Saturday, November 3, 2012

Vocal Range and Profile: P!nk


Range: G2 - A5 - D6 (C7)
Vocal Type: (A Dark) Lyric Mezzo-Soprano (3 Octaves, 4 notes)
Vocal Rating: A
Recommended Listenings: Sober, Blow Me (One Last Kiss), Who Knew, Slut Like You
Positives:
An incredibly unique timbre and rasp exclusive to P!nk. The rasp gives her lower notes a darker quality and her high notes a passionate, raw emotive quality, allowing her voice to convey emotions in all registers. Wide chest register spanning 3 octaves, capable of hitting an A5 live and down to a G2. The belts are powerful, well placed and supported. The head voice can be light and airy, or thick, and is nimble enough to trill (See Sober). 

Able to sing complex melisma, though she does not over use the technique. She can use her falsetto as a talking voice while keeping pitch steady (See Stupid Girls).

Her breath control is unparalleled, being able to support her belts and pitch even when executing acrobatics and heavy dance routines without issue.

Negatives:
The head voice sounds disconnected from the rest of her range, and her deep rasp is not to everyone's taste.

A2-D6

D6:

Her G2:

One of her now many A5 belts

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Vocal Range and Profile: Rihanna


Range: B2 - G5 - E6 (G7)
Longest Note: 11 seconds
Vocal Type: Light Lyric Soprano / Mezzo - Soprano (3 Octaves, 2 notes and a semitone)
Vocal Rating: C-
Recommended Listenings: Stay, Where Have You Been, What Now

 Positives:
Her lower notes are where the voice finds it home, being dark, and velvety (See Love the Way You Lie Part 2 and Take Care). Her chest voice has over the years, has moved from a nasal tone to one that is brighter (but is placed in the throat). Her belts have also improved massively since Music of the Sun (See the last chorus of Diamonds). They are now more resonant and less shrill. Her head voice is full and sharp (See Fool in Love).

 She can now hold notes for extended periods of time without wavering in pitch (See Where Have You Been). Her vibrato has become very well developed and rolling.

 Negatives:
Her voice, especially live, becomes nasal. She also can miss notes pitch-wise, and in earlier recordings be off key. Her live vocal performances are always hit or miss. Her voice has also become incredibly raspy and suggests poor mixing. Overall, her voice has been a constant work in progress, but she has moved miles vocally from 2005 to present.
C#3 - C#6



B2 - Eb5 - E6




Saturday, November 3, 2012

Vocal Range and Profile: Whitney Houston



Range: A2 - G#5 - C#6 (A6)
Longest Note: 16 Seconds
Vocal Type: Spinto-Soprano (3 Octaves, 2 notes)
Vocal Rating: Star
Recommended Listenings: I Will Always Love You, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Star Spangled Banner

Positives:
A defining, trademarked voice. Incredible breath support, showing no signs of fatigue and carrying extensive legato passages with ease. Incredible utilization of dynamics, using all volumes from fortissimo to pianissimo and everything in between to craft incredible phrases. Though she didn't lean heavily on her melismatic prowess, she was more than capable of using the technique and use it carefully, as well as playing with rhythmic figures to create cadences and other musical effects. Great control of her passagio; and incredibly balanced instrument. 

 Powerful, resonant belts that are mixed with head voice, that are well-supported and healthy, projecting massive resonance with ease. A master of breath support, Houston rarely ventured outside of her embodied range (a positive trait). Able to rapid fire mid and upper belts. Her low notes are also well supported, dark and full. The head voice is resonant and piercing, full and fluid. 

Her vibrato is well developed and rolling, and can be executed with ease. Her timbre is velvety and luscious and makes for a perfect midrange. She is also able to sing complex melisma in all registers, with every register well connected. Pitch perfect in 99% of performances.

Negatives:
Her upper chest register notes can only be held for so long, and her voice can become shrill or unpleasant approaching F#5. Occasionally raises her larynx in upper-belts. 
Her A6, which is being counted as an exclamation.

C3 - C#6



A2 - A6




Friday, November 2, 2012

Review: One Direction- Little Things


Let me say, that after a hoard of dance/pop singles I was very surprised to see UK heartthrobs One Direction release a ballad. It's far from a power ballad, as it's just guitar and over lapping vocals the whole run through. The video is shot in black and white and it brings out the points where the song falls flat.
It's too laid back to really draw anyone in but fans of the group. A guitar and vocal only song, combined with a simplistic, black and white video make for a video that fails to bring anything to the table. It's not going to convince any doubters of any vocal prowess, because the group heavily relies on Liam and Zayn's vocals more than anyone else. The Ed Sheeran-Penned lyrics are quite sentimental, loving all the insecurities that a girl might have (AKAWhat Makes You Beautiful Part 2), and the delivery is quite sincere, but the lack of a crescendo or spine-tingling bridge is what makes the song fall generally flat. It's not easy pulling off a guitar and vocal only song, but it's a decent attempt from the relatively new musicians.

Vocals: B
Lyrics: B
Music: C-
Overall: C+


Watch the video here:

Friday, November 2, 2012

Vocal Range and Profile: Ellie Goulding



Range: A2 - F5 - G6
Vocal Type: Light Lyric Soprano (3 Octaves, 5 notes)
Vocal Rating: C
Recommended Listenings: Anything Could Happen, Hanging On, Army
Positives: 
An incredibly unique voice that only Goulding has. The head voice is where the voice finds its best qualities; in that register, the voice is nimble and able to move through complex melismas with ease, while even demonstrating operatic qualities (see Explosions and Intro (Delirium)). The notes can be plucked or connected smoothly, and demonstrate remarkable resonance. Her transitions from Chest to Head Voice and mastered with great accuracy (See Only You).

The low notes are very dark and thick, showing solid support throughout. The midrange belts are full. The voice carries a sweet and wispy timbre throughout all registers, making her voice very trademarked and recognizable.

Negatives:
Her timbre can sound like a child's, which is not to everyone's taste. The voice can be nasal, and she can be seen curling her nose while singing. Belts at higher frequencies are very thin (See the F5 in Salt Skin), coarse and forgo mixing.

A2 - B5


Eb3 - F5 - G6