#see. i used to have like tenor to soprano range. well now i have bass to alto. its a shift. im not super happy about all the loss | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sadlittleratboy · 4 months

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YAPPING! BEGIN!

so music wise i think they’d be very nu-metal. think system of a down, limp bizkit, korn, ect. i also feel like there would be a lot of riffs in their music as well as drum fills (if you can’t tell i was in band so im using fancy words bc god damnit i didn’t do that shit for 5 years for nothing)

ok now lets talk voice types

i think himiko is a mezzo-soprano for no other reason than bc my friend is one (and over the course of our friendship i have heard her sing WAY too much) and it just kinda sounds like her idk

dabi is 100% a bass. like yeah his voice is hella raspy which kinda makes it sound higher pitched (but tbh thats prolly from his vocal cords being burned to shit so i think without that he would have a deeper voice) and idk it’s just like. it makes sense to me ok. (also i always imagined dabi as being that kid who’s voice dropped super early so he just had a baby face with the voice of a grown man)

my husband/mr. compress is a baritone just cus i KNOW this man has a deep buttery smooth voice that makes ppls knees weak (can you tell i love him? ik it’s not that obvious) also at this point im going off of vibes tbh

shiggy feels like a tenor to me. he’s just got a relatively normal voice and probably has good pitch control

spinner is also a tenor for the same reasons

now twice is interesting. i feel like he just has amazing range. like bro can hit rly high notes and rly low notes. like it takes some effort but he can hit em

NOW! for how they got together

i feel like it’s similar to how the league in cannon formed. a bunch of outcasts rejected by society who came together to form a family (they make me want to piss and throw up god i love the lov so much)

now lets talk details for each member

himiko’s story is similar, her running away and stuff. but here it’s because of her mental illnesses and her family having ostracized her. so she was just living on the streets until compress just picked her up like a stray cat and took her home bc his dad instincts were activated

spinner and shiggy are both orphans who grew up in the same orphanage (like pls do you see the childhood friends to lovers vision please hear me out on this) and once they aged out and were dumped on the streets they only had each other to rely on and then they kiss kiss fall in love im going insane please send help

dabi is the black sheep of his family, and he basically disappeared when he turned 18. he pretty much cut contact with his entire family and they think he’s dead. this is bc i have this amazing idea of them having thought he was dead for years and then all the sudden they find out he’s just this fucking rockstar lol

compress is basically the only one who’s relatively normal and well adjusted lol like he had a normal childhood and now he’s just an adult lmao

i feel like twice is an ex-con. like he did a few years for a string of robberies or smth idk i just feel like he’s done time. and as we all know ex-con’s are always screwed over by society.

SO!! how they started out was shiggy and spinner would run a two man show. yk dive bars, random underground concerts, shit like that.

they met dabi bc he was at one of the bars where they played and he just went up to them was like “hey i play guitar wanna hang out some time?” and boom dabi joined the band

similar story with compress. once they started getting a little bigger he approached them and offered to help manage the band bc these are all just a bunch of 20 somethings with no adult supervision

and after compress surprise adopted toga she basically forced herself into the band no matter how much shiggy protested

now i don’t have much thoughts on how twice joined in, so if you can think of any that would be totally tubuler

jesus this is so fucking long and i haven’t even gotten to the hc’s

i think im just gonna leave this as in and maybe i’ll send in my hc’s at a later date idk

anyway yapping over

I love this so much. Personally I feel like Mr. is the one with the insane range, because that man is an entertainer okay he is CLASSICALLY TRAINED IN VOCALS and the only reason the other's take any care of their voices. Shuichi has the heavy metal growls change my mind.

Anyway I feel like Shigaraki stopped caring who joined their band after Compress, because he really does just vibe and let the extroverts do the talking. The one who really protested was Dabi because he didn't want another younger sibling (too bad). Toga definitely brought in Twice. Not sure how they met but you're DEAD RIGHT about him being an ex con.

And listen Spinner and Shigs are in love love no matter how they met (which personally I think was over voice chat in a multiplayer game). They do have childhood friends vibes though, even in canon. It's like they're so perfect it feels like they've known each other their whole lives I'm RABID over them.

#also i kever talk about it but Shigaraki would play support specifically because nobody else fucking will #and you assholes suck at this so i have to CARRY YOU by healing CONSTANTLY #anyway i love all of them so much #they're all awful little degens and they deserve the world

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thefaybul · 10 months

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Music Style - Vocal Range

We are talking about singing. Come on everyone does it, even if it is only in the shower when no one can hear you until Brittany Snow shows up. If you know, then you have heard the terms Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass. Now in a prior video I did discuss Bass, but that was a little different as I talked about what Bass adds to a musical score and not vocally. Check that video out if you like this one though. So what do we mean when we are talking about these terms?

Simply these terms are used to define a voice based on the vocal range that they are able to sing at comfortably. These ranges are used to harmonize and get more of a performance from the singer, but not strain their voice. So let's go down the list and discuss the ranges and give some examples of singers in those ranges.

Sopranos typically have the highest vocal range among female voices. Their range usually extends from middle C (C4) to high C (C6) or even higher. Sopranos often take the melody in choral music and can sing soaring, high notes with clarity and ease. Well known singers who have this range are Julie Andrews, Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato to name a few.

Then we have Altos. Which are the lower female voice type, with a vocal range usually from F3 to E5 or thereabouts. They often provide harmony, singing below the sopranos. Altos can carry the lower parts of a song, providing richness and depth to the overall sound. Gladys Knight, Cher, and Adele are well known singers commonly known in this range.

Now we have Tenors. Among male voices, tenors usually have a higher range. Their range typically spans from about C3 to B4. Tenors often sing the main melody or harmonize above the male basses, adding brightness and energy to a piece. Famous singers in this range are Freddy Mercury, Bono, and Michael Jackson.

Now for the Basses. Basses have the lowest vocal range among male voices. Their range typically goes from E2 to E4. They provide the foundation of harmonies in many pieces, offering depth and resonance to the overall sound of a choir or vocal ensemble. Barry White and Johnny Cash are in this group of singers.

Now that gives you an idea of the vocal ranges. Were you surprised by any of these ranges or who was in the vocal groups? Did you know all the singers mentioned? If you did or did not please comment below what might have surprised you or you did not know about.

Check down below for some links to some fun activities to find your musical range and see which singer you are closest to in range. Comment down below with what you find out, love to see where you all find out. Until next time, continue to Be Your Own Fable.

For Musical Note reference: https://trinket.io/music For finding your Musical Range: https://singingcarrots.com/range-test

#for you #youtube #new #singer #music #songs #female vocals #vocalist

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sugar-petals · 4 years

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Bts voice analysis anon here! I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to respond ❤ it made complete sense why yoongi is the deepest I kinda feel bad for him everytime he wants to sounds cheerful or speak in a way so people can hear him he strains his voice

lot to talk about, i’d like to expand on this. especially what his voice being the deepest means for bts’ songs. plus, where his undiscovered vocal talents are, and in what manner his voice will not strain.

that he’s very introverted contributes to what you say, but yoongi is certainly the odd one out voice-wise, such low baritones hardly sound upbeat. similar to how taehyung being the odd one out in the vocal line whose head voices are literal superpowers. i really respect him for singing with jin and jimin who can climb one octave higher than him, up to C#5! and with jk who has the best technique and breaks into the 6th octave if he goes on like that.

it’s very much like yoongi who probably has to mix their tracks back and forth to fit his parts with hobi (who is a tenor as a rapper! — very uncommon) and namjoon who raps in several modes. very low, very high, very impactfully. he’s the most full-bodied baritone in the group even if he’s only the third-deepest. the tone is just so rich. both hoseok and RM are extreme vocal chameleons on top of that. in speaking and in their music you can hear the difference to yoongi all the time. they don’t suddenly drop in pitch and they’re vocal acrobats.

hobi in particular, this guy can do anything. the sheer agility my god, he connects his registers. he can go up and down, impersonate and do a million effects, adlibs, you know the drill. it’s him who actually owns the “cheerful/loud and clear” brand you mention. which is good if not fantastic for yoongi’s production endeavours, the group mood, and how bts cannot be ignored — but tough for yoongi’s voice and comparison thinking, and when he tries to make a point in interviews. maybe it’s not bad that bts have to slow down sometimes to let yoongi speak, but his tone is drowned out (not intentionally of course) in other occasions and he wakes up hoarse often as we saw. which might sound hot, but it’s not good for him as you say.

to be clear. i wouldn’t chalk down his more monotonous and silent tone as a weakness, it’s just outside of bts’ other vocal variety. he makes up for it with speed and good lungs anyway. we just have to listen more closely to him in talks/episodes/conferences but i think he shouldn’t worry about it either or try to sound more enthusiastic, the fans love his soothing speech for its pure sake. he does change it regardless to be more poignant and blend in. it has pros and cons but it wears him out.

yoongi’s voice is under that strain not just in conversation but also in the studio if he wants to bring connection to the rap line parts instead of having 3 songs in 1. which usually ends up happening anyway. that’s also why the cyphers (!) switch genres mid-song so often: their voices are all strong in different registers! yoongi the lowest, joon midrange, and hoseok up high.

that’s why cypher pt2 is a HUGE stunt and production masterpiece: hoseok’s part is tuned differently, then other instrumentals start with namjoon. and you can literally hear, okay alright a deep voice is coming! from there it just gets deeper and deeper until yoongi is just rapping over a bass guitar (every baritone’s best friend lmao!). god, please give yoongi a big bassline for his every part. “ugh” is the exact opposite: yoongi has to start too high and namjoon also has problems with the key, only hoseok can fully take off after 1:50 with perfect vocal stability. guess which song is autotuned: it’s not cypher pt2! a 3 in 1 song fuels the rapline in a way where they are most comfortable. it’s crazy how far apart they are among each other vocally and it has to be considered.

it’s a dilemma but also why bts’ rap line can tackle any song with at least one member suiting it. they complement each other, every register (except the rare whistle register, aka what mariah/ariana do) is covered. i think that contributed to bts’ fame, it’s so important. however usually, the song caters to hoseok since tenors are preferred in kpop music, or it caters to RM as he’s the central songwriting entity even if mind you, he always thinks about all the members and works closely with yoongi.

but even with joon’s support, it doesn’t work if yoongi is caught in his wish to be a tenor. we’ve seen how much the guy talks about wanting his range to become wider and how he even tried singing quite high for his standards on d-2. he goes as far as collabing only with sopranos to help him achieve that pitch. yoongi is invested to pretty much change his entire vocal type 🙁because the environment simps for high notes so bad (which is fair, falsetto is related to releasing certain happy hormones and highlights parts in songs, but still).

... he actually can’t, unless he wants to damage his throat. that’s the last thing we want. a listener can get the serotonin from a very deep voice equally if they got good taste.

thing is. you cannot morph yourself into a different vocal type and shift your range to the opposite of your comfort zone unless you’re whitney houston. even one in a million tenors like baekhyun can’t make themselves a baritone. his lowest notes are less clear no matter how hard he practices, even if his chest voice is almost operatic and his technique excels. meanwhile, chanyeol (who’s a lyric baritone and exo’s deepest voice) effortlessly hits them without (!!) that kind of decade-long training. have baekhyun or jimin been called bad singers for not being able to cover the other end of the spectrum? nope. so: why would yoongi be a bad vocalist who needs autotune. with lessons, oh man, he could do a lot and many things he dreams of. he has a very unique timbre and enough musical knowledge to do so.

so, we see the magic of your natural supported range. it’s simply given to you. imagine that: if you know you’re not a tenor, you could sort of outsing jungkook — obviously not by technique, but projection— as long as the song is tailored to you and the notes are low enough. yep, jk’s lower register is not extremely forward. each note is perfectly sung because he’s jk, but his power vocals are settled much higher. joon/tae/yoongi would sound much fuller with huge oomph in those lines. that’s where yoongi would be much more clear-sounding to us. a lot of baritone rappers in kpop would be damn good singers.

that’s why it’s good how a lot of rappers produce solos on their own so they can try it out.

you just have to respect that your range usually (not always) goes in one direction. once yoongi rightfully decides to abandon his high note fantasy and goes lower just for fun, we are not safe anymore lmao! exception for range: female singers have an advantage there. trained mezzo-sopranos have great access to the head voice and lower registers since they’re in the perfect middle of the scale. but the guys, forget it, even the baritenors. yoongi’s fullest voice will always be coming from a chesty depth and we love him for it. guy just needs to realize.

that’s why his real challenge is rather somehow tweaking the rap parts so his voice finds good resonance like in “혼술” or even “ddaeng”. where his voice is strong, relaxed, and full and flowing. ddaeng — “boy with luv”, too— is ironically in a very high pitch and again caters to hobi’s tone the most, but: yoongi just scales down to his own octave and it still fits, so — great key choice and musicality! and adaptation. it’s not easy to do. you can tell he plays piano.

he either becomes less easy on the ear or has to autotune himself entirely if he works against his voice. or: goes on a track way outside his supported range (dynamite, WOW). it’s a shame. “daechwita” and “agust d” are such a case: both go into the head voice where your resonance should show the most aka the chorus. there are aggressive belts/snarls/shouts that make more sense for higher, trained voices. yoongi is most famous for raps that are literally designed to fuck up his vocal cords 😷that he’s so skilled as a rapper prevents him from that to a degree, but it’s still not healthy. he adapts a lot to bts’ overall delivery but he doesn’t have to, in fact: he could go in the other direction and it would work even better.

the reason for the title track issue: they are the most energetic. in k-pop, energetic means amping up the pitch. and that’s probably a logical choice and a natural human association. if you make a baritone kpop track with a lot of energy, it probably becomes pretty creepy, uneasy, film noir. but i think that’s exactly yoongi’s thing: to unsettle and critique and rage. i think it could work out. lil nas x is a baritone pulling it off. he achieves energetic title tracks, he honors his vocal type well imo. his live singing is cool af, i need this so hard in the rap landscape. so, it’s not impossible to do.

the trick is probably setting everything to minor key. surprise... yoongi’s challenging title tracks are all in major key. boy with luv: minor key, interesting. the former are extremely difficult for him to do so hats off. “shadow” is more suitable for his baritone as is “burn it”. it needs a very heavy, dark track. which is why it’s good that yoongi has that kind of public image. a baritone’s best genre is not super light and whimsical. that’s why all of our baritone faves are not main vocalists but main rappers. kai, taehyung, jaehyun: low voices in vocal lines are soldiers.

---

now a note on yoongi’s best method of singing since it reflects his voice type and brings out the fullness of it. as in, how does it crack and strain less? guess why “사람” is yoongi’s favorite d-2 song to sing. it’s ALL his comfortable range and the singing — very beautifully done — is in mixed register (= head + chest)! which imo might be his secret weapon. it allows him to do what he longs to do successfuly without going extremely high. bingo.

because: even with baritones, the golden middle is still important. they’re not as deep as a bass, after all. that’s why their voices are so honey-laced in the mixed range and it sounds amazing. heaven, their timbre sounds so seductive. so, it’s wonderful when they find their middle and dare to sing.

i wish yoongi gets/makes more tracks aimed at just that. in “outro tear” he has to go both too low and too high so it takes a lot of production effort to patch it together. the rapline is doing god’s work to make all their voices sound cohesive without being trained singers. it’s always a trade-off and risk, an immense balance act. “paldogangsan” is hard on yoongi’s voice but works as a whole plus it caters to namjoon to carry the song’s message. the cyphers are chopped up and not chart-friendly but each member is in their comfort zone.

PS: i said bts’ rap line covers all registers except one. i think that jin is the one to complete bts’ entire spectrum coming from the vocal line. i’m no whistle note expert but dionysus went pretty high up there, i think he might be able to do it. it’s very impressive, even jungkook and jimin probably don’t have access to that register. so, another point for bts being a very ‘complete’ group.

#anon #ask #cub mail 🐆#vocal analysis #yoongi #suga #bts #baritones #tenors #mixed register #long post

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guqin-and-flute · 4 years

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I've got this very important question, because you are making the best ratings I've ever seen. 10/10 So... Who sings/plays the best lullabies?

[Ahh, thank you! OH!! LOVE THIS IDEA YES this is very important. I’m going to add in what their voices are like because I’m a singer and I want to. This is less from the kids POV and just how I headcanon it, though the kids help with the scoring]

[More Than Just] Uncle Rankings

Jin Zixuan: His family wasn’t...big on lullabies. Or music. Or bedtime routines. Or creating memories together. He got a few songs from various nannies, but it was never anything super consistent that got carried over for him to use in fatherhood. It makes him very...uncomfortable to sing and he can’t quite put his finger on why. Would be a salvageable, mellow tenor if he tried--which he doesn’t. It doesn’t bother the Jin kids at all, they’ve got lots of other musical relatives! Their dad tells the best stories anyway. 0/10 Does Not Compute

Jiang Yanli: She likes to hum idly when cooking or playing with the kids, knows little Teaching Songs for different lessons and animal songs. Sings happily to any of the permutation of children are currently under her roof--niblings and all. She has a vast library of songs that she knows and they’re different from the ones that the nannies or the Lan might sing because she’s from Yunmeng. Sometimes, she gets choked up in the middle of one and has to stop (and maybe not sing it again) because it was one of Wuxian’s childhood favorites. Soft, gentle 1st soprano, not a lot of vibrato. Sings from the heart and is very comfortable with it. 10/10 Songbird Extraordinaire, Makes Up For Unmusical Husband

Jin Guangyao: Will hum or half sing under his breath when he braids his loved ones’ hair, when he’s not really thinking about it. Strangely reticent to sing if people are just looking at him; it feels too honest and vulnerable. If the lamps are dim or if A-Fu is tucked to his chest or the boys have their eyes closed, he will do it. Knows some of the same songs that Yanli does, though many seem to be more melancholic and about longing. One song is the boy’s favorite, because he can fit their names into it--a song about being brave and being smart and becoming all you’re meant to be. A-Fu ponders as he grows older and learns more about music, that the lines don’t quite rhyme like they’re supposed to--almost like there’s a different name that’s supposed to be there. Melodic, clear tenor, refined and controlled. 10/10 A Mother’s Musical Legacy Lovingly Passed On

Lan Xichen: Will use music as a way to soothe, entertain, educate, focus, you name it. Sings, hums, plays the flute and guqin. Set out to learn a few of those Teaching Songs from Yanli once he became a parent, knows quite a few lullabies from his mother, and has a practically perfect memory for songs--if he hears them once or twice, he now knows them forever. Will sing for any of the children when they ask, but is humble as a good Lan is about actually Performing for anyone outside his family. Many an evening ended with a pile of children being carefully divvied out to their guardians from his lap, sides and general vicinity after he patiently sang them to sleep. Warm, husky baritone, genuine and quietly captivating. 10/10 Melatonin In Musical Form

Lan Wangji: Everyone knows about the musical proficiency of the Lan and of the Twin Jades in particular. What everyone might not know is that Lan Wangji will sing his son to bed every night in a soft, low baritone/upper bass. It’s one of the things that begins to set A-Fu at ease with him early on when he starts to stay the night, occasionally, because he can hear the affection in his voice that his face doesn’t quite convey. He will hum as he rocks them if they are upset or scared from a nightmare and frequently plays the guqin as a backdrop to their play times. Both A-Fu and A-Yuan can hum Inquiry long before they know its name. Also has a nearly perfect audio memory. 9/10 Musical Messages On Demand

Lan Qiren: Does not know the same lullabies as his nephews--they came from their mother. Does NOT sing. This makes A-Fu disgruntled, though he accepts gentle, traditional Gusu songs from the guqin in the next room as a substitute to fall asleep to whenever he has to stay over. 3/10 That’s Not What I Asked For But Fine, I Guess

Nie Mingjue: More of a hummer than a singer, a little tone deaf if you ask him to sing with an instrument, but his voice is not bad, just unpracticed. Bass, kind of gravelly. Tends to make up repetitive little runs that are more of a soothing distraction than a song he knows, as he doesn’t have an ear for them. Game to make up nonsense songs when A-Fu was younger and wanted a lullaby about rabbits when he was at the Unclean Realm--as he didn’t actually know a song like that, he made it up on the spot. It was basically just speaking rhythmically with very imaginative words; ‘Rabbit, rabbit, ra-ra-rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, hop hop hop.’ Hey, the kid fell asleep, so it couldn’t have been that bad. 4/10 A Valiant Attempt Was Made

Nie Huaisang: Loves singing! The only drawback is that he wants to sing what he wants and when it’s vetoed, doesn’t really have the patience to argue, just says, ‘Okay! Good night, then!’ Usually likes ballads or tragic love songs that A-Fu and A-Ling are bored stiff by. A-Yuan, on the other hand, listens intently and asks questions about them after, like, ‘Did they ever see each other again?’ And that’s the story of how Huaisang made him cry at bedtime because, no, she stayed a statue for the rest of time and he wept on her every day until her face was worn off from the river of his tears. Oops. Respectable tenor with reasonable vibrato, sounds much like his speaking voice. 5.5/10 Fun and Educational, If You Like That Sort of Thing

Jiang Cheng: Nope. He does not sing. Will not do it. Ever. Could be a strong, driven tenor. But aggressively isn’t. 0/10 You Didn’t Even Try

MianMian: Knows songs from all over, but not many lullabies. Sings story songs sort of like Huaisang but they tend to be more energetic and less melancholy and so are overall received much more enthusiastically. She rarely is around for bedtime, even when she visits, but she can be coaxed into a song or two before the bedtime routine is started with parents/aunts/uncles. Strong mezzo-soprano, energetic and without frills. 7/10 Now That’s A Story I Can Get Into!

Wei Wuxian: Comes in kind of late for the kids wanting lullabies from him, but he knows a few drinking songs he can share and definitely knows a few rude songs that he is happy to sing for them--maybe a little sooner than their parents might appreciate. Is also the type to sing little nonsense songs about things that are happening around them, whether it’s teasing someone or just because he’s bored and wants the world to know he is chopping up potatoes. Is actually pretty skilled at just playing Chenqing like a regular flute as well and has started impromptu child dance parties on more than one occasion. His voice is solid, lower range tenor that likes to belt instead of croon. 8/10 Music Man--76 Chenqings Led The Big Parade

Wen Ning: Like Wei Wuxian, comes in too late for comforting songs and isn’t honestly that much of a singer. Will hum under his breath absentmindedly as he does things with his hands, but they aren’t really songs as much as random bunches of notes and jumps if anyone catches him doing it. The kids don’t really need him to be a good singer--they like him for other things! Like how he can crush rocks with his bare hands or toss them really high in the air! Mid-range tenor, not too confident or supported but not unpleasant. 3/10 It’s Just Not His Thing, And That’s Okay

#uncle rankings #ask #my stuff #3zun raise jingyi au #I feel like I'm missing someone....hmmmm #Anonymous

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xnchxntmxnt · 3 years

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Happy 1 year, L!! So glad to be a part of your fan base >:)

I would like a male matchup from Haikyuu please!

Here’s the dress that I am wearing:

About me:

I’m an outgoing girl who loves to meet new people. I’m a theatrical performer, one of my major passions. I’m a leading lady and my vocal range goes from male tenor to female soprano. I’m also a photographer! I like to think that I’m very very skilled at it. It’s one of my favorite things to do.

I listen to all sorts of “weird” music. From sixties, to death metal, to lo-fi rap, I love most music.

I love to be outside and just in my element. My favorite activity is writing and playing games while it’s dark and raining.

I love to do little crafts with my hands like rainbow loom and cross stitching.

Random fun facts: I LOVE to watch soccer games, I’m a very very emotional person and cry at everything, and finally my go to arcade game is coin dozer.

Thanks for being here and blessing us with your content ❤️❤️

THIS DRESS KDNGJBDRG im in love w it i LOVE the color great choice

𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡... 𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐈 𝐄𝐈𝐓𝐀

his outfit:

good lord this man looks good in purple. also he's wearing slightly smudged eyeliner i cant find any good pics tho so. eyeliner

believe it or not, the dude doesn't dance much

not willingly

he'll take a mosh pit over a dance floor any day so don't expect him to be on the dance floor

no he's on the small stage set up for live music helping me out <3

im part of your night now <33 deal w it /j /j

so basically

he's a musician

idk where i would have met him im just saying i know him somehow

and i love doing live shit and its my ball so i can if i want to

so he's helping me out w the live shit

probably playing bass for me bc i suck at that

and we vibe

but we clean up instruments and stuff for the night so i can go back to internally panicking about if the night is going well

actually so we can enjoy the rest of the party

you come say hi to the cute bassist

Yours truly decides to play matchmaker because semi may think he’s smooth but someone from the outside could see in a heartbeat that he was interested

He thinks ur pretty <33

So when you guys get to talking about music and how long you’ve each been doing your own music stuff, the conversation is fun

Eventually it fades/one of you is dragged away from each other, but here enters my cue

I would take a minute to tease him about the pretty girl he was talking too and the dude is pretending not to be embarrassed but he is

But then would tell him in x amount of time y song that he likes is gonna play and how he should ask you to dance

Catch 22–he doesn’t like dancing

So I make my way over to you

You get the same spiel (turns out you both like that song) and I tell you to ask him to dance

Probably after some “does he actually want to dance with me” “yes dear” bickering you agree because I’m sure you’re better at talking to people than he is

So you’ve managed to drag the introvert into the dance floor, now what?

He hates dancing because he doesn’t know how

And it’s a slow dance and he’s embarrassed because he seems to be the only one who doesn’t know what he’s doing

Well maybe this wasn’t every theater kid but I learned how to waltz bc of theater so we’re just assuming you did too

So it’s a little unconventional (as is everything here), but you lead

He spins you later in the song as he gets more confidence and you see this little smile in the corners of his cheeks that makes you just. Swoon really

Song’s over, he wants to go back to being a wallflower, but he doesn’t want to let you go either

So you two exit out to a balcony that I just decided exists for this scene specifically

He says it’s for fresh air (which it partially is) but you can’t see him blushing when it’s dark out

So the two of you stand against the banister, snacking on the desserts that fit in your hands and talking the rest of the night away

He compliments your dancing, you compliment his eyeliner (and his eyes because they’re so pretty)

I don’t know if this is too far for just having met him that night but for the sake of the princess moment I want to say there was a kiss on the balcony

A light, sweet one

But a kiss nonetheless

And it was wonderful

P.s. he wears flavored lip balm and that night it was vanilla

#also ur so sweet wtf #<333 #anniversary event #//ɪɴʙᴏx

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transgenderteensurvivalguide · 6 years

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I'm ftm (pre everything) and am in choir but I also want to sing and maybe pursue it later but if I go on hormones then I'm afraid I won’t be able to. Advice?

Lee says:

I like singing, how will T affect my voice?

We can’t tell you what will happen to your voice- people tend to be able to sing well (once their voice is done changing!) if they could sing well before, but there are instances of people losing their singing voices.

We’ve anecdotally heard of some people on T being able to keep their high notes, but it’s much more likely that you lose your high notes as your vocal cords thicken.

T will most likely deepen your voice so your range will change, but as long as you continue to practice and don’t overwork your voice into notes you cannot reach anymore your singing voice probably will be okay- different, but okay.

But we can’t guarantee this, and it’s your decision whether testosterone and passing/being comfortable in your body are worth the risks of losing your singing voice for you.

This post has a bit more on singing

The Changing Female-To-Male (FTM) Voice

The Changing Female-To-Male (FTM) Voice Pedagogical Notes

Testosterone And The Trans Male Singing Voice

Training the Transgender Singer: Finding the Voice Inside

Followers, any examples of trans singers on T for us to add? Or any personal experiences to add on?Followers, any personal experiences to add?

Followers say:

aeolianchemistry said: have a lot to say about this! i may not be the most coherent bc im half asleep lol, but anyone feel free to message me about this anytime and ask for more details!,

this was my biggest Thing when i was deciding to pursue hrt. ive been in various choirs for years, and its a very Important part of my life. but also my voice was my #1 source of dysphoria, and the #1 thing i needed to change. i searched for weeks to find anything about what to expect from hrt as a singer, esp bc ive heard stories of trans ppl losing their siging voice entirely. i was terrified, and couldnt find resources to shed any significant light on the topic.

and so, in no particular order bc im half asleep, here are some things to expect and things that i’ve experienced so far (almost six months on hrt):

- practice while your voice is dropping! feel it out every step of the way. get to know your voice while it’s changing, and try to maintain those high notes. i didnt do a v good job of this and my high range kinda just shriveled up. i cant be sure that it wouldve been hugely different if id practiced more, but ive heard it does help

- yoir voice will feel different. unfamiliar at times. you wont be using it the same way youre used to. technique will change, placement will change

- my speaking voice shifted downward after just a month or two (i had mild hyperandrogynism before, so this wont be as quick for everyone), before my singing voice did. i didn’t start getting new low range until later, but within my pre-t vocal range, my voice just sat a bit lower than it used to. my low alto filled out more. than i started getting new notes, slowly

- there will be periods of time where it cracks or breaks or is unreliable. dont push it, but dont despair either. keep practicing as well as you can

- my voice is somewhat fragile. if i yell (which i can only somewhat do currently) or push it or force it thru cracks/breaks/weak spots, it will get tired easily and take quite a while to recover. be nice to your voice. dont push high notes if they cause strain. dont push the low notes either, even tho im sure youre excited about them

- your voice will be weak while it’s shifting. this can cause frustration and anxiety. i’m two months into my choir season singing w two and a half choirs, and i’m dealing w lots of Complicated Feelings bc my voice just cant do all the things i want it to. i cant project much, and i certainly dont have the strength (yet) to audition for any of the solos i’d like to. Patience

- the Weird Spots and the Weak Spots will continue to shift around. i have this one area in the middle of my range (currently its about Ab3-B3, but a few weeks ago it was B3-C4) where its weird and weak and its kind of like a break in register but also a bit like a black hole, bc i Cannot Project there and theres no good placement for singing those notes, and notes in the vicinity of those are also Weird but Less So. it’s slowly sliding downwards, and i am learning to navigate it better. i’m hoping it will settle and go away soon, but we’ll see

- breath support is v important. as mentioned, your voice may be quite fragile, and putting strain on it could cause it to glitch out on you for a while. supporting your voice w lots of breath will put less demand on your vocal chords

- NEVER SING IN A BINDER or compressive garment. you need those lungs!

- you’re going to miss out on some of the nostalgic singalongs of old choir songs, bc you no longer have the range to sing your old parts. this is possibly the #1 consequence of transitioning that im the most sad about lol

- i have a very weird quality to my high range rn. it seems to be caught midway between the head voice it used to be and future falsetto or whatever it’s moving toward. for now its just Strange to listen to

the current state of my voice is this:

low range is down to almost the bottom of the bass clef. i can sing down to Bb2, A2 on a good day.

from there up to F3ish is quite comfy and possibly the strongest part of my singing voice, but i do find that if i spend too much time down there it can strain the rest of my range (i used to have this problem before too: if i sang in my low alto range too much or too enthusiastically, my sop range would get tired).

from G3-C4, it’s Awkward. the Awkwardness shifts around, and some parts of it can be more comfy than others sometimes, but it’s all v inconsistent. i cant project much here, and placement is veryvery Weird.

D4-F4ish is typically comfy but has a bit of that Strange quality to it. these notes are a bit floaty, but not bad.

G4-B4 are unreliable. somedays i can get up there. some days it’ll blink out or crack or break or just Not Be There. i am predicting that once my high range settles into a proper falsetto, i’ll be able to work on this range more and it’ll have less of that Strange quality to it, but only time will tell

again, apologies for being Scattered, it’s 1am and ive had a long day. any of yall are welcome to message me for more details ☺

there is a lot of weirdness and weakness and Awkward in the transition period. but while i’m frustrated at times, i’m not worried. everything i’m dealing w is temporary. now i can’t be 100% sure how my voice will settle or when, but i’m not afraid i’ve lost it forever. as far as i’ve heard, the stories of trans ppl who lose their singing voice on t are very rare cases. youre going to go through weeks or months where singing is Weird in constantly shifting ways, but itll keep on moving and developing, and personally i’m so excited to see where it goes.

i’m currently singing tenor2 in my choirs, and occasionally i get to take a trip down and sing baritone. im not even 6months in! that has transformed my choir experience to be even better than before, even w all the awkwardness. it was so weird and beginning to get verg uncomfy to be in a place like choir, which is so important to me, which i love dearly, which has had a significant impact on my life, but which revolved around the use of my one most dysphoric feature. but now i don’t have to worry about that. now i can sing the parts i’ve been wanting to sing for years.

i do occasionally miss some of my old voice. i miss soaring soprano lines, i miss all the old alto parts in songs i used to know. i miss the confidence and strength of a familiar, complete voice. and im allowed to miss those, i dont feel bad about having that longing or sadness, bc i have zero regrets. i also occasionally miss playing with and styling my super long hair, but in five years i have not once regretted cutting it all off. i own those memories and that nostalgia, but i keep moving forward to new and better things

pinesboi said: If you keep working at your voice and take lessons to make sure you never let it get out of practice, everything should be okay. I’m on T now about 3-4 months, and I’m still singing high tenor musical theatre

#Lee says #testosterone #ftm #caps briefly #Anonymous #transgenderteensurvivalguide #trans #transgender #nonbinary #lgbtq #lgbt #transgender teen survival guide #TTSG

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weapon13whitefang · 6 years

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TWD 9X6 - A Little Thought On Next Week’s Title

Since the next episode is named Stradivarius, which is the name of a type of string instruments named after a family of the same name and are instruments known for sounding “human” and have a higher frequency (like a tenor, which a tenor is the word used to describe a male with a higher range [like Freddy Mercury] or a Soprano, which a Soprano is the word used to describe a female with a higher range [Julie Andrews or Sarah Brightman]. The opposite of these two is a contralto, which is a female with a lower range of voice [Amy Winehouse and Cher] and Bass, which is a male with the lowest voice range [Johnny Cash]).

With this thought of range and strings for the instruments, I’m wondering if this episode will deal with something with the radio signals that Eugene was setting up on the water tower and that Father Gabriel was wanting to expand upon... In the past we saw a scene with Father Gabriel finding a cabin with a radio in it (in S8E11) with Dr. Carson. The guy in the cabin was still searching for other people and hope and that seems to be Gabriel’s goal here. And with Eugene leaving that radio frequency device on the water tower, it’s possible we will have someone come over the radio... Maybe Helicopter people or other survivors.

Here’s some TD for you all.

We're going to commandeer the local airwaves

To tell the neighbors what's been going on

Beths voice started out singing on a radio in Tyreese’s Fever hallucination in S5E9 [What Happened and What’s Going On]. I’ve never been able to forget that they’ve been using Radios a lot since S5. Radios were a heavy feature between Rick and Morgan as well. Hell, one of Negan’s Savior camps was in a Satellite Outpost (Satellite Radio anyone?). They could definitely use the old Satellite outpost for Radio frequency with Eugene’s quick and clever thinking.... I just never got over the fact we keep seeing radios and then we have FG wanting to spread out with Radios.

So how did I get here from the name Stradivarius? The word frequency is associated with string instruments and with radios. Since we just had an episode talk about radios and Jadis was using a radio to communicate with helicopter people, then I feel it makes sense.

Music uses frequency. Here’s something interesting I found. “Since a lot of digital audio is concerned with music we start with the basic frequencies for just over 10 octaves covering the human hearing range. Most musical instruments and even human voices are defined by the range of notes they can make, thus, for instance, a female soprano is expected to be able to output maximum power (or sing even) in the range C4 to C6 - though many will be able to accomplish higher, lower or both.... So, if we want to pull out a soprano voice from the background these are frequencies we would concentrate on.”

I’m not a musical expert so I’m not gonna even try to completely breakdown the theorized table of frequency that most musicians and radio hosts understand. But to put it into as simple a form as I myself can begin to understand, a human being can only reach a certain range and only hear a certain range. But there are ways to help expand these ranges by amplifying ones personal range of vocals and hearing. It’s why concert halls are built a certain way - to help the music reach out better.

Now on a not TD side, this probably named so for the fact Eugene and Rosita will be “reveling” the Whisperers. I’m side eying that fact that Stradivarius instruments are known for sounding human when they’re not. Walkers sounding human when they’re not really Walkers. It fits. But I’m also banking that something big with Radio’s is going to happen since they’re focusing on them.

#the walking dead #the walking dead spoilers #twd spoilers #team delusional #team defiance #team acceptance #team i don't care I'm having fun #team whatever happens will happen

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2700fstreet · 6 years

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OPERA / 2018-2019

FAUST

STUDENT GUIDE

Washington National Opera Open Rehearsal Music by Charles Gounod Libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré Based on Faust: Part I by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

School show: March 13

Teacher and Parent Guide: Faust

Who’s Who

Main Characters

Faust, a learned scholar (tenor—the highest male voice) Méphistophélès, a demon (bass—the lowest male voice) Marguerite, a young woman (soprano—the highest female voice) Valentin, her brother, a soldier (baritone—a middle-range male voice) Siébel, a young man (mezzo-soprano—a middle-range female* voice) Marthe, Marguerite’s neighbor (mezzo-soprano)

*It’s common for opera composers to assign young male roles to female singers.

So, What’s Going On?

The sixteenth-century Germanic countryside.

Poor Dr. Faust (pronounced FOUST). He’s been a scholar for decades but has now become an old man with nothing to show for it. He doesn’t really know anything. He doesn’t really feel anything. He has no idea what the meaning of life is. And he’s entirely alone.

Determined not to wait for death, he attempts suicide only to be distracted by a chorus singing God’s praises outside his door. Annoyed, Faust cries out that God can do nothing for him. Faust wants his youth back. He wants love and affection. God can’t give him any of those things.

So Faust calls upon the Devil instead (what a brilliant idea).

Immediately, the Devil appears in the form of Méphistophélès (meff-uh-STOFF-uh-lezz), a demon disguised as a wealthy gentleman. Faust explains he wants a chance to be young again (with maybe the added bonus of a few girlfriends), and Méphistophélès proposes a deal: all the youth and ladies Faust could ever want in exchange for his immortal soul.

Faust hesitates, but when Méphistophélès tempts him with a vision of a breathtaking woman who lives close by, he’s sold. The two sign a contract and Faust is transformed into a dashing young man, ready to hit the streets.

Take a listen…

Faust makes the spectacularly dubious decision to invoke the Devil. Listen for Faust’s breathless, agitated phrases. Think about how his outbursts compare to Méphistophélès’s smoother, more even-keeled melodies and deeper tone of voice. (Bonus: Check out the “word-painting” technique used when Méphistophélès stretches his voice to its lowest extremes as he sings about the hellish place “là-bas,” or “downstairs”).

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In the nearby village, a young soldier named Valentin (vahl-ohn-TAEHN) prepares to go to war. Worried that his sister, Marguerite (mahr-geh-REE-tuh), will be left un-chaperoned, Valentin asks his young friend Siébel (syeh-BELL) to watch over her.

Take a listen…

Valentin says a small prayer that his sister will be kept safe (“Avant de quitter ces lieux,” or “Before I leave this place”). Listen for how this aria (solo song) is broken up into three sections: 1) a heartfelt plea with a plaintive melody, 2) a military march as Valentin preps himself for battle, and 3) a repeat of the first section with a few minor tweaks.

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But soon, Méphistophélès arrives to stir up trouble.

Take a listen…

In his aria “Le veau d’or” (“The golden calf”), Méphistophélès conjures up the image of a devilish idol that inspires Satanic dances and possesses the power to bring down the human race. Listen for the cymbal crashes and fluttering wind instruments (think piccolos, flutes, oboes, and clarinets) that give Méphistophélès’s song the sense it’s whipping into a devilish frenzy.

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After singing a song to entertain the locals, Méphistophélès teases Valentin and his friends by reading palms and predicting not-so-nice futures. The demon then proposes a toast in honor of Marguerite. Shocked that Méphistophélès knows his sister’s name, and sensing this stranger is up to no good, Valentin draws his weapon—only to have it shatter in midair. Valentin calls on God for protection from evil as the crowd disperses.

Later, Faust urges Méphistophélès to introduce him to the maiden from the magical vision. Méphistophélès cautions that this particular lady may not be interested in Faust’s advances—she is, after all, none other than (surprise!) Marguerite, Valentin’s pious sister. Still, Faust demands to see her, and Méphistophélès orchestrates a “meet cute.” Faust turns on the charm, but Marguerite shies away.

Attempting to speed the love affair along, Méphistophélès leads Faust to Marguerite’s house and leaves her a basket of jewels, hoping they’ll help Marguerite look more favorably on her new suitor.

And—boom—the gamble pays off.

As Faust and Méphistophélès hide nearby, Marguerite—who’s been daydreaming about her brief encounter with a handsome stranger (Faust)—uncovers the jewels and treats herself to a luxurious “makeover.”

Take a listen…

Marguerite checks out her new look in her aria, “Ah! Je ris de ma voir si belle” (which roughly translates as: “I’m laughing at how pretty I look”). Notice how she sings several notes in rapid succession (a style known a coloratura), to give the effect that she’s literally laughing.

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Her neighbor, Marthe (MAHR-tuh) interrupts her, and Marguerite is slightly embarrassed, but not half as embarrassed as she is when Faust arrives, complimenting her beauty and proclaiming his undying love.

Méphistophélès distracts Marthe, leaving Faust and Marguerite alone. In no time at all, Marguerite reveals she’s just as smitten with Faust as he is with her, despite her concern that a whirlwind romance could bring her everlasting shame. (Marguerite may be innocent but she’s not stupid; she knows the other villagers won’t look kindly on an unwed woman who spends all her time with a young man). And yet, with a little coaxing from Méphistophélès, Marguerite agrees to be Faust’s girl forever.

Several months later.

With no recent word from Faust, Marguerite sits nervously at her spinning wheel. Siébel arrives to keep her company, but his attempts to comfort her are in vain: She’s carrying Faust’s child, and there’s no ring on her finger.

At this (very) inopportune moment, Valentin and his army come marching home from war. Having emerged victorious, Valentin is ready to celebrate with Marguerite, but soon discovers something’s gone very wrong in his absence (thanks for blabbing, Siébel).

As Valentin goes off to confront his “disgraced” sister, Faust and Méphistophélès turn up at Marguerite’s door hoping to smooth things over, as Faust has been feeling remorseful about leaving his former love.

But everything goes to hell (see what we did there?) when Valentin bursts on the scene, demanding someone take responsibility for his sister’s situation. A fight breaks out and Faust ends up stabbing Valentin. Faust and Méphistophélès disappear just as some villagers gather to see about the commotion. Marguerite rushes to her brother’s side, but Valentin pushes her away, claiming his impending death is all her fault and cursing her as he collapses on the ground.

With nowhere to turn, Marguerite goes to church to pray. Once there, however, an unforgiving voice (which sounds mysteriously like Méphistophélès) declares that her sins have damned her forever.

Sometime later, Marguerite has landed in prison. Her brother’s death and Faust’s abandonment have driven her mad, horrifically causing her to murder her newborn child.

Convinced he’s loved Marguerite all along and that the trials and tribulations of the past few months were all the Devil’s doing (really, dude?), Faust persuades Méphistophélès to help him break Marguerite free.

But will Faust’s newfound sense of commitment be enough to save Marguerite before it’s too late? Can his love rescue her from execution? Will they both be able to escape Méphistophélès’s eternal damnation?

Good to Know

By the time Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (GEUH-tuh, 1749-1832) began writing the epic saga that would inspire Charles Gounod’s (goo-NOH, 1818-1893) opera, the legend of Faust—the ultimate “deal with the Devil” story—was already a few centuries old. Indeed, German texts from the sixteenth century reveal “Doctor Faust” may have actually been a real doctor or magician who reportedly died a very strange, very gruesome death. The doctor’s bizarre bio eventually made its way into Germanic folklore (way before the days of the Brothers Grimm), where it was transformed into a cautionary tale about the dangers of asking too much out of life.

Faust would later be immortalized by Shakespearean contemporary Christopher Marlowe in his play Doctor Faustus, and would enjoy even greater fame nearly two hundred years later thanks to Goethe’s massive two-part drama (a work that took him nearly 60 years to finish). Goethe’s version came with a twist, however: He was the first to introduce the character of Margaret (also known as “Gretchen” and referred to as “Marguerite” in French), the young woman Faust seduces and then discards.

It was Marguerite’s side of the story that proved so moving it went on to influence a long list of nineteenth-century Romantic artists, including powerhouse composer Hector Berlioz (who wrote his own Faustian opera, La damnation de Faust), song master Franz Schubert, and Gounod, who became a fan of the Goethe story during a trip to Rome—a place filled with images of angels and demons.

Faust’s tale continued to spark imaginations well into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries (think of movies like Damn Yankees and Bedazzled or more recent TV series like Lucifer or Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and the term “Faustian bargain” has become a universal phrase meaning “to sell one’s soul.” The original Doctor Faust may have met a tragic end, but his legacy isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Learning to Listen

Going to the opera means you’ll have to start listening in a new way if you want to take in everything the music and the voices have to offer. And guess what? This is less difficult than it sounds.

Try thinking of opera singing as its own type of language or speech. When we’re speaking, our emotions can change the way our voices sound from moment to moment—and one word can have a thousand different meanings depending on how we say it (loudly, softly, quickly, slowly, with a high- or low-pitched voice, etc.). The same is true for the characters in an opera. Each voice you’ll hear will have its own special flavor depending on who the character is and what he or she is saying.

Marguerite, for example, is an innocent and sensitive young woman. Her voice, therefore, will be on the higher side (to provide a clue that she’s youthful and inexperienced) and will occasionally soar above the orchestra with intense emotion (such as when she raises her voice in prayer or when she pleads with Faust not to break her heart).

Faust, on the other hand, spends much of the opera as a young man with a tremendous appetite for fun. His bright tenor voice (a vocal type associated with heroes) symbolizes his youthful, reckless, and passionate personality. His melodies often pour out in short, explosive musical phrases that are meant to remind us of his lust for life.

When in doubt about how a character is feeling or what they’re thinking, always pay close attention to exactly how they sound. (The instruments in the orchestra will give you hints as well.)

Check This Out…

Gounod frequently uses musical foreshadowing to signal his listeners as to where the story of Faust is headed. Can you identify any specific moments in which the music provides some dramatic spoilers? (Hint: Listen carefully to the overture, Mephistophélès’s entrance, and Marguerite and Faust’s tortured love duet.) On the other hand, are there any scenes in which the music fakes you out by evoking the wrong mood? (Hint: Listen for the upbeat victory march that plays when Valentin returns home.)

Watch for the ways in which the costume, lighting, and makeup designs help give you hints about each character’s status and their relationship to those around them. Do the costumes and lighting provide you with any clues regarding the characters’ personalities? Can you tell who’s “good” and who’s “evil” based on what they wear or what colors they’re associated with? Do you notice any shifts in how the characters look as their stories progress or their motivations change?

Marguerite’s spinning wheel aria (“Il ne revient pas,” or “He hasn’t returned”) was inspired by an actual poetic “song” in Goethe’s text, and there are many other musical settings of the exact same scene. Why do you think this moment gets such special attention in so many different versions of Faust? What do you think the spinning wheel might symbolize? (For extra points: How would you know Marguerite’s aria features a spinning wheel even if you closed your eyes? What instrumental sounds are used to create a spinning effect?)

Think About This…

In opera, supernatural and/or extremely powerful figures such as gods, demons, kings, or ghosts are usually sung by basses. Why do you think composers gravitate toward lower male voices when writing these characters? Do you feel the bass sound suits Mephistophélès? How so?

The chorus plays an essential role in Faust. Why do you think Gounod opted to feature such a large group of men and women in so many scenes? What function do they serve? Can you recall any other theatrical or literary works in which a chorus is used in a similar way?

In Goethe’s homeland of Germany, Gounod’s Faust is sometimes called Marguerite instead. Why do you feel that might be? Who do you think is the true hero of the opera? Who’s the true villain? (Consider this: Mephistophélès may be a demon, but are his crimes any worse than Faust’s? Or Valentin’s? Or anyone else’s?)

Take Action: Social Serenade

Though Gounod’s opera could be looked at as one big ethical fable, many of its themes and lessons come packaged in folk songs or serenades—miniature fables told by the characters as they sing of hypothetical stories that mirror their own. These include Marguerite’s ballad of the King of Thule (who dies for love), Mephistophélès’s satirical tune about a woman named Catherine (who must resist her boyfriend’s advances until marriage), and the soldier’s brief song about a cat and a rat (or a predator and his prey).

Gounod’s not alone in using this trick. You probably know this already, but many artists—poets, painters, songwriters, you name it— choose to bury significant social messages in made-up tales about distant historical figures or even non-human characters (think Aesop) who speak in simple phrases or easy rhymes.

Think you’re up for trying out the same tactic in the real world?

Pick a news story or social cause that concerns you (anything from politics, to polar bears, to the potholes on your local highway) and take a shot at weaving a fake story around this theme. Try and present your tale in small sections or stanzas (like a serenade) and, if you feel like it, see if you can use a rhyming scheme as well. Most importantly, be sure to add a clever moral at the end if you can. (If you want to go the extra mile, write a tune to accompany your poetic “song.”)

If you’re comfortable, share the finished product with family and friends, or submit it to a local newspaper or regional poetry competition. See if your readers can uncover your hidden message and/or guess which real-life story inspired your sneaky serenade.

EXPLORE MORE

Go even deeper with the Faust Extras.

All photos by Lynn Lane for Houston Grand Opera.

Writer: Eleni Hagen

Content Editor: Lisa Resnick

Logistics Coordination: Katherine Huseman

Producer and Program Manager: Tiffany A. Bryant

David M. Rubenstein Chairman

Deborah F. Rutter President

Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President Education

Timothy O’Leary General Director

Francesca Zambello Artistic Director

Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars.

David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of WNO.

WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey.

WNO's Presenting Sponsor

This performance is made possible by the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David M. Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

#opera #faustat2700F

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lawchan89 · 6 years

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Composers gotta shake it up

I do wanna kinda talk about this post ‘cause it’s something that’s always bothered me as a performer. (Disclaimer: All of this goes for baritone/basses versus “screechy tenors” too.)

I’m a mezzo-soprano. Soprano II, however your sheet music spells it out. I can belt, I’m a decent belter, but it’s not my default way of singing. I have a very standard sounding voice, and I can comfortably hit a high A5 along with your typical soprano. (I have been known to sing as high as D above a high C, but that’s really only after I’m properly warmed up.) I can also compete on those low notes with the altos as well.

The point is, it’s also difficult for a true mezzo to find roles because everyone wants belters. Everyone. And honestly, I think I’m getting the pattern here.

Composers want singers that make their music sound exciting. 50-70 years ago, they wanted that lyric soprano to sustain that high C so the audience would leap to their feet. Now they want that 30-year-old who can belt an F so the audience whoops and cheers for a solid minute before the show continues. And it’s not that I don’t have respect for these women who can do it 8 times a week, I do, mad respect. (Caissie Levy is a goddess and I adore her.)

But this is all we’ve been hearing in contemporary musicals since the mid-90s. I think the only true mezzo standard voice I can recall in recent memory is Sibella from “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.” There’s also Anya in “Anastasia”, pretty standard mezzo voice (thank you Christy for putting us back in the spotlight), but even then she has a little belting here and there. I remember getting so excited when “Come From Away” became a hit because now not only did we have more physically diverse casts coming down the pipe (I’m a bigger chick too, so ya won’t see me in anything but supporting character roles), but voices too. Even then, though, belting is the norm.

Altos have it so much worse than us mezzos, and I’ve felt awful for them for years. I’ve been trying to help my sister put together a list of songs she can pull out for auditions, and even then it’s so hard to find contralto musical theater pieces for her. I hate that composers don’t seem to find lower ranges “exciting” enough to write for them more often -- or god forbid, write lead roles for them. If there were a hit jazz musical, you could drive audiences wild with a hot crooning alto center stage, but sadly I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

We’ve still got Mean Girls, Frozen, Heathers back in popularity, Hamilton; these all have the powerhouse belting ladies that everyone wants to idolize and scream for. Nobody talks about Anna in Frozen and how delightful her standard voice is because she doesn’t belt. Nor Glinda in Wicked and her lyrical voice because I guess that’s so 1950s or whatever. All the girls wanna be Elsa and Elphaba, and it’s a little scary because belting can seriously fuck with your vocal chords permanently if you’re not doing it properly. Rarely is belting actually taught. For me to belt, I use the techniques I’ve acquired from years of private voice singing mezzo arias and apply to a different placement in my voice. It winds up sounding like more of a Judy Kuhn quality than an Idina Menzel, or insert popular female belter here.

Anyway, this has been my musical theatre rant for the day. Just to clarify, I have nothing against the singers and place the blame solely on the composers, and probably producers. Broadway’s really been shooting themselves in the foot lately on many accounts, but I feel like this one really needs to be brought to the table more often.

#lawchan rants #musical theater #musical theatre #mezzo soprano #alto #belter #i'm in a production of She Loves Me right now and it is SO refreshing to hear standard voices onstage

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thesweatycollectiontyrant · 6 years

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35MM

Today, we have more of a song cycle than a musical all based on 35MM photographs. Today’s Bop is 35MM.

Background Info

One of my friends told me about one song from this show. On the way home from rehearsal that night, I listened to it. Wow. I was hooked. I think this show really decided to go in a different direction and it did it successfully.

Writers

Music and lyrics are by Ryan Scott Oliver, who has written a few stand-alone songs I’ve played for people and heard at performances, and also wrote music and lyrics to Jasper in Deadland. The concept came from Matthew Murphy, a popular theatrical photographer. The show is based on 35mm photographs taken by Murphy.

Character List

WOMAN 1 (Soprano) - plays Woman 1, Image 1, Nightmare, the Lover, Cantus, Watcher, Soprano, Betsy, Nightwalker, Lonely, Jessy, and Chorus WOMAN 2 (Mezzo-Soprano) - plays Woman 2, Photographer, Nightmare, the Broad, Altus, She, Watcher, Les Voix en Dessous, Alto, Lindsay, and the Balladeer MAN 1 (Tenor) - plays Man 1, Image, the Idle Boy, Tenor, His Savior, Watcher, Les Voix en Dessous, Alex, A Friend of Jules and Jessy’s, and Chorus MAN 2 (Tenor) - plays Man 2, Image, Nightmare, the Manny, Bassus, the Sinner, Watcher, the Cajun, Bass, Jay, Her Mister, Jules, and Chorus MAN 3 (Baritone) - plays Man 3, Image, Nightmare, the Long-Tethered Knight, He, Watcher, Ben, Radio and Chorus

Who’s Singing

I chose to listen to the only available cast recording, featuring Alex Brightman, Ben Crawford, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Lindsay Mendez, and Betsy Wolfe.

Let’s Do This

I’m really excited to get into this show. From the songs I’ve heard, the show is really fun to listen to. A lot of good audition songs will come out of this. I’m also following the vocal score offered by Samuel French, so the songs might be somewhat out of order from the recording.

The show begins with an Ensemble number called “Stop Time”. I started the song, and got about twenty seconds in and I was so shook I had to rewind. That’s how good this is. Betsy is singing high soprano notes and I’m a sucker for that, of course. I really love Lindsay Mendez’s voice. Just so smooth and gorgeous. Her chest voice is so strong.

The next song is called “Crazytown”. I have heard a little bit of this song because of the strange noises the Ensemble makes during it. The first two verses are interesting. Then this got weird REAL quick. I’m here for all this rapping. That song was pretty dope.

The next song, “On Monday” is one of my favorite songs in this show. There’s kind of a “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen meets “Backseat Serenade” by All Time Low vibe. It’s very pop punk, so in all reality we’re just revisiting middle school. Not to mention, Betsy Wolfe’s voice is perfection in every genre. I love the “sol-mi-la-mi-sol-mi-la-mi-sol-mi-re” theme on the chorus on the word “juvenile”. Her voice is just so crystal clear. She’s literally wailing on a High G. She’s such a versatile singer. This song is one of those that puts me in a good mood regardless of what I’m doing.

“Caralee” is another fun song in this show. Before I start talking about Jay Armstrong Johnson and the song in general, let’s talk about the intro. We’ve got some sort of percussion, strings, and a harpsichord. First of all, a harpsichord? Interesting choice. It fits so well despite it being an “out-there” choice for a show like this. Another thing I’m kind of obsessed with is the strings at the end of the measure. It’s playing thirds, and on the last eighth note, it is a C# and an E, and the C# is so flat. I’m pretty sure it’s on purpose, but it kind of gives the rest of the song a funny vibe. The song starts and it’s about this manny who watches this brat named Caralee. She practically tortures him by just doing normal, little kid stuff, like playing with scissors and getting into his stuff. This song is so funny to me. There’s a lot of clever wordplay and rhyming. You can envision this situation. We’ve all seen it before. I don’t want to spoil too much. This song is also really easy to listen to.

“The Party Goes with You” begins and the intro is so lovely. I could listen to that on loop all day long. It’s got kind of a chamber music sound to it. It almost reminds me of Evanescence in a way. It’s a shame I didn’t listen to this song earlier. Lindsay Mendez is so lovely in this song. The song is very simple. During the chorus, there’s a rock organ with some tremolo that comes in, giving it a more modern sound. The melodic line during the verses is mostly just up and down the scale, and it’s so satisfying. This is a great song for an Alto. It sits pretty low in most female voices. It has a melancholy feel to it. Check this one out. It’s special.

Now we’re back to a seemingly zany piece of music with “Good Lady”. It starts out with sort of a medieval chant by the Ensemble in 5/4. Then a faster rock feel starts with Ben Crawford on the lead, and WOW. This dude’s voice is so nice! It reminds me a lot of Steven Pasquale. This song is really cool. A lot of different stuff. I’m about a quarter into the show, and I think this show would be really good driving music. The song begins and ends the same way.

I’m probably gonna skip most of the Transitions, but “Transition #2″ is really nice. It foreshadows the melody of “The Ballad of Sara Berry” which comes later in the show.

“He & She” has a quirky feel at the beginning. THIS SONG IS SO GOOD. The runs and riffs. Wow. Ben and Lindsay really did it in with this one. I wasn’t too fond of “Crazytown”, but since then, I’ve liked every single song. Completely. That’s really great. This is a fantastic duet.

Now we’re on “The Seraph”. The song is slower, but it has a really easy-going, coffee shop feel. That song is really nice. Go check that out.

“Immaculate Deception” was nice. It’s one of those songs where I’d like to sing it, but I’m not crazy about listening to it. It’s cool to hear everyone together.

Next is “Leave, Luanne” which a lot of people have talked about, but I’ve never listened to it. The tempo marking describes it as a “Southern Gothic Ghost Story”. I was so transfixed while listening to it, I can’t write anything about it. This is an epic song. seven and a half minutes. Wow.

“Mama, Let Me In” is a nice little chorale sung by four of the members of the company.

The next song, “Why Must We Tell Them Why?” starts out and it sounds like anything straight off the radio. It literally could be a Walk the Moon or The 1975 song. THIS SONG IS SO FUN OH MY LORD. UGH. Go listen to this. I know I’m saying that after every song but it’s just because I mean it and it’s so good. Literally everything about it. The music, the harmonies, the singing, the stories, the everything. Do yourself a favor and listen to this song and this album in general. This song also reminds me of “Ready to Go” by Panic! at the Disco.

I’m pretty sure “Twisted Teeth” is about vampires? Hopefully? The lyrics to the song are really weird, but I really like the music. Betsy and Jay did a great job on that one. It starts off strange musically, but it gets better.

“Hemming and Hawing” happens, and this song is so beautiful. Just simply beautiful. I don’t really know how to describe it, other than gorgeous. A nice 9/8 meter, kind of a “The Only Exception” by Paramore feeling.

“Cut You a Piece” is one of those typical I gave you my heart and you broke it songs. But there’s something special about it. The song is really nice. I’d say it’s worth listening to.

“The Ballad of Sara Berry” is a murderous prom-queen song. It’s also the first song I listened to from this show. It describes Sara Berry, whose goal is to thwart Julie Jenkins to win Senior Prom Queen. She is encouraged by her parents because they tell her that there’s no room “for a princess at prom”. She goes to all odds, killing all other candidates until Julie Jenkins calls the cops on her, all while Lindsay Mendez is belting up a storm. This song literally ranges two octaves. It is goosebump-inducing. GO CHECK THIS OUT.

The “Finale” reprises all of the songs sung throughout the show.

Audition Songs

A lot of these songs are solos that just have background vocals. If used for an audition, just cut the background vocals. The way this show is cast is that there are five singers and they all play different characters throughout the show. The characters will be labeled as the character they play in the specific song, followed by which singer it is. The singers and voice types are labelled in the above Character Descriptions section.

“On Monday” - The Lover (Voice 1), G3-G5

Good for a soprano with strong mix; potential character piece depending on interpretation.

“Caralee” - The Manny (Voice 4), D#3-G4

Great for Tenor with good comedic chops.

“The Party Goes with You” - The Broad (Voice 2), F#3-D5

Really good for a low Alto who can sit comfortably on the lower notes.

“The Seraph” - The Sinner (Voice 4), C3-A4

Good for a folksy Tenor or Baritone. Just cut the other parts, and this would be a great audition song.

“Hemming and Hawing” - Radio (Voice 5), A2-F#4

Awesome song for a Baritone. Cut the other line, and it’s perfect.

“Cut You a Piece” - A Friend of Jules & Jessy (Voice 3), C3-F4

Beautiful storytelling song. Cut Jules and Jessy’s parts.

“The Ballad of Sara Berry” - The Balladeer (Voice 2), F#3-F#5

Great song for rock Mezzo. Cut ensemble parts.

To Wrap It Up

This show is so different and unique. I recommend it to all MT fans. Rights are available through Samuel French. This is accessible for High Schools if you guys cut the language. This would also be really good for colleges and professional and amateur theatre companies. You’d need a dynamite Music Director and a fantastic cast, but it’s very doable. I love this show, and I can see myself listening to this for a long time. I was very pleasantly surprised by this amazing show.

Get it.

#35mm #musicals #musical theatre #contemporary #rock #belt #song cycle #ryan scott oliver

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seventh-zephyr · 6 years

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My thoughts on Keiko leaving Kalafina

So, it’s been a few days since it was announced that Keiko had left. I’m still sad about it, of course, but I feel like I need to talk about it and get it off my chest and then maybe I can have some peace of mind about the whole ordeal. All under the cut because yeah, this is gonna be long.

tl;dr Keiko means a lot to me personally and although I may not like the fact that she has left Kalafina (for both technical and personal reasons), I respect her decision and will continue to support her as well as Wakana and Hikaru in a new era of Kalafina.

Let me start of by saying that I do not blame Keiko for leaving, I know it was entirely her choice, and I respect her decision to leave.

With that out of the way, I do wonder how Kalafina’s future concerts will function. The vast majority of their songs were written for three people to sing, and there are songs that are outright impossible or near impossible to sing with only two people without leaving things out (lookin’ at you, sprinter and signal). Unless they add another person who possesses similar vocal range/skills as Keiko, a number of their songs will either have to be majorly retooled for two (such as Fantasia, and even then that shouldn’t be too hard with this song) or outright unperformable (such as Magia or ring your bell, or other songs with a lot of 3-way harmony work). Of course, songs from the oblivious single still would work perfectly fine with just Wakana and Hikaru, but nearly every other song would need to be retooled (I say nearly because even if it might be weird, something like Kagayaku Sora no Shijima ni wa could work with two people). Part of me really hopes they hold auditions for a new member because the way things stand now, live performances will become a new challenge without a decent buildup of additional music written for two voices.

At the same time, I really wish that Keiko hadn’t decided to leave. She added a lot of depth vocally to the group. My choir director always talked about a choral sandwich in Concert Choir before I got moved up to Chamber Choir. He really doesn’t talk about it at all with Chamber, but it’s something I’ve always found important. Your four choral parts (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) make up a sandwich. Soprano and bass are like the bread, essential but not important compared to what’s actually in the sandwich. Alto and tenor are like the middle of the sandwich, the contents. They’re the important parts, they’re what make the sandwich good. Otherwise, you’d just have bread, and no one wants just bread. In Kalafina, it’s just soprano and alto. Wakana is soprano, Keiko is alto, and Hikaru is somewhere in between. Sure, Hikaru could fill in some of the vocal gaps Keiko left behind, but there are some gaps that just can’t be filled (such as Yami no Uta, a showcase of Keiko’s dark alto power). And yeah, you could flip the choral sandwich thing on it’s head here and be like “But Zange, wouldn’t the sandwich here be W and K as bread and H as the stuff in between?”, but my point with bringing up the choral sandwich is that yes, Hikaru could sing some of Keiko’s stuff. But Hikaru can’t replace her completely in songs like Alleluia, or Yami no Uta, or some others that I’m forgetting. Keiko has that kind of power, she adds that depth into Kalafina’s music and makes it interesting, something you can’t really do with only two choral parts.

Another reason I wish Keiko didn’t leave: She’s one of my biggest inspirations. When I first joined choir in 8th grade, the girls sang up and down the scales to figure out if they were a soprano or alto. We did that and I was like “Hey, some of these high notes are a little too high for me, I’ll sing alto because that’s were my voice feels more comfortable.” So that’s what I did. And almost every time we got a new song, with a few exceptions, sopranos would always have the melody. I remember being a bit frustrated at this and wondering when the hell the altos were gonna have a song where they had the melody. I had to quit choir 3rd tri that year so I could take another class, but 3rd tri was where I discovered Kalafina. And I mean really discovered. I’d heard some of their songs before as anime endings, but I didn’t know who they were. Honestly, I don’t entirely remember how I even discovered them. I know it was through Google Play Music, it was probably on the random stream list for the artists I was listening to at the time (Garnidelia and Mimori Suzuko). Whenever a Kalafina song popped up, I was like ‘hey this sounds really good, I should find more of this.’ I distinctly remember my favorite songs being ARIA, Natsu no Ringo, and sprinter (which still remains one of my favorites to this day). The only album they had on Google Play Music’s streaming was Seventh Heaven, so that was all I really knew for Kalafina music (except for those anime endings and like two or three other songs).

Fast forward to my freshman year of high school. I rejoined choir with the intention of taking it all four years of high school, and Kalafina had quickly become one of my favorite groups. I had their first and fifth albums, as well as their two best-of albums downloaded onto my school computer so I could listen to those while working on stuff instead of looking for it on YouTube. Around November or December, I found out that Kalafina released a Christmas (or as the album calls it, a ‘winter acoustic’) album. Of course, with my love for both Kalafina and Christmas music, I immediately download it onto my school computer and listened to it. It was absolutely beautiful. Around this time as well, we were really getting into gear for our Madrigal Dinner (where I sang with both the Concert Choir and the Madrigal Singers that year), which was in early December, just after my birthday, and by this point I had heard the Choral Sandwich spiel from our director a few times. It was just a normal school day, and we were doing our normal Concert Choir rehearsal during 7th hour. We were practicing one of the songs we would be singing during Madrigal, I think it was Go the Distance from Hercules. We were just practicing that song, as normal, and something in me clicks. I think ‘Holy shit, I love the alto part in this song. Why can’t we have more alto parts like this in our songs?’ followed by ‘Oh my god we get the melody in this section and it sounds really good but we almost never get the melody,’ and then it hits me: ‘Altos don’t need to sing the melody to be amazing. But when we DO have the melody, it sounds absolutely incredible. Just like Keiko.’ From that day on, Keiko Kubota became one of my biggest influences when it came to singing. Whenever altos had amazing harmony parts, I’d think, ‘How amazing would Keiko be singing this part?’ and try to sing it like I imagined she would. Low notes became a treasure to me because they were rare in the songs we were singing in Concert Choir. Whenever we were told to have a dark tone on certain parts, I smiled as I sang that part while thinking of Yami no Uta. Because of Keiko, I’ve learned to truly love the alto life. Every single note I’ve sang as an alto since that realization has been precious to me. There’s no other way I would have it, and I can say with complete honesty that I’m proud to be singing alto.

And that brings us to the present. Sophmore year, I’m in Chamber Choir now, and Keiko Kubota has just announced that she left Kalafina. I’m, of course, disappointed. Keiko was my favorite member, alongside being one of my biggest inspirations, so of course I don’t want her to leave. However, as I mentioned earlier, I respect her decision and I won’t blame her for it. I’d love to see her do some solo work, or even a revival of FictionJunction (she’s still a part of that, at least!) just so I can hear more of her incredible voice, but I can’t say for sure that it will happen, no matter how much I want it to. Wherever Keiko decides to go next, be it in music or not, I’m positive she’ll do an excellent job, and I’ll support her all the way. And just because Keiko is no longer part of Kalafina, that doesn’t mean I’ll stop being a fan of theirs. Goodness, no, their music is too good. Even if it’s just Wakana and Hikaru going forward, I’ll still support them until the very end. It’s a new era of Kalafina, with both their main composer and one of their original members gone; they need all the support they can get. Not to mention, a Kalafina without Keiko is infinitely better than no Kalafina at all.

So thank you, Keiko Kubota, for 10 years in Kalafina, and I greatly look forward to whatever you decide to do next.

#kalafina #keiko kubota #originality #real life #thank you for 10 years keiko #i'll always be thankful for you #not just your presence in kalafina #but also for teaching me that altos can do great things #rr21

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yourfaveisabaritone · 6 years

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Blog FAQs

Q: What is this blog?

A: This is pretty much Exactly What It Says on the Tin, my swing at one of them “this character is [insert adjective here]” blogs. Except for sad baritones and people who want to see their favorite characters proclaimed to be baritones.

Q: What is a baritone?

A: A baritone is a type of classical singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice types. Baritone refers to this voice part or a singer possessing a singing voice in this vocal range.

Q: Why tho?

A: I am a baritone and I want to spread some bari-positivity. To be honest I have seen a lot of people who are clear baritones refuse to acknowledge it or typecast into playing for ex only tenor parts because they “look like a tenor”, often to the detriment of their voice. As a baritone who looks nothing like well, what one would expect a baritone to look like, this is my humorous and lighthearted way of combating some of that, and having some fun with people’s expectations of what a baritone is.

Q: I want to see my favorite character on here! How can that happen?

A: Great news friend! You can send me an ask requesting a character and I will make a post with them and add it to the queue. If you want to see them up there faster you yourself can make the post and submit it using the lovely submission feature @staff hasn’t destroyed yet.

Q: That sounds great! Is there anything I should know before submitting or suggesting a baritone?

A: You should check out the Rules and Guidelines page! It has, well, all the rules and guidelines as well as good information to know before sending something in.

Q: Can I submit even if I’m not a baritone?

A: Sure! Send me your favorite baritones anyway! Share ‘em with the world!

Q: What if I just want to say hi or ask you something?

A: Send me an ask! I can’t guarantee I’ll answer in a timely fashion, but I’ll do my best.

Q: I sent in a request/submission and you haven’t posted it, did it get lost?

A: I’m just one person with a blog, and I have to create each graphic for requests. This website is a garbage pile of funfetti code strung together with gum and blue tack, so it’s entirely possible I didn’t get it. Wait a week or so before sending another ask please.

If you haven’t seen your pre-made submission on the blog, there’s a possibility it was rejected due to not fitting the template guidelines; for ex. not including the characters source. If you think that’s the case, feel free to check out the Rules and Guidelines and re-submit.

There is a small chance that your submission was rejected due to my personal discomfort with the character, but this probability is extremely marginal unless you’re a troll submitting things so

Q: Why is this a “tenor-free blog”?

A: Think of it this way, I was once in a show where as written, three of the leads were baritone parts. Two of them went to tenors who couldn’t reach the notes because they were “leading man/love interest” parts. After three seasons of the company casting a tenor as the lead man despite it being a part written for a baritone. This is not a tenor hate blog, some of my best friends are tenors! Tenors are welcome as long as they play nice and are humble and respectful of this a space for baritones.

Serious answer? It’s humor poking fun at the somewhat arbitrary divisions we make amongst ourselves as performers and the way tenors are seen/perceived to be full of themselves or haughty because of the fact that all the leads are written for them. If anything its more a joke at the perception of tenors and the kind of parts that are written for them than any kind of statement about real-life tenors.

Q: But why is the alto clef in the header then? Or the treble clef, sopranos and altos use that!

A: Sadly because of the different sizes of header shown on mobile, desktop, and depending on monitor size, the banner is cut off, and I have yet to find a size that doesn’t do that somewhere. But rest assured those are the C clef tenor clef and the vocal tenor clef. Altos are very much welcome on this blog! Alto/Baritone Solidarity is my jam. Sopranos can come hang out too!

Q: [Insert character name here] is from a musical/sings in the media they’re from and they are canonically [a soprano/alto/contralto/countertenor/tenor/bass | not a baritone]!

A: Well they are now ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Seriously tho it doesn’t matter. I’m gonna be real with you, it really doesn’t matter to me. Especially if they’re a character from a musical/play with songs/light opera/opera, because none of that is sacred, any director at any point can choose to cast them as a baritone. I once saw a production of Pinafore where Buttercup was a baritone, don’t test me.

Q: [Insert character name here] is a girl/woman, she can’t be a baritone, that’s a men’s voice part!

A: Listen,, I’m a baritone and I’m not a man. Many people who are not men, even women, are baritones. This is literally one of the reasons I’m making this silly blog, for people who aren’t traditionally thought of as looking like/being baritones.

“The season [at Tulsa Opera] comes to a close with Mozart’s Don Giovanni which will make history as it will feature the U.S. debut of female baritone Lucia Lucas.”

Q: No really, women with that kind of low range are contralto profundos or bassos.

A: Here at Your Fav Is A Baritone, we welcome and support vocal self identification. You or people you know may consider yourself/themselves a contralto, others may not. These are fictional characters, they are not real and so do not care how we categorize their voices.

Q: I don’t like this blog concept.

A: Good news not-friend! You can move your cursor to the little “x” at the top right of your screen and press it. Once you do this blog will be removed from your view and you can forget all about it.

Q: This is making fun of sexuality/gender ‘your fav is’ blogs!/This is making light of lack of actual marginalized representation which is the point of ‘your fav is’ blogs!

A: It’s not that deep friend, this is just a silly blog run by an even sillier person who likes their voice and being a baritone and sometimes feels bad for that.

#FAQ #Your Fave is a Baritone #Your fave is

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indi-flying-with-dragons · 7 years

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Indi's New Voice Rambles

Had a ton of fun figuring out my new vocal range. o.o~ I'm WAY deeper than I though. E^E Over 6 months on T and I'm apparently comfortably singing at a bass tone!

HOLY CRAP.

My previous voice as a woman was like... mezzo-soprano or alto. I could sing along to most of Michael Jackson's voice in the songs. And match pretty most men in their songs as well.

I'm finding out now that most singers are tenors or sopranos, which sucks finding a song I can actually match with my new voice!

BUT. I did a vocal range exercise and found out I can sing the lowest note they can set before me and feel a comfortable relaxing sensation, like what happens right after you stretch a muscle that needed a good stretching. Like I rarely get a chance to get that low and it's now like "ahhhh~" to do so.

I'm relearning a lot of vocal tricks now. I can't go *higher* for more emphasis anymore. I have to go *deeper* to do so and gods I actually like the ~feel~ of hearing my deeper voice when I give that emphasis. Very... resonant. :D <3

People never say how singing real low with a bass voice feels like you have a vibrator in your chest. e.e~ I can tell if I go real low by how much vibration I have going around in my chest and even a bit of my abdomen too!

Now I have to do like a reverse-mirror of the singers I sing along to. If they go higher for emphasis, I must go lower. If they go deeper to have something "go more in the background" or with less emphasis, then I go higher. It's... strange. I'm having to relearn a shit ton tonight.

Maybe if I do this enough, and relearn how to laugh, chuckle, giggle, and even speak normally, then I can really use my new voice to full effect?

I found my tessitura (comfortable range) is from middle C (C4) to second E (E2). I'm not joking! E>O~ I can force it higher past C4 to B4 but if I try to get beyond that, my voice literally cuts out and no sound comes out. -x- Darnit.

My days of "matching" people singing is over. But at least I can get more comfortable with my wicked low vibrator voice. :D ...I actually now enjoy listening to myself sing along to people and start to prefer my voice over theirs. :3 <3

Still getting there at speaking lower for my "thank you" and stuff like that. X>X I try and my human woman programming goes "AAAAAAAAH!??!?!?!?!?" and I am immediately c o n f l i c i t e d . We have a ways to go I see. X>X;;; Ahahah...

Fun of a deeper voice on T. :D

#testosterone #post-testosterone #effects of testosterone #trans man #HRT or hormone replacement therapy #HRT #voice training #relearning singing and talking again #WOW #I'm a fucking bass?!#WHAT?!#wtf #omfg #Indi rambles #Indi talks #trans man progress

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ulyssessklein · 5 years

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10 vocal tricks to unlock your songwriting

Improve your songwriting with these ten vocal and melodic tricks.

We’ve all been there: You’ve got an amazing hook for your new song. But you freeze as you realize you have no idea what to write next!

The pride you felt just a few moments ago disappears as you struggle to write the next part; for hours, days, weeks or sometimes years. The truth is writing a song can be a very rewarding experience for a singer. It can also be one of the most painful.

Odds are, you’ll deal with writer’s block at one point or another. And even the best songwriters hit stumbling blocks when they’re writing a new song.

But rather than staying stuck, I wanted to show you some techniques to come up with your next amazing hook. As a vocal coach, I help singers improve their songs all the time. And having taught over 500 students (many of them singer/songwriters), I can promise you this:

You can beat your writer’s block and create some of your best vocal melodies yet.

Now you may feel that you’ve already tried everything: meditation, timed writings, jam sessions,…and that nothing helps. But I promise if you learn a few of these simple tricks, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to write new songs.

So today, I’ll show you 10 vocal tricks you can use to beat your writer’s block. You can use these techniques as a jumping off point whenever you’re writing a new song. Just see what works best for you and use it every time you need some inspiration.

Ready to get started? Read on…

Trick #1: Learn Your Range and Voice Type

The first step in creating an amazing vocal melody is understanding your range and voice type.

Your vocal range is a measurement of how low and how high you can sing.

For example, a common vocal range for men is from C3-C5. And a common vocal range for women is A3-A5.

Voice type is the Italian classification for your voice based on your range, vocal weight and a bunch of other factors.

Tenor and Soprano are examples of voice types.

Here’s the bottom line:

Knowing your range and voice type is important so that you know what you can expect out of your voice when you’re writing a song.

For example, if you’re a Bass and can’t sing above an E4, then you’ll want to write a melody that stays below E4.

Or if you’re a Soprano who can hit a high C, why settle for a melody that just stays on low notes?

The good news is that you can expand your vocal range. It just takes practice and some simple vocal techniques. In fact, here’s a great article on how to hit high notes without straining.

But for now, here’s how to find your vocal range today:

Go to your piano or or guitar

Find Middle C (it’s the first fret of the second string on guitar) and sing the note on an “Ah” vowel.

Next, sing each note heading downward on the “Ah” vowel until you reach your lowest note.

Write down the lowest note you can sing.

Finally, sing the Middle C on “Ah” again and head upwards until you reach your highest note.

Write down the highest note you can sing. The distance from your lowest note to your highest note is your vocal range. To find your voice type, simply compare your range with the ones listed on this voice types cheat sheet (it’s in the yellow box at the top).

Now here’s the ugly truth: Many songwriters write melodies with a very narrow vocal range.

Don’t make this mistake! If your range is larger than the melody you have so far, experiment with throwing some high notes into the mix. I promise, just knowing you can sing higher will help you write melodies you didn’t know you could!

Trick #2: Sing the Scale

Can I tell you something crazy? Almost any vocal melody can be broken down into a scale.

Even the most complicated songs usually have a vocal part that’s directly from a scale. With a little bit of ear training, you’ll hear these scales everywhere!

So if you’re stuck on a song and don’t know where to go with it, find some inspiration from a scale. All you need to do is:

1) Find the key of the song and…

2) Sing the scale for that key.

There are lots of different ways to find the key for the song you’re writing.

But one of my favorite ways to find the key of the song is to imagine that you’re ending the song and playing the last chord.

Even if you haven’t written the complete song yet, just imagine that you’re playing the final chord that ends the song.

Most likely, the chord you end on is the key you’re in.

Once you’ve found the key of the song that you’re writing, simply sing the major or minor scale for that key.

So if you’re writing a song in the key of C major, you would sing the scale for the key of C major: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C.

You can look up the notes of the major scale for any key here.

Now that you know all the notes for the key that you’re in, experiment by using different notes from this scale.

I guarantee that just starting your vocal melody from a different note will bust your songwriting block!

Trick #3: Raise the Key of the Song

Here’s the bottom line: Many singers write too low for their voice.

But if you’re only singing low notes, you’re missing out on some great opportunities to amaze your audience! Not only do high notes keep the melody exciting, but audiences love when it when a singer can hit those notes well.

The good news is it’s very easy raise the key of the song you’re singing.

If you play guitar, try using a capo to bring your song a little higher.

Start out by capoeing the first or second fret.

Or if you’re feeling adventurous, try playing some chords when you capo the fifth or even seventh fret!

If you play piano, most keyboards have a program to transpose the key higher or lower.

Just look at the user manual for your keyboard and you should find a section on how to transpose it.

Again, start small. Then try transposing up a fourth or even fifth! Finding the right key to sing in is a large part of learning how to sing. You’ll be surprised how just raising the key of the song can make it sound way different! And sometimes that’s all you need to crack the next part of your song. There’s no telling where inspiration can come from.

Trick #4: Sing It an Octave Higher

Now that you’ve experimented with raising the key, let’s try something even more extreme: Sing the melody an octave higher.

An octave is the interval, or distance, from one note of the same name to another.

So an octave is the distance from C3 to C4. Any of the notes in between (D, E, F, G, A, and B) are less than an octave away from C.

Here’s the bottom line: An octave is actually pretty far in terms of singing.

So if you’re singing a song with a melody that’s low, try singing the same melody an octave higher. Learning to sing in octaves is an important vocal technique to improve your singing.

This happens all the time in songs where the verse is low and the chorus is an octave higher.

Take a listen to the song “I’m Not the Only One” by Sam Smith:

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The verse is pretty low and the chorus is very high.

But if you listen to the music, you can see that the chorus (“You say…”) is just an octave higher than the last line of the verse (“But I know I still need you here…).

You’ll be amazed at how much more exciting just singing the same melody an octave higher will make your song sound!

Trick #5: Play the Melody on Another Instrument

Here’s the ugly truth: Most singers create vocal melodies that are pretty predictable.

That’s because the human voice doesn’t like to change notes by large leaps. In fact, it’s pretty rare to hear vocal lines that have notes that are more than a few steps apart.

But that’s not true for other instruments.

If you play guitar or piano, you’re probably playing notes all over the place. So one easy way to bust your songwriting block is to take the melody you have and play it on another instrument. If you play the melody on another instrument, not only will you feel more confident about what you’re singing, but you’ll also probably be inspired to change it a bit. That’s because another instrument will give you a different perspective on how to sing it.

Maybe you’ll decide to play the notes in a different order. Or maybe you’ll change the timing between the notes.

So experiment with another instrument to push the vocal melody forward. You’ll be surprised at how just changing the instrument changes your entire perspective on a song!

Trick #6: Reverse the Melody

People get bored with melodies very easily. So even if you have a super catchy vocal melody, you’ll probably want to change it throughout the different parts of the song. You’d be surprised how many singer/songwriters sing the exact same melody for the verse and chorus. But people need variation so they don’t get bored.

One simple trick to keep things interesting is to reverse the melody that you already have written.

Let’s say that you’ve written a melody that goes “C, D, E, and F”

To reverse the melody, simply arrange the melody in the opposite order: “F, E, D, and C”.

Songwriters use this all the time!

Take a look at the song “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers:

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The verse starts on the words “Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain” and the notes are: C, D, E, and F.

Then, F, E, D, and C.

See what he did? He just reversed the melody.

This one simple trick keeps your ear interested. And it made “Lean On Me” one of the most popular songs of all time. So if you’re stuck figuring out what melody to write next, try reversing the melody you have and see how it sounds.

Trick #7: Sing a Harmony

Can I tell you a secret? Great harmonies are the key to fantastic songwriting.

But you don’t have to be Simon and Garfunkel to use harmonies in your songwriting! In fact, you don’t even need another singer.

If you’re stuck on what to write next, try creating a melody that’s a harmony of the melody you already have.

Sound complicated? It’s really easy.

Take a look at the song “Ziggy Stardust” by David Bowie:

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In the first verse, Bowie sings “He played it left hand, but made it too far”

The notes are: “A, A, B, C, and D.”

Then “D, D, E, F#, and G.”

At first listen, it sounds like a completely different melody.

But when you look at the music, you can see that the notes have exactly the same shape and are all a fifth apart.

That means they’re just harmonies of each other.

Luckily, harmonies are really easy to write for your own songs.

All you need to know to write a harmony to your melody are:

The notes of the melody you have written and…

The notes that are a 3rd or 5th above and below those notes.

So, for example, let’s say you’ve written a melody that goes:

“C, D, E, and F”

To write a melody that’s a harmony of that line, you could start a major 3rd above the C. In this case, the note E.

So the harmony would be:

“E, F, G, and A”

You can see the most common harmonies for any note here.

So just plug in your melody and use the harmony to create a new melody.

I promise you’ll be amazed at the great songwriting ideas you can unlock!

Trick #8: Sing an Arpeggio

Singing an arpeggio is one of the easiest ways to write an amazing melody!

What is an arpeggio? An arpeggio is when you sing the notes of a chord in a sequence.

Unlike a guitar or piano, you can’t sing a chord with your voice. But you can sing each note of a chord in a row.

So if I’m playing a C chord, I could sing an arpeggio by singing C, E, and G since those are the notes that make up a C chord.

Arpeggios (or arpeggi if you want to get technical) are everywhere in pop music.

Here are just a few popular songs that have arpeggios:

The chorus of “Just Give Me a Reason” by P!nk.

The intro of “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.

The chorus of “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith.

So how do you write an arpeggio for your song?

All you need to know to sing an arpeggio is:

What chord you’re playing for the music and…

The notes that make up that chord.

Pretty easy, huh?

Music theory aficionados will know that chords are made up of a group of notes called the 1st (or Root), 3rd and a 5th.

And those notes come directly from the order that they’re played in the major scale.

Here are the major scales for each key again.

For the key of C major, for example, the major scale would be: C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C.

So if I wanted to sing a C major arpeggio, I would just pick the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the scale: C, E, and G.

Take a look at the song “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith:

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The first notes of the chorus on the words “Oh won’t you…” are C, E and G.

And what are those notes?

The notes that make up a C chord. It’s an arpeggio!

So if you’re stuck or just looking for a little inspiration in your melody, sing an arpeggio for the chord that you’re playing.

You’ll be amazed that just this simple trick of breaking down a chord into different notes will inspire you to write cool, new melodies.

Trick #9: What Would Your Favorite Artist Do?

Sometimes when you’re writing a new song, it’s good to look to your heroes for inspiration.

So, if you’re stuck on what to write next, image that the song is already famous and ask yourself what your favorite artist would do.

How would Sam Smith sing this part?

What notes would Freddie Mercury sing for this melody?

How would Adele write this chorus?

The possibilities are endless!

And imagining your favorite singers’ approaches to those notes is a fantastic way to get you unstuck because it feels like it’s no longer YOU writing the melody; it’s them.

This tends to work better the more you listen to different kinds of music. You never know where inspiration will come from.

But when you’re looking for inspiration from the greats, make sure that you’re using them for a jumping off point; not to write your song for you. There’s a difference between inspiration and stealing. So even if you create a melody similar to one of your hero’s, be sure to make it your own.

Trick #10: Mix and Match Chords and Melodies

One great way to find inspiration is to mix and match different chords and melodies together.

Sound complicated? It’s super easy!

Simply take a melody that you love and combine it with the chords from another song you love.

Here’s how you do it:

Pick a melody from one of your favorite songs

Go to your piano or guitar and play the melody on your instrument.

Now pick some chords from a song that you’ve always loved.

You can easily look up the chords to your favorite songs on sites like Ultimate Guitar.

Finally, combine the melody that you played with the chords that you found.

Odds are that the melodies and the chords you chose are in different keys and may clash a bit.

But don’t let that stop you! Instead, let the noise inspire you to write something new.

Just be sure to change the chords and melody when you’re writing your own song.

You’ll be surprised how just putting the notes in a slightly different context will totally unlock your songwriting!

Congratulations

By now, you should have all the tricks you need to write an amazing melody.

You won’t believe just how easy it is to write a beautiful song just by experimenting with the notes a bit!

So if you’re feeling lost or frustrated on what to write next, try one of these vocal tricks to get you unstuck.

I can’t wait to hear what you come up with!

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