Vocal weight: Encyclopedia - Vocal weight

Vocal weight

Vocal weight refers to a voice's ability to handle changes in vocal dynamic. Weight is often determined by the thickness of the vocal cords. All voices can sing loudly or softly to some degree, but different voices handle changes in dynamic differently. A voice can be said to have a dramatic or lyric quality.

Vocal weight - General

There are three basic voice types that are common to all genders and singing ranges: Lyric, Spinto, and Dramatic.

• Lyric - This voice is smooth and mellow. When a Lyric voice becomes loud, it can sound strenuous or very pushed. As a result, it does not like to sing loudly frequently. Agility and crisp diction are its strong points. In opera, characters with lyric voices are generally more vulnerable. Examples of singers with a Lyric voice include Kathleen Battle, Dawn Upshaw, Amel Larrieux, Amerie Rogers and Ashanti Douglas.

• Spinto - This voice has a more robust and full sound compared to a lyric voice. It can be pushed (hence its Italian name) to dramatic climaxes, but also has a very lyric quality. It handles vocal dynamic changes very well. Examples of singers with a Spinto voice include Kelly Clarkson, Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera and Brittany Hargest of Jump5.

• Dramatic - This voice can sing over the orchestra, the choir, and any other accompaniments. As the vocal chords are thicker, agility is usually compromised. Singers who are classified as having dramatic voices have very strong, vigorous and puissant singing voices. In opera, characters with dramatic voices are usually strong, heroic, and frequently tragic. When referring to popular singers, dramatic singing voices are loud, strong and full of emotion. Singers known to have a Dramatic voice include Kiri Te Kanawa, Patti Labelle, and Anastacia.

• Full - Although not direct related to vocal weight, a full voice is a voice rangy enough to be capable of executing two or more vocal ranges with equal ease. A full soprano (e.g. Wagnerian soprano) has significant abilities below Middle C (but can execute Soprano C, effortlessly again and again). Full voices tend to be lyric in quality (but can very well be dramatic), as vocal thickness tends to hinder agility. Examples include Birgit Nilsson and Jessye Norman

Vocal weight - Female voices

The following subcategories apply to women:

• Soubrette - This is a very lightweight soprano voice, that is best in its middle voice. It does not handle changes in vocal dynamic very well. Its range is limited to about one and one-half octaves to two octaves. Examples include Ciara, Britney Spears, Kathleen Battle and Ileana Cotrubaş.

• Splint - This is a very rare lyric coloratura soprano, whose voice starts at the D or E above middle C and extends to the High F (or above). This voice has virtually NO low tones. This voice is RARE indeed.

• Piccolo - A rare (and usually lyric) coloratura that can execute vocals in the seventh octave, where notes lose any real human color. The sometimes strident whistle register notes at that altitude can be said to mimic a piccolo, hence its name. Examples include Minnie Riperton.

• Full Dramatic Coloratura - This rare soprano voice can comfortably cover the vocal notes ranging from contralto to coloratura soprano. It is also powerful enough to sound dramatic, but unlike many other voice types, agility is not compromised and so, it can execute vocal acrobatics and melismas. It can span at least three octaves and can access at least the High F, though most with this trait exhibit piccolo charteristics as well. A Full Dramatic Coloratura, therefore, is EXTREMELY rare. In classical music, it can sing over the orchestra with ease and agility. Examples include Yma Sumac and Mariah Carey.

Vocal weight - Male voices

The following subcategories apply to men:

• Leggero - The male equivalent of a splint, this tenor voice is very light, but has a nice trumpetty quality and is capable of high altitude.

• Heldentenor - A rich, dramatic voice capable of singing to the low G or A below Middle C and execute the Tenor C (or B one step below) effortlessly. This voice is not common. Lauritz Melchior and Jon Vickers were legendary operatic heldentenors. Examples in popular singing include Usher and David Bisbal.

• Profondo - A rich and deep, extremely dark dramatic male voice capable of executing notes at or lower than C2, C two octaves below Middle C. Examples of such singers are Tony Jay, Barry White and Isaac Hayes.

• Altino - An extremely rare male voice, essentially has the same tessitura as the contralto and can easily execute many notes above middle C in chest voice. Voice tone usually has an androgynous quality. An example in pop music is Adam Lopez.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Vocal weight", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki