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Vocal type related question.

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saqib09

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Hi,

I don't have any theoretical knowledge. I have sort of a basic understanding of the core concepts of music but I wouldn't know what to do if you told me to sing in E flat or something like that.

Anyway, there are some videos on youtube that have sound samples to test which vocal type you are. They play a number of notes (E2 G4 etc.) and then give you a table to determine your type based on which was the lowest and highest you could sing and match pitch. So, my question is If someone can sing all the the notes played (A, D2, B2 whatever they are and anything in between then) what does that mean?

I'm not saying I can do it or even want to do it. I also understand, I think accurately, that this skill does not automatically and necessarily mean that someone is a great singer. I just don't know if this is something that all/most professional and expert singers have or it's a rare skill/quality among even expert singers. And what does it mean if someone has this skill. Does it mean she/he has unbelievable vocal prowess or it's just an impressive/useful skill not all that earth shattering.

Thanks.

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it means they can sing any song they want regardless of range and that they spent TONS OF TIME  training...thats bassically it

wow! Simple. ha ha. Thanks very much. You didn't say how common or rare it is among singers.

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Vocal range is not the only thing that determines vocal type - and vocal type is not really relevant in anything but classical music. Having a wide or a limited range will have some bearing on where you sit fach-wise but there are so many other variables such as tessitura, timbre, vocal weight, agility, etc. that all play into this. Don't worry so much about range as much as attaining great technique with the range you have.

The Youtube "Find your range/vocal type" videos are faulty and are based on very general parameters. Not everyone falls into these parameters because everyone's instrument is different. Some people cross multiple range categories, for example between "typical" baritone and tenor range, or contralto and mezzo-soprano range. For example, if a man can sing a B4, but is more comfortable in the C4-G4 area, the fact that he has access to this high note does not necessarily mean he can sing tenor or countertenor repertoire with aplomb. Don't be preoccupied with the notion that it's "Special" or "Super ultra rare" to have a 4 octave 1 note and a semitone range or something like that, in the end it matters what you do with your instrument the most. Be a smart vocalist.

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Vocal range is not the only thing that determines vocal type - and vocal type is not really relevant in anything but classical music. Having a wide or a limited range will have some bearing on where you sit fach-wise but there are so many other variables such as tessitura, timbre, vocal weight, agility, etc. that all play into this. Don't worry so much about range as much as attaining great technique with the range you have.

The Youtube "Find your range/vocal type" videos are faulty and are based on very general parameters. Not everyone falls into these parameters because everyone's instrument is different. Some people cross multiple range categories, for example between "typical" baritone and tenor range, or contralto and mezzo-soprano range. For example, if a man can sing a B4, but is more comfortable in the C4-G4 area, the fact that he has access to this high note does not necessarily mean he can sing tenor or countertenor repertoire with aplomb. Don't be preoccupied with the notion that it's "Special" or "Super ultra rare" to have a 4 octave 1 note and a semitone range or something like that, in the end it matters what you do with your instrument the most. Be a smart vocalist.

Thanks. :) I don't understand the jargon but got the gist of what you said.

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Vocal range is not the only thing that determines vocal type - and vocal type is not really relevant in anything but classical music. Having a wide or a limited range will have some bearing on where you sit fach-wise but there are so many other variables such as tessitura, timbre, vocal weight, agility, etc. that all play into this. Don't worry so much about range as much as attaining great technique with the range you have.

The Youtube "Find your range/vocal type" videos are faulty and are based on very general parameters. Not everyone falls into these parameters because everyone's instrument is different. Some people cross multiple range categories, for example between "typical" baritone and tenor range, or contralto and mezzo-soprano range. For example, if a man can sing a B4, but is more comfortable in the C4-G4 area, the fact that he has access to this high note does not necessarily mean he can sing tenor or countertenor repertoire with aplomb. Don't be preoccupied with the notion that it's "Special" or "Super ultra rare" to have a 4 octave 1 note and a semitone range or something like that, in the end it matters what you do with your instrument the most. Be a smart vocalist.

And wow!!!! You sound amazing on those soundcloud clips!!

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You don't have to name pitches to be successful in music. BB King could play guitar and sing and could NOT read sheet music. Sure, those things help but quit worrying about that and work singing on pitch. If you get used to singing with instruments in standard tuning, it will come along naturally,

 

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You don't have to name pitches to be successful in music. BB King could play guitar and sing and could NOT read sheet music. Sure, those things help but quit worrying about that and work singing on pitch. If you get used to singing with instruments in standard tuning, it will come along naturally,

 

Brother Ron, they say B.B. could not play and sing at the same time.

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  • 1 month later...

Yeah but actually, I have also read that tenors can go down to E2 and still be a tenor. And in your singing, I don't hear "baritone" sounds regardless of the range of notes in the song. To me, the voice class is more than range, it is also the sound quality of the notes.

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In terms of classification it is not the pitches, it is the "sound quality" that matters. In classical singing there is "standardized technique" and within this standardized technique you will have a certain sound color in you voice. That sound color determines your voice type.

It is very similar to the difference between a cello, a viola and a violin. If you build them in the correct way they can all play the same range of pitches, but their sound color will be different. Composers choose certain parts to be played by violin or cello because they want a certain sound color. It is the same for voices in classical compositions. However, bigger instruments (voices) sound "richer" in the lower pitches while smaller instruments sound "richer" in the higher pitches, so there IS a tendency to let the bigger instruments (voices) play (sing) the lower pitched parts and to let the smaller instruments play the higher pitched parts.

A bass is able to make his instrument smaller by lifting the larynx (shortening the instrument) and narrowing the vocal tract (narrowing the instrument). This will make him able to sing like a tenor. However, it will also change his sound color and it will not match the "classical standards" anymore, his sound will be overly bright and piercing for classical singing, it will still be good for rock singing though.

For a tenor its the same, just the other way round. He will lower the larynx and widen the vocal tract to sing like a bass, but he will sound overly dark and woofy for classical singing.

 

This is a cool video that illustrates that (i think that guy is even on this forum). He is a classical bass and can perfectly sing all the way up to F5. However, notice how his sound color changes in the area around G4. THIS is what makes him a bass and not a tenor. And this is the reason why he won't be allowed to sing tenor stuff in classical singing, because he is not matching the expected sound color.

When there are no expectations on sound color (as in contemporary singing) voice types don't matter at all. However, if you want to EXACTLY match the sound of your favorite singer it is definitely an advantage if your instrument is shaped similar to his.

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it's interesting how he handled his going from his G4 to A4 and his Bb to his C5

It is a little problematic at that point because of the vowels. It would actually have been a better idea to not sing the note names but just stay on the same vowel. He has the EE vowel on G4, then A on A4 and then EE again. This causes changes of quality that are just vowel related. But in general I would guess that from G4 to A4 he is thinning the folds and around Bb4 that is the transition from modal into non-modal voice.

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Yes Benny, and at each juncture, he would repeat a vowel.  Did you catch that?

Yes, it looks like he is using some computer program to get the pitches. Maybe it is one that has one full octave and there is something like a transpose button which shifts it up and down, just guessing though.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm confused about this too... I have no idea what I am, I can sing high notes and kind of Iow too for girI

Don't take this the wrong way but who cares? Are you singing opera? Then your opera coach will help you.

If you are singing popular music, then it really, really, really, really doesn't matter.

Step away from the fach. Steer clear of voice types.

Your statement is full of assumptions. For example, I have met a few women who talk lower than I do. So, who, then, is talking like a girl? Though I do have to admit that as a teenager answering the phone, the other person would often assume I was a woman. True story, I answered the phone when I was 13 or 14 and the other person, not knowing me, answered a question of mine with "yes ma'am," a local honorific one uses to respond to a woman, like "yes sir" to a man.

Now, juxtapose that with me being 6" 6" tall and built like the right defensive tackle I used to play in football and looking like Hulk Hogan (according to some.)

Proof that God or the universe of evolution, whichever you believe, has a sense of humor.

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