [Hear: in the A#3 of One Sided Love]. When she adds warmth, the weight lessens but it allows the voice to become more nimble,  allowing for some fairly ornate flourishes [Hear:The F4 of Am I Strange]. She also can carry that nasal tone up to F#4 before her falsetto breaks, as heard in the F#4 of 1.2.3.4.

Her belting register(E4-E5) is utilized in a unique way. As she ascend into it, her voice loses weight and thickness but keeps the signature nasal tone. She can retain a considerable amount of weight up to a G4- as heard in Rose and Fool For Love, where that same G4 belt contains a vocal run (at the end) that has become somewhat Lee Hi's signature style- but as she ascends up to around a B4, her tone changes, becoming noticeably brighter. It's a brightness which she puts to good use helping to convey the message of her music [Hear: The D5 melisma in Dream]. (Other notable belts include that found in 1.2.3.4 -which ascends upwards to an E5- and in It's Over - where a rapid rising melisma takes her to D#5.)

Lee Ya Hi relies heavily on Falsetto, rather than true head voice (A#4-E5). The sound is soft, sweet, and delicate. It is the only tone she has that ditches the nasal quality. Despite that, it remains brilliantly connected as shown in the beginning of It's Over , and 1.2.3.4

Vocal Negatives: Some may find Lee Ya Hi voice to be squeaky as she ascends the fifth octave in her chest voice. Also, her falsetto tends to sound frail (which personally bothers me).

[Note about the Vocal Fach: The only way it was possible to tell that she was a mezzo-soprano was by gauging where her falsetto starts. Her voice is still developing which is why there is such a considerable difference in vocal weight of her lower register and her middle chest.]

Friday 8 March 2013

[Vocal Range/Profile] Elle Varner


Elle Varner

Vocal Type: Mezzo Soprano
Vocal Range: 2 Octaves 6 notes (C3-B5)
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses: Elle Varner's vocal styling is where much of the voice's uniqueness comes from. Instead of being ornate and overly indulgent in melisma, this diva uses her voice in an organic, unfussy way; somewhere between talking and singing--though firmly weighted more towards the latter than the former. In doing so, it allows Elle's singing voice to take on the nuances and traits (attitude/swag) of her speaking voice; ultimately giving it a unique and characterful quality [Hear:Oh What A Night].

Her lower range is strong, weighty, thick and warm. The midrange sees a hazy, edge to the voice develop, which lends itself to harmonising. It also gives the voice a distinctive colouring [Here: Stop The Clock].

The voice quickly drops weight and thickness as it hits the top of the fourth octave; but retain its rough, coarser texture. Up until an F5 the voice sounds incredibly healthy, with Elle displaying surprising ease and freeness in this part of the range. Unlike other Divas, who also mix to reach the fifth octave, Elle's voice doesn't suffer a blanching of its character and this is mainly due to her sensitive mix.

Her voice transitions easily into its head-voice/ falsetto, meaning it's possible for Elle to jump in and out of it without issue [Hear: Sound Proof Room]. Whereas the head-voice is full and resonate, she can achieve a different effect by opting to use her falsetto instead, which is lighter but shares the edgy quality of the lower range.

Vocal Negatives: Not the most agile or dexterous of voices.

Saturday 10 November 2012

[Vocal Profile] Naya Rivera (AKA Santana Lopez from Glee)



Vocal Type: Mezzo-soprano
Vocal Range: 2.6 Octaves and a semitone (C3-Bb5)
Whistle Register:No
Vocal Pluses: Naya Rivera has great control of her instrument. This allows her to sing complex melisma; hold notes for extended periods of time without wavering in pitch; and helps her to excellently control the dynamic and timbre of her voice [Hear Songbird]

Strong lower-range that extends to the bottom of the third octave. The notes produced here are full, rounded and of medium weight, but are accessed effortlessly meaning they don't have the foggy quality some Divas exhibit when hitting lower notes [hear Boy Is Mine]. 

Her belting range as a whole has a light, bright, and youthful colouring to it with a slight rasp at times. Both the notes at the top of the fourth octave and those well into the fifth octave sound to be achieved via great technique, thus producing notes that have an easy quality to them, with a consistent tone and timbre.

Naya Rivera primarily uses falsetto to reach the higher notes. This means notes produced have an airy sound, with a warm and light quality to them. Using her falsetto to hit notes makes it easier for her to flip between registers, but it is possible for her to create notes with her head voice- like the exclamations in Smooth Criminal- which are weightier and have a stronger dynamic.

Vocal Negatives: The voice can sometimes have a slight nasal quality to it.

Thursday 17 May 2012

Vocal Profile: Faith Hill



Vocal Type: Mezzo-Soprano
Vocal Range:2 Octaves  E3-E5
Whistle Register:No
Vocal Pluses: Faith Hill is a technical singer and as such sounds to have excellent control both at the bottom of her range and at the top. Her skill over her instrument allows her to hold notes for notable periods of time effortlessly, with or without her controlled and measured vibrato. Though able to utilise her voice with a country twang-Piece Of My Heart- she can also forgo it for a contemporary styling, thus increasing her versatility and the genre of music she sing.

Wednesday 29 February 2012

Idina Menzel- Vocal Profile/ Range

Idina Menzel



Vocal Type Mezzo-Soprano
Vocal Range:2 Octaves 3 notes a semitone E3-Bb5
Whistle Register:No
Vocal Pluses: Idina Menzel is a technical singer, that has the understanding and training to be able to navigate the range with expert control, resulting in well supported and projected notes.  As well as able to single vocal runs, Indina can hold notes, with or without the addition of her thin vibrato.

Her midrange is solid, and begins to show signs of the steeliness of the belting range as it ascends. However, at its lower extremes it slightly softer, and more rounded.

Friday 17 February 2012

Siti Nurhaliza Vocal Profile/ Range [2 octaves/Coloratura mezzo-soprano]

I didn't know of her, until she was recommended, so here is a little blurb about Siti Nurhaliza to get you up to speed:

Siti Nurhaliza is a Malaysian artist, who to date, has garnered more than 200 local, as well as many international, awards. She rose to fame after winning a talent show in 1995, at the age 16- she's now 33- and has since released fifteen studio albums, with her latest, All Your Love, being her first in English.

Siti Nurhaliza

Vocal Type: Coloratura mezzo-soprano
Vocal Range: 2 Octaves 4 notes D3-A5
Whistle Register:No
Vocal Pluses: Siti Nurhaliza is a technical singer that sounds to have excellent understanding of her voice. She is capable of complex melisma that often dips into the major Locrian Scale, producing exotic and alluring melodies. It's skill that can be used throughout the range - listen to Kunia Dalam Samaran to hear how she jumps effortlessly between registers- and can be done so at incredible speeds.

Thursday 22 December 2011

Anastacia Vocal Range /Profile


Anastacia


Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 2 Octaves 7 notes and a semitone (Bb2-A5)
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses: Heavy, dark and well connected range. Comfortable in both the bottom and top of her range. Can utilise a contemporary pop vibrato but is also able to adapt it to a jazzier styling . The chest voice is resonate and punchy with a rasp to it and can extend high up into the fifth octave with apparent ease, while retaining its edgy character. The head voice can be soft and have a controlled and operatic tone-see the intro for Left Outside Alone- or can be, like the chest voice, more direct, sharp and solid.
Vocal Negatives: The sharpness of the chest voice can sometimes be overbearing.

Friday 7 October 2011

Utada Hikaru- Vocal Profile/ Range




Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 2 Octaves  3 notes and a semitone E3-Bb5
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses: Soft, and sweet timbre to the entire voice. Her midrange is the strongest part of the voice and it's where it finds a solid, and stable tone and colouring. She is able to fluctuate quickly to and fro between the breathy warm, head voice and the other registers with ease.
Vocal Negatives: Chest notes in the fifth octave can sound forced, and strained. 

Friday 12 November 2010

[Vocal Profile] Katy Perry



Vocal Type: Light-Lyric Soprano
Vocal Range: 3 Octave ( D3-D6)
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses: As a whole, the voice is characterful and youthful with a soft and sweet upper-range and a punchy, attitude infused chest voice. Katy Perry has the ability to hold notes [The One That Got Away (live)] and sing melisma [Whip My Hair (Live)], but her material doesn't often call for such vocal skills to be employed. As such, she is moat likely to attempt these feats in a live setting.

The Diva's lower range is cloudy and of mid-weight, but solidifies, brightens and lightens significantly as she ascends the third octave. Recent years have seen gains in the confidence exhibited in these lower notes, with them becoming fuller in sound.

The Diva shows the most resonance when belting in the fourth octave, loosing weight, colour and taking on an incisive quality as she moves towards and up the fifth octave. Occasionally she employs a slight rasp to these top notes- particularly when singing live- but its not usually heard in her recorded work, where the notes remain clean, clear and bright. Perry is also able to sing melisma in this part of her range [Walking on Air] but it's not something she demonstrates often.

Vocal Negatives: Criticisms have been leveled at her vocal ability when live and recorded vocals are contrasted.

Wednesday 3 November 2010

[Vocal Profile] Taylor Swift


Vocal Type:Light Lyric Soprano
Vocal Range: 2 octaves and 3 note  [D3- G5]
Vocal Pluses: A clear and simple voice that favors a strong melody over vocal bells and whistles. Whether an artistic choice, or due to vocal limitations, it's a style that successfully lends itself to the narratives the Diva injects into her art, allowing for her lyrics to be understand and appreciated. Though not often heard, Taylor can hold notes throughout her range [Red 1, 2], and has demonstrated some dexterity, being able to switch to her head-voice quickly [I Knew You Were Trouble] .

Taylor's mid-range, at its bottom, has a slight huskiness to it [Innocent]. However that quickly lifts, as the voice takes a nasal placement, revealing a bright and definite tone that is without any real texture. The Diva can create more texture, but in doing so the voice becomes less dynamic, becoming airier and thinner. Taylor often utilises this timbre for layering and creating harmonies [The Last Time]. Her easiness in the mid-range means she is free to play with her delivery- for instance adding a playful scorn to her tone in We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together to accentuate the lyrical content. The intrinsic character of Taylor's own speaking voice is most prevalent here, but it can be found throughout the range, meaning her vocals remain identifiable and attributable.

Her chest/belting range is cool and almost metallic in tone. Due to the lightness of the voice, Taylor doesn't appear to have any issues in this part of the range, being able to hit mid-fifth octave notes with little change in tone, timbre [State Of Grace]. Though there is shedding of weight as she ascends the fifth octave, it isn't enough to strip the voice of its character. The unwavering nature of her belts also suggests the Diva has great breath control and support when executing them [Collection of Taylor's belts].

The top of her range is soft, sweet and akin to a breathy falsetto [Forever and Always (Piano Version)]. The Diva sounds comfortable here, showing no issues singing here for lengthy periods of time.
Vocal Negatives: Overall the voice has a anemic tone, and lacks volume and power.