Just out of interest, which voice do you sing? I used to sing alto as a teenager - possibly because no one else could - but now I'm having lessons, it turns out I'm a soprano (though too old to be sweet and cute now!!!)

If you had a choice in the matter, would you prefer to sing something else, and why? I now wish I could sing the lower notes, but now they seem to have gone

I've voted Bass, but I have a larger range than that. I just prefer Bass when I have the choice

Well... *takes a deep breath*... I think I'm a mezzo, but both the singing teachers I've had so far have insisted I'm a soprano, without really explaining why. The thing is, I can only reach the higher ranges (B, C) of my voice after what seems like years of warm-up, and even then they're unreliable... so am I really a natural soprano? Just to complicate things, all the professional singing teachers' websites insist that you can't really tell what someone's voice is anyway, until they're at least 20 and have had years of training. But I believe I could be a mezzo, because my voice has a slightly warmer and darker tone to it than most of the sopranos I've heard... plus I really want to be one, I just like the sound better, and in opera you often get more interesting roles (like the heroine's feisty best friend instead of the sickly sweet heroine herself).

It's a bit worrying actually... I've heard tales from my mum's choir-singing friends, about singing teachers who try to force natural altos into a soprano mould because they feel that's what they "should" be. I'm kind of glad that I'm teaching myself the next grade, because I won't have to deal with yet another teacher who thinks s/he's right about this. No more hassle yay

xxx

QUOTE (singingsiren @ Aug 19 2004, 07:07 PM)

I'm kind of glad that I'm teaching myself the next grade, because I won't have to deal with yet another teacher who thinks s/he's right about this. No more hassle yay xxx

And if you're wrong, you may destroy your voice - do you want to risk it?

soprano,i can get to the top C sharp, going on for D now.Very high, lol

i'm a saprano and love to be as there are more stuff for me to sing...but i used to be a mezzo when i was young.... after all years of practice...i can now get to top C...in extremes...E

QUOTE (DavidMusic @ Aug 19 2004, 08:10 PM)

QUOTE (singingsiren @ Aug 19 2004, 07:07 PM) I'm kind of glad that I'm teaching myself the next grade, because I won't have to deal with yet another teacher who thinks s/he's right about this. No more hassle yay xxx And if you're wrong, you may destroy your voice - do you want to risk it?

That's rather dramatic language, DavidMusic... Even supposing I'm wrong, and I am actually a soprano, how would singing in a slightly lower range destroy my voice?

I'm a mezzo and I can warmup to a high C. (on good days) Even though I can sing fairly high, I'm still a mezzo. I think there's more to it than range. For instance, my voice teacher is a soprano but she can sing really really low as well.

Same story as several others, I guess - singing second at junior school because I could read music, being persuaded at senior school that "alto" was just a posh word for "second" or "can read music", finding out the hard way that alto really meant singing lower, and by the time I went to University discovering that there was a gap in the market for second sopranos, which meant I had to sing up a bit. Then discovering much later in life that there was a whole other register to my voice (which I hadn't found until I had singing lessons) and that I'm actually a real soprano (although not a cute one) with a reasonably wide range (3 and a half octaves fully warmed up!). I have on occasion sung everything from second tenor upwards when there's been a gap in a choir (why won't men sing tenor? why won't men sing in choirs at all??) but I wouldn't do it now - my teacher would go spare!

Cheers

Katyjay

Nice to see I'm the only bass - why isn't "treble" on the list? I'm sure we have some younger male users on the forum

Amazing isn't it, why people would rather sing one thing when they would rather, or be seen, to sing something else.

We have a female tenor in one of our choirs - a surprise to see her the first time, but I know that she is very good!

QUOTE (Emma C @ Aug 21 2004, 11:36 AM)

We have a female tenor in one of our choirs - a surprise to see her the first time, but I know that she is very good!

i have one as well... she's amazing..

There's a female tenor in choir, she's great . She's been a tenor all her life, one of the best in the choir, but just don't mention singing lessons... her first (and last) lesson was a bit of a disaster as the teacher didn't believe she was a tenor! He'd never heard of a woman singing tenor, so he tried to make her sing soprano instead, which kind of didn't work. It's such a shame when one solitary rubbish teacher can put someone off lessons for life. I think the lesson from this is, be sceptical when people try to classify your voice without even hearing it.

I wish the moderator wouldn't delay all DavidMusic's messages, it's annoying . We want to hear what he's got to say...

xx

i think it's worse in the student forum...it takes ages.... anyway, one of the girls in the choir has to force to sing the saprano and she preferes to sing a lower part.... poor...

QUOTE (liebe_klavier @ Aug 22 2004, 04:38 PM)

i think it's worse in the student forum...it takes ages....

It's exactly the same procedure, and it takes exactly the same time

Katyjay, three and a half octaves is quite amazing!!!

What is your note range, and what do you feel most comfortable singing?

This always annoys me when people ask me what voice I am as nobody has ever properly told me. The most I've had is "Ummm, errrr, you're probably somewhere like a tenor or a baritone or something like that" but I haven't a clue!

I've been assuming I'm a tenor as I naturally sing an octave lower should someone play a note on the piano (tenor clef) but I can sing quite high on good days with my falsetto voice - or rather, what I assume to be my falsetto voice.

My teacher - John Clarke, should any of you know him - is a musical theatre teacher who gives me 15 minutes a week during term time and I don't get so much of the classical terminology. Hmmm...

Anyways, the briefest of explainations would be appreciated Thank you

a very bad alto!!!!

QUOTE (clarinetlover @ Aug 27 2004, 09:09 PM)

a very bad alto!!!!

what do u mean by "bad"?

My voice is untrained... although when I sing in my U choir, I sing the Tenor part... but that does make my voice uncomfortable!! I have been singing in the Alto part as well, when there were not enough Altos... and my voice feel much more comfortable in doing that... but I think that's mainly I am not professionally trained to sing. - That makes me think I am (sort of) counter-tenor.

However, I range stretches from 1st Bass to probably 2nd or mezzo Soprano... and interestingly Tenor is my worse part - I being a male! x_x! It seems I am quite adapted to sing in falsseto... My choir instructor/conductor always say that the way I sing is wrong, although I did not learn how to sing from him... And he even said the way I _speak_ is WRONG! That made me hate sing Tenor very much

it doesn't reeli matter...everyone has a different singing method that suits them....i don't think there's anything wrong with u.... i think the most important thing is don't get ur voice stuck in yer throat...

bad meaning i cant sing!lol

QUOTE

bad meaning i cant sing!lol

I thought you meant me...I was like

omg sorry no i meant myself lol oops!!!

Im an alto! Alto world domination! but my voice is also untrained, as i cant afford singing lessons! i used to sing soprano but i cant really sing much above a top f! im quite comfortable with the tenor range to!

my voice is trained...my teacher is tooooo straight.... and i sometimes get scared....

I'm a 2'd saprano. I used to have a lot of range, but about a month ago I got REALLY sick, and lost my voice, so now I still slowly trying to get it back (without straining it). So when I had my piano exams and had to do the singing part of it I had to ask my examiner to play something a bit lower!

When I'm in vocal class I am the loudest saprano (for normal vocal class the teacher doesn't split it up), because most people are really quite. For warmups we do 'Give My Regards to Broadway', and its supposed to be really over done... well sometimes I sing a little too loud (so it seems...). So in vocal I do a lot of solos and things like that.

But in GSC (Girls Select Choir) I am NEVER picked to do solos, I always have to volenter(sp?). Last year (in 6th grade, when I first joined), I like, couldn't sight-read vocal music AT ALL. Becase in 5th grade we didn't really do much of the sort. But the teacher still placed me in the second row. Now I'm in the thrid row, and I am trying to get my teacher to undersand that I CAN read it (I take the music home and play it on the piano). But she seems to take favour to the 8th graders... ::sigh::. There are only two 7th graders in the first row, and I PERSONALLY think they sing quite softy.

Last year in GCS we had this AMANZING alto, she had quite a loud voice, but she was like, wow. Her sister was also in choir as a 1 saprano. Both of them are dead amanzing, but her sister made the alto section so loud, and we sounded great! But she went off to highschool. Her sister doubles as a 2 and a 1 saprano, but most of the time she sings first. She is also fairly loud, but her sound is magical.

Now I would say something about the 6th grader that was placed in the first row (for one day), but it might insult you and your voice type (its about her 'accent', she has a really high, immature-like,sweet, soft voice. And thats okay.), and I was just going to make a comment on her and what the teacher did. But I don't want to insult any of you!

-Myst

This saturday I have a auddtion at this music school! Its to see if someone will train my voice and if so if I'm an beginner, intermediate or advanced. They will also take me through the exams, so I am REALLY looking foward to that. (I haven't done any of the vocal exams yet, and this year I did my first piano exam. Grade 2.) I've got a Cliene Dion song stuck in my head... In the never ending circle. I've been sheltered inbetween. I can climb over a rainbow... to a place I haven't been...

oh good...i'm going to take my singing dipABRSM next year...

I used to think that I was a soprano but I've been singing alto in choir and using a book of voice exercises for alto.

i'm a soprano and i absolutely love it!! my lower range is a bit ermm.... rubbish!! which can be a bit of a problem at times because i absolutely love "as long as he needs me" from oliver but i cant sing it bacause its too low and the transposition just doesnt sound right!! grrrrrr!!

what do you mean when you say your range is rubbish? no one is...i am rubbish...

QUOTE (liebe_klavier @ Oct 14 2004, 08:10 PM)

what do you mean when you say your range is rubbish? no one is...i am rubbish...

you're not rubbish!!

Liebe_klavier, you're not rubbish. I mean if you're rubbish, what are the rest of us supposed to feel like?!?

QUOTE (katyjay @ Aug 21 2004, 11:15 AM)

why won't men sing tenor?

Because nowadays they are so well fed as children that they grow up to be baritones or even basses

QUOTE

why won't men sing in choirs at all??

Because they spend all day being bossed around at work, so when they come home they want to be boss themselves

QUOTE (Rainbow @ Oct 16 2004, 02:40 PM)

Liebe_klavier, you're not rubbish. I mean if you're rubbish, what are the rest of us supposed to feel like?!?

i bet you guys are way better than me...

I AM A FREAK OF NATURE !!! YEA GO ME!!! i am ummmm a cross between an alto and 2nd soprano some days and then i'm a female who sounds like a male some days it's crazy!! my voice is like breaking and jumping round everywhere it's sooo weird its funni though every time we hav chorale rehearsal im expected to hav an interesting voice to answer to our teacher when she checks the roll everyone cracks up when it's a low day and i go hhhhhheellllllllllllllooooooooooooooo like a guy on steriods!! my singing teacher things im going to end up as a mezzo soprano but i dunno.................

maybe you'll wind up being a female tenor... they do exist y'know...

QUOTE

QUOTE (Rainbow @ Oct 16 2004, 02:40 PM) Liebe_klavier, you're not rubbish. I mean if you're rubbish, what are the rest of us supposed to feel like?!?   i bet you guys are way better than me...

Liebe_klavier, I'm not! On my viola which is my best instrument, I'm only about g4 standard and on piano I began working on g2 pieces today.

I'm a soprano too (although I would like to extend my range lower if possible - lots of lovely songs for mezzos). I think my kids would say that I'm NOT cute though, particularly if I'm nagging them to tidy their bedrooms!

Why is the moderator delaying DavidMusic's messages?



Amber
x

Dont you just hate people who say they are rubbish, and then in their signature it says they are doing diplomas. I just got the solo for "O Holy Night" in my schools senoir choir, but im an alto really! Could be fun!

QUOTE (Katet @ Nov 12 2004, 06:22 PM)

Dont you just hate people who say they are rubbish, and then in their signature it says they are doing diplomas. I just got the solo for "O Holy Night" in my schools senoir choir, but im an alto really! Could be fun!

wow.... are you implying that it's me..... grades don't mean anything...

QUOTE (liebe_klavier @ Nov 13 2004, 03:29 PM)

grades don't mean anything...

Isn't that just a bit unfair on those who work really hard and feel that they have relaly achieved something when they pass?

i agree that grades aren't the be-all and end-all but it's not fair to say that they don't mean anything - yes, it depends on the person, some people sail through them and others don't but there certainly IS considerable difference between a grade 1 musician and a grade 8 musician...

if grades didn't mean anything, i wouldn't have taken 15 of them already. and i'm planning on doing 2 next year as well.

QUOTE

grades don't mean anything...

of course grades mean something !

Maggie

fine...i'll give up on the subject....afteralll i think the paper of v=certificate does mean something....but i think the most valuable thing that stay with you all your life is the hard work....

I think that is unfair to people who work hard and feel they have achieved something when they pass!
Grades do mean something. They comfirm on paper all the hard work you have done! I don't think that someone who has got lots of grades, can then say that grades dont matter! Its even worse on the people who havent!

fine..fine..i'll give up on this topic.... i surrender....

I agree that exams can be both good and bad....In a way taking an exam is a way of validating progress, always nice to you know you are getting somewhere when you are learning music, and it is not always easy to know when you are out of education (as an adult for example, I have no references to tell me how good or not so good I am and whether I am actually improving!)....however for some people just playing or singing is all that matters then that's OK too. Also, just doing exams can be a bit tunnel vision, so that's where the danger is: I think it's good to do exams but also work on stuff for your own pleasure even if it is too hard or ridiculously easy for you at that time. I say this as an adult singer who is sitting the Diploma next month just to see if I am any better than 15 years ago when I took grade 8, but also because it has forced me to really work on pieces to the point where I would feel comfortable singing in public.

As for what voice one is, it seems a lot of people confuse two things: the notes your voice can reach (ambitus), and the notes you can comfortably sing regularly (tessitura). These two factors together - plus for contraltos, the dark colour, determine where you sing. Many mezzos can sing contralto notes but their voices lack the almost manly dark quality real contraltos have. I was always singing alto in the choir and told I was a contralto until I found a teacher who taught me how to really sing, with the result that although I can easily sing all the contralto repertoire (I go down to C) I am actually a low mezzo, and my voice "lives" in the middle part of the scale though it will now reach higher, and does not have that dark dramatic contralto tone. I might add that the more you persist in singing the low stuff, the harder it is to "lift" your voice out of the trough, so to speak - I always have to be careful in pieces that take me into chest voice not to lean on the notes or else I get stuck!

Also within each main type there are sub-types - lyric, dramatic, coloratura....etc. for opera purposes that is :-)

Finally your voice does change over time, which is why for example in opera some roles are alwyas sung by younger or older women (Mimi in La Boheme is a youger woman's role, "soubrette"). That is also why one should never really work one's voice seriously before one has finished growing - i was told 16 or 17 but I suppose diferent people will have different opinions on this. Something to do with the cartilage in your throat rigidifying...

Hope this helps :-)

QUOTE (lafrog @ Nov 16 2004, 07:11 PM)

Also within each main type there are sub-types - lyric, dramatic, coloratura....etc. for opera purposes that is :-)

Anna Russell's record postulated a coloratura bass

She didn't give any examples of operatic roles for one though.