SGstriker

I'm always reading about "this singer" who has a 4 octave range, and "that singer" who has a 5 octave vocal range, and I was just kinda wondering where the divide is between an average vocal range and an extraordinary one. And also, when people say someone has a 4 octave or a 5 octave range, are they including falsetto, or is that purely their chest voice (pardon me if that was the wrong terminology)?

maowcat

Basically when people say vocal range they don't include falsetto, rob halford for example, his range without falsetto goes from a C2 to a A5, which is almost an entire 4 octaves minus the A#5,B5 and the C6, his falsetto goes up to a G#6, that's how i look at it because people would say he has a 4 and half octave vocal range if they refer to his falsetto, because he's known for his near 4 octave vocal range

by the way 4 octaves is an incredible range, i have 2 with my chest voice... F2 to F4 then an F5 in falsetto, my range is just filled with F's. Listen to this for a great display of beutiful singing and range, as stated below celine dion has an amazing range also, but oh my god is her voice terrible sometimes

NOSPI

Also Celine Dion, as much as people hate her she has an amazing range. And Whitney Houston.

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SGstriker

Damn. I guess I have a lot of work to do. My range is only from G2-Db4.
Im just trying to get an idea of where I stand in terms of the whole thing. I know I'm considered a tenor of some sort.
The crazy thing though is that just a year ago, my range was A2-A4. I dunno if that's good improvement or not, but I've certainly noticed a difference.

maowcat

i'd say your a baritone, tenor is in the C3-C5 range, wikipedia ftw , our vocal range isn't to much different, remember your vocal range can be expanded over time, there is a limit though, my goal is to be able to hit C2-C5 without falsetto, and a C6 in falsetto, i don't think it's possible but who knows, i'm not to much of an expert

SGstriker

I've got a higher than normal range for a baritone then. It says baritones are up to Ab4. I'm at Db4...so far.

My range REALLY expanded in the last 3 months, and I hadn't really practiced my upper range during that time, so I was kinda confused how that happened. Then, I read that your diet can actually affect your voice...and considering I had made a new years resolution to reduce my sugar intake (mainly through soda), it's kinda cool that my voice expanded because of that.

axemanchris

Answered quite clearly here:

http://thebelcantotechnique.now-her...id=17&Itemid=30

Basically, a good range is a little over two octaves. Very few songs are written that require more than this because very few people have more than this. In fact, most songs are within an octave and a half.

To reiterate... falsetto is NOT counted when calculating a person's range.

The odd singer might have three octaves. It doesn't sound like much, but consider what it is, really...

Very few males can sing lower than the bottom E on their guitar, so let's use that as a reference point. Three octaves from there puts you at the first string, 12th fret, which is a major third above tenor C. I have never heard a man sing a convincing E above tenor C in full voice. (remember... not falsetto....) (though Bruce Dickenson hits a pretty convincing D above tenor C in Run to the Hills in full voice)

So, even three octaves is unrealistic for about 99.9% of singers. I'm not convinced that anyone has four good useful octaves. And if they do, it's probably about as common as someone being born with three arms. I would very much describe it as a physical anomaly, and not an achievement of skill.

CT

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axemanchris

Tenor C is C5. Db4 is actually LOWER than A4.

C4 - D4 - E4 - F4 - G4 - A4 - B4 - C5


Neither of those suggest tenor. Did I miss something?

If you actually meant Db5, then your range is really quite extraordinary. Two things... stop using the word "only" and provide proof.

CT

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Could I get some more talent in the monitors, please?

I know it sounds crazy, but try to learn to inhale your voice. www.thebelcantotechnique.com

KrisHQ

When determining the range of a vocalist you dont include falsetto, as said tons of times.
That i knew, though what about the mix register? If you're only including the chest voice, what about those whose skill lies in the mix register?

axemanchris

There is no "mix" register. And that's the problem with the whole chest voice / head voice thing. You can never have just chest voice and you can never have just head voice. There will always be a "mix" of the two resonances.

CT

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Could I get some more talent in the monitors, please?

I know it sounds crazy, but try to learn to inhale your voice. www.thebelcantotechnique.com

SGstriker

Maybe I'm confusing the numbers lol. I only had 3 hours of sleep in 25 hours when I made this thread yesterday.
Started a new job and I'm working the late shift. ><

Anyways, thanks for the clarification everyone.

Wagnerlover777

Okay, I declare a state of idiocy, thank you. I've been singing for close on to twenty years, and all of these people saying "falsetto isn't part of your range", is just full of crap.

Really.

Falsetto is a usable part of your voice. However, when concerning most singing, men don't really use it that much except when they want to accentuate a higher line. Come to that, neither do women.

In pop music, there seems to be some extreme confusion between "head voice" and "falsetto". To clarify: FALSETTO IS IN YOUR HEAD VOICE.

Falsetto is simply breathy and disconnected from the rest of your voice, and/or is light and weak. Mariah Carey uses falsetto, but is capable of producing a much stronger head voice.

There are about four usable ranges in the human voice: chest voice, mixed voice, head voice, and whistle voice. All four can be connected, and all four can be accessed by anyone, to HIGHLY varying degrees of success. People who master accessing all four will no doubt have a huge range, as well as a relaxed voice, seeing as that's the only way to achieve mixed voice.

Chest voice is at the bottom of the voice. It can go pretty low for men, sometimes to the bottom of the piano or even lower. Women usually end at the bottom end of the 3rd octave, but some can go into the 2nd. To clarify: most men also bottom out at the mid-lower end of the 2nd.

Mixed voice is an even blend between head and chest voices, and can be either head-dominant (e.g. operatic women and countertenors), or chest-dominant (most men and popular women). High, chest-dominant mixed voice is the alternative to high chest belting, and tends to work better in the long run, as it doesn't cause nearly as much fatigue on the voice, not to mention that it goes quite a ways higher.

Head voice is using about 1/4 of the vocal cords, and produces a lighter, higher tone. However, singer like Beyonce and Whitney Houston almost exclusively used or use a very powerful and full head voice, so it can be quite versatile in tone production. Most men use the weaker variant called 'falsetto', but CAN produce a rich, full head voice.

Whistle voice uses the very tips of the cords, and is the lightest register. Used mostly by coloratura sopranos, it can nevertheless be quite extensive in both tone and range, and sits highest in the voice. Capable singers can mix with the head voice, achieving an even voice from bottom to top.

To answer the question: 3 and a half to 4 octaves. Most singers considered "rangy" are at that level or higher. Christina Aguilera (in 2000): 4 octaves. Beyonce: 3 1/2. F. Mercury: 4. Mariah Carey: 5.

Really, people like Mariah are rare. Ridiculously so. However, if one masters access without any strain and good tone to all of these registers, most people will be able to produce, with considerable practise, about 3.5 octaves, and maybe more.