Vocal Type: Spinto Soprano
Vocal Range: 3 Octaves and 2 notes (E3-G6)
Whistle Register: Yes
Vocal Pluses: Clarkson is known for her expansive vocal range, technical skills, emotive delivery as well as having a strong sense of musicality. Her extensive list of cover songs, on not only American Idol but as part of her Stronger tour, display this perfectly; with her being able to take a song and add a personal stamp to it via her vocal delivery [Can't Let Go/ Give Me One Reason/At Last]. She is also able to sing complex melisma and hold notes without any issue.
Clarkson's lower range can be described as breathy and more difficult to control and deliver upon, being slightly less audible to that of the rest of the range [Star Spangled Banner]. However, this part of the range tends to be well supported, displaying a raspy and husky texture.
The mid-range is delivered in an extremely confident and technically sound manner, with her technique, in this area of the range, being far superior to that of the lower range. Yet it still retains an earthy and grounded quality making her voice extremely identifiable [Since U Been Gone]. Due to this mirroring of characteristics in the lower and mid-range, it gives the two parts a fully connected sound.
Clarkson is known more for her superb belting range, for which she possesses a strong and expertly placed range between that of E5 and a soprano C6. This part of her voice contains a powerful slicing tone, which is not only able to easily cut through the heavy instrumentation of her backing band but also that of an orchestra [Hear:My Country, 'Tis of Thee]. Clarkson's upper extremes of the range, as well as the head voice, contains the characteristics of a full lyric soprano. However, the entirety of the voice is of a grounded nature, containing a powerful and incisive upper register, which would place her voice in the spinto category, due to her lack of full dramatic power.
Whilst her head voice is slightly disconnected from that of the rest of the range, this is an area that Clarkson truly blossoms. Some have claimed her head voice and falsetto to be that of the most beautiful in contemporary music- with it being known to be clean and potent as well as fulsome [Ave Maria (live)]. Whilst Clarkson can belt up to a C6 her head voice is known to commence around the A5 region. Again her technical virtuosity has displayed her vocally as both direct and solid [Invincible (live)] but also gentle and breathy [Because Of You], depending on the artistic choices of the material she delivers.
The whistle register is known for having a full and piercing nature [Hear: Natural Woman] or soft and gentle (Honestly - Stronger), although this is an area of the voice known to be underutilized.
Vocal Negatives:Critique has been levelled at her voice sounding slightly hoarse at times- which is probably due to her extensive touring schedules creating vocal fatigue. At times her voice can sound pushed, particularly in the chest range. As previously noted her whistle register is underutilized, although this could possibly be more due to artistic choice than physical ability.
Thanks to Stuey for putting this updated profile together!!
Ah Kelly is without a doubt one of my favourite all time divas! Pure soul, sass, power and grace...cannot wait until her new album drops on 25th Oct! Get a feeling we will see some few vocal stylings too...thanks for having her on your list! Stuey
ReplyDeleteI was listening too a clip of kelly calrkson singe natural woman on http://whistleregister.blogspot.com/search/label/Shanice%20Wilson and she seems to possess a whitsle register impressive
ReplyDeleteA superb vocalist! Right up there with Adele as far as I am concerned. Honestly, check out her cover of Carrie Underwood's "I Know You Won't."
ReplyDeletei think shes better than adele because her voice allows her to be more versatile i mean i think KC has sung a song in at least every genre
ReplyDeleteI know I posted here way before her new album was released but I definately think she has one of the finest voices in our current generation.
ReplyDeleteThats due to her exceptional technical talent and knowledge of her own voice and what its capable of. I also agree with Lucia, her versatility is stunning....she could anything she wanted really....her rendition of Ave Maria for the pope showed me exactly how intelligent this woman is vocally....
Oh and DD what do you think about this supposed G6 Whistle note from 'Honestly' on 'Stronger'? It starts at exactly 13:00.
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/hrTFWH8RSCE
O: I never would have caught that! I thought she wasn't able to whistle anymore honestly since her american idol years.
ReplyDeleteGreat find stuey! Added to her range!
ReplyDeletethere's an Eb3 here
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fBow-kKmuw .
Awesome :)
ReplyDeleteI know, I have been listening to it for a while and started to get more and more giddy with excitment (sad I know lol) as knew it was higher than her last full on whistle, decided it was time to harvest some evidence.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if the fact she decides not to whistle often is down to artistic choice or physical reliability in achieving the notes but she can clearly execute the register with either force and power or soft and gentle as seen above. Either way she is one of my vocal heroines.
How long can Kelly hold a note, i thought she'd be able to hold a note longer then Madonna and Mariah
ReplyDeleteYou should become a member on ATRL. I think you'd like it there. :)
ReplyDelete......LOOOOOOOOOL......What makes you think Madonna can hold a note that long? LOL. Madonnas a performer, not so much a singer.
ReplyDeleteMadonna has proven herself quite a few times to be at least an above average singer. So im pretty sure she can hold a note for awhile.
ReplyDeleteehhh shes not above average - shes just average
ReplyDeleteher voice is somewhat weak and boring and shes not very versatile
Kellys octaves seem a little low. Compared to a few others on here. Shes hit a C6 before. Would that raise her octave number?
ReplyDeleteI was getting at, that she couldnt hold it longer then Kelly. ;)
ReplyDeleteIt would have to be connected and she would have to be able to sing every note before it for it to be considered and addition to her octave range. Otherwise its just a note.
ReplyDeleteIm not sure...Exactly what you mean. :/ But, heres the note.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHh3VVwsOgM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHh3VVwsOgM
ReplyDeleteThis is the same clip, I think the quality is better though, Im not sure.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oePDxDsUAKM
I don't know if that note was part of her range. It didn't seem well supported and was a bit screechy. Let me rephrase my earlier comment. For my octave range to be 3 octaves I would have to have the ability to properly sing every note in all three of the octaves my voice is capable of going into (for me its the second third and fourth). However I can scream into the fifth octave. But that's not part of my range because its just a screech and I can't truly sing it and know that I am capable of doing so when needed for a song. By singing with reverse Phonation (breathing in singing) I can hit a eb6 which is a whistle note. But I have no control over it so its not part of my range. So If My octave range is 3 octaves but I can sing a few notes in the fifth octave then my range is 3 octaves and a few notes. because I cannot sing every note in all four octaves my range is technically not four octaves but three and a few notes. It isn't connected.
ReplyDeleteI also take it back while listening to it a few more times. Its screechy but done on purpose and actually does sound well supported.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think, if you wanted to add it, Kellys longest note is 9-10 seconds. I think. Its on Before Your Love.
ReplyDeleteI think they only put it on if it's longer then 10 seconds, Katy Perry can hold a note for 10 seconds too and it was never shown, I'm dead sure she can hold it for at least 20 if she tried
ReplyDeleteHey guys, I only add the longest note if i remember one andUsually I only remember them if they are exceptionally long. But if you know of a singers longest note then let me know and I'll add it to the profile
ReplyDeleteHey robbie, no it wouldn't because a G6-which i've quoted in the range- is higher than a C6. Hope that helps :D
ReplyDeletestuey i think we will need to have a battle to see who loves KC more haha
ReplyDeleteive been a fan since the beginning
Hehe, I am not sure anyone could love her as much as I do! However if you claim to then I have no choice but to respect you on a massive level, maybe we should just team up and shove our love down everyones throat until they realise her greatness like we do? ;)
ReplyDeleteagreed haha - for me the greatest thing about kellys voice is her ability to adapt to any genre - i mean singers always crossover but none can do it as well as kelly i mean she has enough soul in her voice to sing R&B and bluesy type songs, she has the edge to sing rock, and heck shes even good at singing country (IMO her song cry proves she could absolutely do country). i feel like shes underrated as a vocalist though and people usually use people like beyonce as the standard for a good singer - i wish people realized just how awesome KC is
ReplyDeleteanyways i hope to see u around and whenever KC comes up ill be there to back u up haha
Totally, not only can she sing any genre she can connect with it and deliver it with a conviction that is not only credible but more than enjoyable to listen to (somethings a most singers could only dream of being able to do)
ReplyDeleteCry is by far one of my fav tracks from All I Ever Wanted, complete class in a song that is! I have to say there is not a single song, B-side or remix she has released that I would skip on my mp3 player, they are all fantastic for sure.
Beyonce is a brilliant singer but she does not have the natural raw talent that Kelly does, many will probably disagree with that but its just my personal opinion.
Hehe and likewise, we shall make everyone love her, thats our mission hehe
Kelly <3 my fave singer since I heard Because Of You. The real Diva with amazing voice.
ReplyDeleteHello, this is kelliclarksonismygd (also know as kellyclarksoismygod). You happen to have a couple of my video around your site and as for the discussion bellow, Kelly's longest studio note is a Eb5 in Before Your Love (the very last note) and live is a 11 second C5 in the Indyanapolis National Anthem in 2011.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to review Dark Side, argh (blames my hectic job)
ReplyDeleteooooh free download alert!!! Fair enough its a sporty themed song but that should not deter hardcore fans (such as myself) here is the link my lovelies!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a399958/kelly-clarkson-offers-new-track-get-up-as-free-download-listen.html
The only thing about Kelly that strikes me as odd is her rasp. It adds texture, yet makes the voice seem thin, however her vocals always sound pinpoint and healthy.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite singer and vocalist :)
ReplyDeleteIve heard millions of times that Kelly Clarkson is an alto or a control-alto?
ReplyDeleteShe is a soprano, blatant soprano.
ReplyDeleteIf Kelly is an alto then Annie Lennox is a Basso Profondo LOL. (I don't mean this in an insulting manner towards you or anything, I just find it funny because Kelly has a VERY high singing voice.)
For a soprano, she sure can hit the low notes quite well. Seriously. This woman is incredible.
ReplyDeleteNot really, Kelly's lower register is decent at best.
ReplyDeleteWhen i think of Sopranos with good lower registers I think Lisa Fischer, Mariah Carey, Alison Goldfrapp, and so forth.
Kelly has trouble below G#3, anything below that is inconsistent.
I agree with Serendipity. Many sopranos struggle with notes around their bottoms (Eb3, F3, etc.). Unless they are fuller sopranos or have been trained to access these notes like the women listed, it usually takes some time to master these low notes and get good resonance with them. I think Kelly's lower notes will continue to solidify as her career moves forward. It's decent now, but not as strong as the sopranos in Serendipity's examples.
ReplyDeleteBeing able to sing in the whistle register does not automatically make you a soprano, you can hit that register as a soprano or a contralto, even men have been known for the ability to hit it.
ReplyDeleteAs for her being a mezzo, I disagree as I find her voice far healthier sounding the more it ascends, in reality her lows don't sound anywhere near as comfortable for her to reach. Most of her belts are taken in mixed voice and are placed slightly higher than most singers giving her a very penetrating but full and crystal clear tone in comparison to her breathy and often gritty lows, no doubt in my mind, soprano all over the back.
I dont care if people say shes just a teeny bopper talantless whatever. Her singing aability is SO rare' i challenge you to find someone who can belt a high G. Her range is amazing and that is all.
ReplyDeleteI'd really love for you to update this page. Kelly is in her best vocal era by far and in my opinion is the best voice in pop music or at least the best when it comes to belting. Her technique has improved and generally her belts all sound healthy with a perfect volume to them. The upper belts have been consistently impressive throughout the era as well and the lower range has improved too. She covered many songs on her Stronger tour and with the exception of a view, surpassed the original on every occasion. Check out her grammy performance from last night!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgZLYnyj2Oo
(exception of a few**) lol
ReplyDeleteAdele clearly has the better music and perhaps tone, but vocally I find Adele to be very limited. Most of her songs are flat without range and belting. Kelly Clarkson is IMHO a much better vocalist than Adele.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else second my thoughts of Kelly being (one of the very very few) spinto sopranos? I was having a chat with Sparkster about it...Here is a few reasons I think I am onto this one...
ReplyDelete1. The depth and earthy texture to the voice is unusual for that of a typical soprano, this transcends the entire range.
2. The incisive and slicing tone of her belts and head voice notes (although at times pushed) are extremely potent and indeed cutting in nature.
3. She has the lyric nature to her vocal delivery but not quite the sheer power to classify her as a dramatic, placing her as that of a baby dramatic (often known as spinto's)
4. Having heard her sing more traditional songs such as Ave Mariah for the pope her voice displayed all of these dynamics in a more classical styling....
Do you think we could be onto something here? Full input from the DD crew would also be muchos appreciated :)
I definitely think you might me on to something here. Her voice is earthy, grounded, and more powerful than typical lyric sopranos but not as heavy or penetrating as dramatic sopranos. It has the best of both worlds in a way.
ReplyDeleteyeah maybe she is but i kinda think she is a full lyric
ReplyDeleteShe's faaaaaaaaaaaaar better than Adele. Yes, Adele's great, but she's got an okay range, and as Andrew said, is very limited. Kelly belts, sings in falsetto, whispers and emotes so well. Plus her melismatic control is something I don't think Adele's got.
ReplyDeleteKelly has HONESTLY never uttered a single unpleasant note. Every single syllable she speaks hits the perfectly accurate pitch and she's got amazing breath control; she's never had a problem running out of breath. She's as good with her head voice too. She's got great melisma, and she uses it well. She never overdoes it! One of the best vocalists we've ever seen. Love her!
ReplyDeleteI think her profile could use some revamping.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGZicodLHxs
Her full range is now C3-G6
Positives:
A top echelon belter, with the ability to access any part of the belting range with ease (see her A5 in rehearsal on "Duets"). The belts are powerful, well supported, and capable of reaching Soprano C (C6), with very little to no mixing, though she mixes when appropriate. The belts are most resonant from Eb5-G5.
The head voice can sound light and airy, or rich and thick. Her low notes, though the weakest part of her range, can, like the head voice, be smokey or thick (See the verse of Behind These Hazel Eyes and Let Me Down). These notes have been getting thicker through the years, carrying the previously mentioned smokey tone down to Eb3. Her midrange is full and well supported.
A deep rasp can be executed on all parts of the range, and can be taken out when required (See Let Me Down and Honestly). Able to flip through all her registers without the use of melisma, though she is more than capable of using the technique (See Why Don't You Try). She can use a jaw vibrato when sick (See her performance of Celine Dion's "I Surrender"), and her natural vibrato that wavers pitch is very wide and stunning (See Honestly and Mr. Know it All country version). Her voice can also transcend through multiple genres, including Rock, Country, Pop, Jazz, R&B, Classical, Gospel, and Indie.
Negatives:
Chest notes can sound forced, and in earlier recordings, her upper belts are lodged deep in the throat, and sound very damaged. However a few years of experience, and better technique, have lessened this effect. The whistle register is also under utilized live, and in studio.
Loving this...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOm5h9DRBM0
Tbh Oasis are a bit of a bad habit of mine, I pick them up every now and again and drop them again, I only ever listen to the album that this song came from though, the rest are pretty guff lol
ReplyDeleteWell, to each his own. Seems Kelly likes them, or this song anyway, as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm just more entertained by other songs. And by her interviews. She could drop an album just chatting and I probably buy it lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66vBhqFfFmY&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Oh my, just saw this. I'll try working it into Stuey's updated profile! Thanks :D
ReplyDeleteOut of all of my DD contributions this is by far my proudest moment! I really cannot thank you enough DD for letting me do this profile! You are a true gent! :)
ReplyDeleteI am of course loving the update. But in spite of my agreeing with each and every word...I do suspect it's slightly less objective than some other profiles? ;-D
ReplyDeleteThen again...spent yesterday hours on , for the first time, viewing the first season AI appearance and ..Man, are most of those impressive!
Anyway...thoroughly enjoying and appreciating your job Stuey. Especially adressing such nonsense as her technique not being all that. :-)
Thanks Opie! Your opinion is about the most objective and realist on this site, that is why I appreciate our/your chat. I agree though, being an gigantic fan definitely made me analyse more than I did with the Melody Thornton and Delta Goodrem profiles ;)
ReplyDeleteWow thanks Stuey. Though I fear there are artist I love and some I really dislike about whom I'm not very objective at times. Hard as I try to be.
ReplyDeleteYes, Mariah I would say overuses it a bit. But on the other hand, her songs are probably written with use of the whistle register in mind.
Still, I feel it is, by any singer, 9 out of 10 times chosen not for artistry but to demonstrate the ability. And in Mariah's case I'm sure because her fans really expect and want that demonstration.
Totally agree, to be fair to her though she did develop the technique from an extremely early age and nurtured it, so personally for her it more than likely brings her great satisfaction. I love her capacity for it and some of her whistle tones when used appropriately in such songs as 'Lead the Way' and one of my favs 'Anytime you need a friend' do add a touch of excitement to the listening experience I also feel sometimes less is more.
ReplyDeleteLess,imo, is almost always more.
ReplyDeleteBut good point, it's probably fun to do it if you are able. :-)
Awesome! The more data the better! I have to say though this is one of the best profiles on the site, not bias at all there hehe
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely brilliant analysis! Awesome work dude! :)
ReplyDeleteDo you have any examples of Kelly's melisma? I always thought that wasn't her style?
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more, I only wish there were more of us willing to stand up for team KC. Although there is myself, yourself, Opie, DD and probably closet Kelly fans here who are doing some undercurrent rooting for us! Hopefully when DD gets the chance (I know this site poses endless work for him) he will add some of your pointers in regards to her voice and ability! :)
ReplyDeleteI always knew her voice wasn't Lyric. there was just something a bit darker sounding about her voice even though it has the soprano quality. just wasn't light enough like Mariah's with the quick ease of high notes. I thought she was dramatic but again she would sould too low when she doesn't so Diva got her tessitura right labeling her as a spinto. that could be the only possible explanation
ReplyDeleteHer singing "Jesus, What A Wonderful Child", or any R&B/soul/gospel song really.
ReplyDeleteNormally it isn't, but when she does soul songs, like Young Tan has said, she definitely does utilize it to fit the song. However, it generally isn't really something she implements into her music, mainly considering the fact that her most prominent genre is pop rock.
ReplyDeleteHer belt is ridiculous. "Catch My Breath" is just showing off :)
ReplyDeleteTHE TRUE AMERICAN IDOL
ReplyDeleteno one in any of the following seasons (after kelly won) has there been anyone to match her talent or her success
sure carrie found her way in country but kelly has mainstream pop success and everyone knows of her
i think my december was a great album and even though it was her least successful - it was her most personal and there are some gems on that one
plus i admire her down to earth personality and i love how real she is
Kelly is AMAZING! that unique voice she has, great musicianship she possesses, humble attitude she carries. i mean a great singer and a great role model right?
ReplyDeletebut i have noticed that she is not just slightly hoarse but really HOARSE at times. i wish that she'll take care of her voice more. having more rest between tour dates maybe 2-3 days interval.
She is not a spinto soprano. Her voice isn't that big. She completely lacks the vocal size and color.
ReplyDelete"The depth and earthy texture to the voice is unusual for that of a typical
ReplyDeletesoprano, this transcends the entire range."- That "earthy" texture is raspiness and husk, which is due to the damage done by her literally screaming in the upper register.
"The incisive and slicing tone of her belts and head voice notes (although at times pushed) are extremely potent and indeed cutting in nature."- There's nothing "slicing" about her belt or head voice. She doesn't sing with resonance, she sings with force.
"She has the lyric nature to her vocal delivery but not quite the sheer power to classify her as a dramatic, placing her as that of a baby dramatic (often known as spinto's)"- Spinto voices are able to produce a LOT of volume. The difference between the spinto and dramatic: spintos have richer voices, dramatics more expansive voices. With spintos, the voice itself "pushes" into a larger zone (hence "spinto"), whereas dramatics have cavernous voices.
Kelly has neither. Whenever she sings with volume, the voice gets raspy, distended, brittle. Her voice hits the sweet spot in the upper belting part of her voice, but this is due to anatomy. As a lighter-voiced soprano, the voice should blossom in the upper registers.
The volume output in the middle isn't the same as it is in the upper part of her belt, and that in turn isn't the same as the output in the head voice. A true spinto voice will be able to bring up the volume in the middle to the upper registers. Plus, she doesn't produce that much volume to begin with. She just sings as loud as she can in the higher area of her belting range. And she doesn't have the dark, rich vocal color of a true spinto. She's a smaller-sized voice who sings outside of her limits.
"Having heard her sing more traditional songs such as Ave Maria for the pope her voice displayed all of these dynamics in a more classical styling"- She sang with a very small volume output in front of the pope with a microphone and displayed very little dynamic range. Nothing classical about it whatsoever.
Agreed. Sounds like a light-lyric.
ReplyDeleteShe's one of the best singers I've ever heard. She NEVER hits a wrong note - no matter how high, how low, how long. I don't know HOW she does it. Even Mariah's been off pitch once or twice, I've NEVER heard Kelly go off. And her tone. WOW. <3 <3 She's just... URGH
ReplyDeleteCan someone point out to me where's the whistle note in Honestly?
ReplyDeleteShe is AMAZING. NO ONE can dare say she's talentless. IMO on of the best singers out there. For the high G point, though: Demi can do it. So can the greats (mariah, whitney, Aretha, etc.)
ReplyDeletehigh G = which octave?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO-3x3_bBCs Enjoying this right now. She sounds so carefree here. In a good way though. She creates a great summery feel in this song. This is what country should be.
ReplyDeleteCorrect me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure her belts begin at C5, not E5.
ReplyDeleteE5 and above is where the soprano tessitura begins. Her belts start at B4 if I recall.
ReplyDeleteShe has thicker folds so she can push and do climaxes well, but doesn't really have the volume sans projecting or the steely timbre. A real spinto, when they push the way a light or full lyric does, even in a throaty placement, tremendous volume will come out not so much a guttural emotinal passage (growling). In fact, It is harder for a Spinto to carry that growly sound all the way up chest because their voice tries to get more grand as the put more force behind it. Not to say it is not impossible for them to growl, it is just the same mechanics that allow for a thinner lyric voice to be able to do so.
ReplyDeleteWait...How'd I get to that point? IDK....
Actually, it is EASIER for a spinto to carry that sound all the way up to the chest because their throat musculature, vocal tract and overall anatomy allow for it. Bigger voices can bring up and maintain weight (and true chest tones) up in the middle and higher registers, smaller voices not so much.
ReplyDeleteThat was not what I was referring to at all. I KNOW spintos are rather chesty. When we spitnos push, we gain volume even on the guttural level. I know that spintos sound chesty all they say up through the register. What I'm saying is that in the extremes of the voice, they tend to get extremely loud when they push rather than growly. When I say its harder for them to growl, I don't mean it is like extremely difficult. As I stated, it requires for spintos to use their mechanism differently to growl. Spintos as you stated have thicker folds than a typical lyric. But the thicker folds combined with musculature give stamina and great volume push on top of their natural steely sound. I'll say it again and again.... When a spinto pushes even gutturally the natural thing that happens is extreme volume. When a thinner lyric pushes, the natural thing that happens is a growl because of the thinner folds. Again, I'll state it. It is not quite the same mechanism that allows a thinner lyric to growl that allows a spinto to growl....again I'll state it, it is not impossible for them to growl, it is just more difficult for them to suppress and space out their chords to allow them to growl. Which brings me to my point...it...requires...a...different....mechanism....for.....spintos....to....growl...
ReplyDeleteI mean like really.... When I say "harder" people automatically think about stuff like climbing Mt. Everest....SMH...
You're just talking a lot of nonsense. Growling has to nothing to do with vocal size. It's to do with the simultaneous vibration of the vocal folds and the adduction of supraglottic structures via a strong airflow from displacement of the diaphragm. Any voice of any size can do it if they understand how.
ReplyDeleteAnd spintos are not supposed to push. The voice "pushes" itself. So if you're pushing, chances are you're most likely NOT a spinto.
"When a thinner lyric pushes, the natural thing that happens is a growl because of the thinner folds"- No, the natural thing that happens is that the voice becomes strained. If a lyric voice is pushing and growls, the growl is going to be a very forced, unhealthy sound.
Now you see what I'm talking about... I know that a spinto has a big volume capacity already I was not trying to make a correlation between voice size and one's ability to growl. I was talking about what happens when a spinto places added diaphragmal pressure and goes for a more gutteral placement...The sound shall be loud and uncomfortable if anything, while a singer with thinner folds, shall growl out, not comfortably. I was not stating this stuff above for it be technically approved on any level... It is an observation I made a while back on tenors attempting to growl, when we had a classical ED program (LOL, don't ask why they were trying to growl when we were learining the ropes of good technique). All could growl but each person's ability to do so was not really the same (which you already know and what I think I am poorly adressing).
ReplyDeleteBasically, the room had 50 ish people, some old, some young. Most were classed as Tenors with many being lyrics, and there was a dramatic, spinto, and like ten baritones. Long story short, we would sing songs between classes and the subject of growling came about and everyone showed what they could do. In a nutshell, the two spintos (Exclusing myself because I was treble tat the time), when they went to growl, I mean it sounded guttural but it wasn't heavy...it basically was them singing really loud. One could do it but it just wasn't like the sound you associate with growling, but growling nonetheless. The other, it took him a while. To me, it seemed the lighter lyrics voices could growl with much more ease then the spintos could. I asked the teacher, and she told me thinner folds equate to a slight ease advantage when growling. She said that spintos and dramatics tend to have to work more for the growls but have better stamina with them.She also said that each voice is different and some people can growl successfully high in chest while some others do so successfully lower. She then continued by saying that most of the Spintos she taught, when singing a pop song with some growls, they couldn't take the growls too high in chest, because of varying levels of ease among them.
I mean she dumbed it down for me to understand it because at the time i couldn't hold my own in a convo about vocal pedagogy of any kind. Maybe I should have rectified myself when I say push (That's the term she used for the definition of singing at 100% loudness). I meant to add diaphragmal pressure while resonating in a "key point" rather than pushing gutturally and "resonating gutturaly" as well.
She personally never taught us to growl, but she observed the class as well and said it was a common discussion among everyone. I personally can growl quite good low (below A4) but above that, I lose ease.
"I was talking about what happens when a spinto places added diaphragmal pressure and goes for a more gutteral placement...The sound shall be loud and uncomfortable if anything, while a singer with thinner folds, shall growl out, not comfortably"- And again, you are wrong. If a spinto voice doesn't achieve a growl in timbre, it's because they don't know HOW to. If a smaller voice achieves it, it's because they DO know how to. It has nothing to do with "smaller vocal cords" and growling being the end result of them pushing.
ReplyDeleteOn top of that, that's not what you were talking about at ALL. There is no mention of what I said about the diaphragram and supraglottic structures in your original post.
"Resonating gutturally"- What? ROFL.....
A classical ED program? At your high school?
No, not at my school...It was a program at a college with some people who had degrees on vocal pedagogy... Anyways, I meant to say "attempt to resonate gutturally", you know....like how people resonate in the mask, or chest? People place sound in their throat when singing, however unhealthy it may be. I mean, the way you carry a dialogue on here suggests you know, what I mean already. You come off as an awfully intelligent individual, so feel free to meet me half way in a conversation...
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing about people being able to growl because they do/don't know how, I acknowledge that already. Ultimately, I'm talking about one's ease when growling which I tried to touch basis on it in my previous comment which was why I went into an explanation for it. I only explained what the teacher said in a nutshell because she stated what occurs when someone attempted to retain some level of laryngeal neutrality when someone goes "Full force" while attempting to growl, which is also why I touched bases on the comfort levels of doing such...again sorry for not being clear...though I kinda was...
I didn't go into when she personally advised me to never go "Full force" when growling, though I should have, I just thought that, you as a person, with extreme analytic skills should have figured that, of course. She said some other things revolving the matter as well, mostly jokes, and sidebar talk. Our conversation, went from me just stereotyping the groups based off of what I saw, to her decided observation from her experience instructing.
I know this may make you....IDK...but I kind of got the feeling she wasn't stating this as a fact considering this was a personal observation she made about them when they sung pop songs in class. It was more of a thing she was willing to acknowledge as a vocal trait for the groups as a whole. When our conversation turned to the subject of ease, the stereotype and general observation began to make more sense, which ultimately lead me to my conclusion... Spintos and Dramatics don't have the same level of ease when attempting to growl, even if they know how to do so successfully... IDK, maybe I should have stated that initially, instead of my initial rambling.
People don't resonate "in the chest". Resonance happens ABOVE the vocal cords.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm saying that conclusion is incorrect. (Implying that they have the knowledge to know what they're doing) Larger voices will find such things EASIER because they have more appropriate tools for it and because it will always occur at a higher level of volume than usual. And larger voices are built to handle such things, smaller voices aren't.
What you saw was just a result of larger voices not really knowing what they were doing. That's down to intelligence, not vocal anatomy.
Ok, sooooo.....she was wrong about spintos and dramatics having to access growling in a different way than say a light lyric, as well as, but her claim for the great stamina of both spintos and dramatics in this region holds true which in turn puts me into my little naive little spot.....Well I tell ya...your learn stuff everyday...lol
ReplyDeleteAnd what do you call it when you resonate "straight" upwards, if that makes sense, drawing a slight mix of the voice if not a more dominant one, if it not called chest resonance? Am I using these terms out of context? I was told to call it resonating in the chest, mainly because of the sound alone. Your knowledge commendable so I have more question lol. Will my voice have consistent weight across the board when I get older. My lower register is fine and all, but when I go above my first passagio, up to my higher belts, I can come off as effeminate.
Well I got a question I know you can't answer.... Why can't a buffalo have wings?
"She" was wrong, or YOU were wrong?
ReplyDelete"Chest resonance, resonating in the chest" is a misnomer. You are correct that it IS called that because of the sound and ALSO because of what is felt when the resonance is happening. What is felt is sympathetic vibration FROM the resonance in the chest. But the resonance itself is a phenomena that is created and takes place in the vocal tract.
I've never heard what you sound like singing, nor do I know what vocal issues/troubles you're facing, so all of that depends on you.
And you may also have to think on whether you truly are a "spinto". If your higher belt feminizes, then it could be because you are unable to bring the same volume in the middle to the upper, thus making you NOT a spinto voice or you aren't differentiating between the natural phenomena of the voice gaining treble as it ascends in the scale and the voice changing in quality and coordination.
I only get really feminine above A4 but my belting register drops a bit of weight prior to me reaching that point. Not to say I'm weightless when I belt, it is just a bit of a contrast between my upper chest notes to my medium chesty notes....
ReplyDeleteWhat's exactly the difference between a Spinto Soprano and a Dramatic Soprano? I've checked the Wikipedia but I haven't underestood the difference, could anyone explain it to me?
ReplyDeletei have same question please someone explaine it
ReplyDeletesome spinto has big voice as dramatic
ReplyDeleteQuite simple really. Think of it in terms of their nature. Think Lyric, and what exactly makes a Lyrical voice a Lyric. Then think of what makes a Dramatic fach what it is. Spinto is in the Middle of Lyric in Dramatic. Spinto Sopranos are VERY Lyrical & have tons of Lyrical Attributes which is why they can NOT be Dramatic Sopranos. However, they aren't Lyrics either 'cause while they may have Lyric Qualities such as high Tessitura & being able to easily go to the extremities of their upper range, their Timbres are too dark & they carry much more WEIGHT. Because of that weight & timbre, quite naturally they'd have a richer and BIGGER sound, much more than the average Lyric is capable of. Spintos can sing in Dramatic passages while carrying great volume/weight, something Lyrics (Light) can't do 'cause they're LIGHT Lyrics. So yes, Spintos have Larger voices with a richer/heavier/darker sound. You'll think that's very similar to Dramatic but as I said before, their attributes such as Tessitura and ease throughout their upper range is what would make them inept from a Dramatic Fach.
ReplyDeleteEven though my explanation sucks I hope it helped nonetheless.
Nope. At A4. Listen to her cover of That I would be Good/Use Somebody, arguably one of her best musical interpretations to date.
ReplyDeleteMost def. As Young Tan listed, JWAWC is a great example of her utilizing tons of melismatic formations. Other songs that will show her keen and proficient use of Melisma is her rendition of Trouble With Love Is on the Ryan Seacrest show. Another is her rendition of O Holy Night. And if you really wish to see an underground performance of her exhibiting great Runs, you must listen to her rendition of Open Arms with Clay Aiken back in late 2003 to early 2004. Her voice is actually quite agile, contrary to what some people believe. Kelly uses Melisma when she feels it attributes the Genre/Song she's singing, which shows incredible sense of Musicality and intelligence. If you want to see a more RECENT performance of her doing crazy runs, Listen to her rendition of Justin Timberlake's Cry Me a River. She also shows great & intrinsic use of Improv. Her improvs in that song are excellent.
ReplyDeleteAs for that "slicing" nature that's mentioned, I think you're referring to Squillo. Someone in earlier comments disagreed, which is questionable. Most of Kelly's belts have a lot of Squillo (her Live belts). You can hear it in the multiple G#5s that she sings in her TWLI performance of Ryan or even her cover of No Doubts "Don't Speak." Better than that, listen to her F#5s in Kelly's performances of Since U Been Gone.
ReplyDeleteAlright thanks.... 1 note difference but OK... LOL. Seriously, thanks though.
ReplyDeleteLOL@The person who said "She doesn't sing with Power, she sings with force." Force and power are derivatives so that doesn't make much sense, but okay.
ReplyDeleteUpdate should be done: Her highest note is C7 (Whistle Note) in which she hit in a Rehearsal for her performance of Home by Marc B. While the audio quality isn't the best it's adequate enough to hear the C7 by miles. No, it was not an exclamation either. It was a Sustained C7 with Vibrato. This makes her live range Eb3-C7 which is 2 notes/semi tone short of a 4 Octave Range.
ReplyDeleteIf you could find a video with that C7 that would be great, then it can be added to her range :)
ReplyDeleteHere it is:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_I8MabnHks
Skip to 3:19. That pitch is C7 and it was sustained with Vibrato. In one video, it was labeled as a 6th Octave C Natural but the pitch is no where near as low as a C6.
Here are 2 C6s:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj7LRuusFqo (2:37)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBq9O-JVEO0 (3:49)
Now, here's KELLY hitting a C6:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E59HoAkdpLc (9:59)
Now here are 2 C7s:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjzENV7rhhI (3:09)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgIw1mjLKgQ (3:01)
Now compare Kelly's note in that video to C6's (hear the difference in pitch as Kelly's is higher) then compare it to Ariana/Mariah's C7 that I posted. Also, play it next to a C7 on a Piano. Here: http://www.virtualpiano.net/
The 7th Octave C Natural is the last key to the right.
To summarize everything, Kelly definitely hit a C7, and as you can hear, it was sustained w/ vibrato. This makes Kelly's live range Eb3-C7.
Kelly has that big voice like no other
ReplyDeleteStuey, what about the video that Sasuke Uchiha added above (re: the live whistle note KC hit with vibrato.) I also think that it reached C7. I mean, can you verify and pls add it to her profile, if it is genuinely a C7 note. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWell, I think she is a spinto soprano too. The slicing tone is well explained and shown why in her American Idol contest appearances she slightly held her mic a bit far so as not to be as "slicing" as it can be to the ears of listeners. I mean, I got your point on why she's considered spinto and not lyric. Her voice has always that weight when belting, unlike Mariah's.
ReplyDeleteI just don't get it why someone would hate (if that's what I really grasped in this thread) your opinion on why she's considered spinto. Also, the Ave Maria is I believe a good performance. Well, of course she's not a classical singer that's why someone hated her performance. Then there is even this: "She just sings as loud as she can in the higher area of her belting range". So demeaning. And I could just imagine how a true singer could sing and not ruin the vocal cords by singing as loud as one can get in the upper register. Man, that would really hurt. And yes, I really smell so much hate with the quoted statement above.
Well anyway, if someone insists KC is not spinto but lyric soprano, then fine. But I'll stick with you Stuey; she's a spinto soprano.
I just found this video of Kelly covering Demi's Skyscraper http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in1uHxP7sdY . Even thought I would've loved her to sing that G5, I really liked it because the lows were sung awesomely. Also, that moment at 2:40 was hylarious! xD
ReplyDelete5th.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to tell with her. She's got a mezzo's power in the belting range for sure. I'm not entirely convinced that whistle note is enough to make her a soprano, especially with her comfort in the lower register. She might be an intermediate type--these classifications aren't an exact science, especially in non-classical music.
ReplyDeleteEither way, she has one of the most impressive voices in pop music right now, I think. She wants to do a duet with Amy Lee--I REALLY want it to happen. xD
Kelly Clarkson has a voice too light to be a spinto soprano. She does not even be a full lyric soprano. A spinto has a darker tone and a trademark: the ability to generate large volumes in dramatic passages effortlessly and without losing tonal quality. If Kelly was really a spinto, her voice should have power like Whitney Houston, who in his early years used to be a spinto. Kelly's voice is not even as big as Lara Fabian, which is a full lyric. She is a light lyric soprano. Her voice becomes hoarse and rough because she forces beyond her range.
ReplyDelete...did you copy and paste that? lol Just asking. I'm GENUINELY curious, because that SAME exact thing in the SAME exact words was said on a video demonstrating her range on the Stronger Tour.
ReplyDeleteI would however agree. Lyric is most arguable. Although, I will say that Kelly has generated a great volume in a dramatic-like passage before in a performance on Ryan (with excellent tonality retention I might add). That was about it, though. The sound output in general isn't equivalent to that of Whitney's, but I'll say that the "small" argument is highly questionable seeing as she generates a decent column of sound for a Lyric Soprano in both the mid & upper.
Kelly Clarkson rehearsing
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LQVdg2Ix6Q
Can't wait to hear the live performances of Underneath The Tree, I love her G5 notes in that song :D
ReplyDeleteWhere is her whistle register in stronger?
ReplyDeleteI'm liking this song live way better than on the album.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.today.com/video/today/53668090#53668090
I feel like her technique isn't the greatest. It seems like every time i see her she's taking shallow fast breathes.
ReplyDeleteHer belting, for the most part, was on point during her Christmas special. She, in my opinion, had a superb delivery of each song. I really love how more & more consistent she's becoming. Hit it or Miss is definitely something she's notorious for, but a quality she's quite easily relinquishing as of late. I'm proud of her. There was specifically one performance she did very well in. It was Please Come Home For Christmas (Bells will be Ringing) where she went from a sustained F#5 to a sustained G#5 (limited strain) to a Bb5 on a trill.
ReplyDeleteThe vocals in general were crazy good, I think. You should totally do a review of her NBC Special. And her acting was actually REALLY good. Much better than Carries, which nearly had me in tears of embarrassment and laughter (for the most part) lol They both did well. I'm proud of them both, Kelly especially :)
For once I totally and wholeheartedly agree with you..her vocals in the christmas show were awesome and Please Come Home For Christmas was particularly beautiful. But really, not a bad song in the bunch imo.
ReplyDeleteI AM sorry she didn't sing Blue Christmas though.
Yes, ME TOO! I love the bluesy sound she brings to the song. I remember when I first heard her cover the song during the Break Away/Hazel Eyes tour. It was so beautifully arranged, and the E5 at the end during the run was rewarding as well. I'd have loved to hear Kelly utilize HV because in all honesty, while her Fasetto is beyond beautiful and perhaps one of the best/beautiful sounding falsettos I've ever heard, I love the quality of her HV. Whenever she uses HV, it sounds really nice. Even without it she's nice, so I'm not as bummed out about it.
ReplyDeleteShe went from an F#5, to G#5 to a really quick A5 actually.. she sounded amazing!!
ReplyDelete