Finding a singer with baritone to bass range

[Texas_Blues]

I've been taking voice lessons, and Im a low baritone to bass range, and I can get up to some treble stuff but I still need work on that. Ive been practicing with Beatles and John Frusciante songs, but is there any singer that's not a tenor singer. The only one Ive been able to find is Eddie Vedder.

Thanks..

[re-animator]

Elvis, Jim Morrison, Hendrix, Morrisey, Danzig, David Bowie, Brian May, and the Robin Trower band (james dewar), me....


some of them stray into tenor, but they're mostly baritone-range.

[Mr Savage]

Chris Cornell and Jim Morrison are two of the best baritone rock singers.

It is tougher to pull off because you are singing in the same register as the chords.

Frank Sinatra was a baritone, as were many other crooners. If you are willing to give that stuff a try, there is some great singing to be found.

And of course, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker.

[re-animator]

good luck trying to sing chris cornell stuff if you're a baritone though! his range is totally unreal. i guess that's why he's chris cornell and i'm not.

[gixxerrock]

Billy Idol

[scottlr]

Barry White ;)

[GregoryL]

Check out Greg Brown, a great baritone folk singer ... incredible voice.

[BIGGERSTAFF]

Surprisingly, Rob Halford sounds pretty good in the baritone range, even though he's known more for his high range.

[Derek Q]

T-Bone Walker
Nat King Cole
Ray Charles
Otis Redding
Charles Brown
Fats Domino
Brook Benton
Lou Rawls
Albert King

Those are some of the ones off the top of my head. Still too early for me...

[John Thigpen]

The guy with the Crash Test Dummies has a very deep voice.

John

[guitarslinger21]

Morrissey and Danzig were the first ones about whom I thought:dude.

[Tuco]

The guy with the Crash Test Dummies has a very deep voice.

John

Yup, that be Brad Roberts, I believe.

Also Gavin Rossdale of Bush is a baritone.

[Tbone135]

Mac Powell of Third Day has a great natural baritone.

[Ken Ho]

I'm in a similar position, and singing along to stuff, I find that most songs drift into tenor range at some point, even Ed Vedder. Which is where Eb tuning comes in handy, giving youi a semi-tone's worth of help at the high end of the scale.
I'm surprised how high I can go at times. I've worked my way up to a G for exercises, though it's a struggle. Singing E/F in a song is now easy for me, whereas when I started it was frankly impossible. This from a 44 yr male with no history of singing competence. When I started, I was thinking more along the lines of Long John Baldry than Axel or Bono.

[Rufus]

I'm in the same boat also. Most rock/pop/folk singing is out of my natural range (although some can be transposed without sounding too strange). The capo is your friend as you can capo up some and then transpose down an octave.

Aside from the suggestions made by others, don't forget Johnny Cash. Several country types (Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, etc.) have pretty deep voices as well, if you like that stuff.

[fusion58]

Pat Travers
Steve Lukather

[Kaviler]

Baritone voices are more built to produce a darker edge then a tenor and work well in romance type songs and ballads. However if your looking to rock and roll with it there are a couple of things you can do to help.

1. Transpose the songs into a lower key.
Typically i found droping a normal tenor like billy joel or goo goo dolls down a third is about right for the average baritone. An exceptionally high tenor like aerosmith however might need a drop closer to a fifth.

2. Take lessons to develop your voice. I have been studying voice for 8 years now and I am a baritone bass that can sqeak out a tenor high B. Its important to point out though that most baritone voices won't stick well above the staff but I firmly believe ANY baritone who studys voice for long enough can at least produce a clean A natural.

[tjs]

Terry Kath and Robert Lamm (Chicago)
Richard Manuel (The Band)

[stevel]

I've been taking voice lessons, and Im a low baritone to bass range, and I can get up to some treble stuff but I still need work on that. Ive been practicing with Beatles and John Frusciante songs, but is there any singer that's not a tenor singer. The only one Ive been able to find is Eddie Vedder.

Thanks..

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Hootie and the Blowfish guy (Darius Rucker?). He's probably the most successful baritone to bass singer who actually sings in his range.

Remember, a lot of the cats - even Vedder, that are being mentioned really do get up in the tenor - and alto range.

Another good one - excluding the yelps - is David Lee Roth. Listen to Ice Cream Man. Yes, he too gets up way high, and screams and such, but when he's singing Baritone, he's Baritone.

Someone mentioned Brad Roberts from Crash Test Dummies. I'd agree there as he really sings within his range, but he's actually more of a bass.

There's a lot of rock cats being mentioned though - I bet there are far more Country singers who sang/sing baritone (even though daddy sang bass and momma sang tenor).

HTH,
Steve

[Shiny McShine]

Collective Soul

[Texas_Blues]

Baritone voices are more built to produce a darker edge then a tenor and work well in romance type songs and ballads. However if your looking to rock and roll with it there are a couple of things you can do to help.

1. Transpose the songs into a lower key.
Typically i found droping a normal tenor like billy joel or goo goo dolls down a third is about right for the average baritone. An exceptionally high tenor like aerosmith however might need a drop closer to a fifth.

2. Take lessons to develop your voice. I have been studying voice for 8 years now and I am a baritone bass that can sqeak out a tenor high B. Its important to point out though that most baritone voices won't stick well above the staff but I firmly believe ANY baritone who studys voice for long enough can at least produce a clean A natural.
Thanks, yeah I've been taking lessons for a few weeks now... I've been practicing using John Frusciante as a model and Eddie Vedder.

And thanks everyone else who provided a singer I'll check them out.

[Ken Ho]

Baritone voices are more built to produce a darker edge then a tenor and work well in romance type songs and ballads. However if your looking to rock and roll with it there are a couple of things you can do to help.

1. Transpose the songs into a lower key.
Typically i found droping a normal tenor like billy joel or goo goo dolls down a third is about right for the average baritone. An exceptionally high tenor like aerosmith however might need a drop closer to a fifth.

2. Take lessons to develop your voice. I have been studying voice for 8 years now and I am a baritone bass that can sqeak out a tenor high B. Its important to point out though that most baritone voices won't stick well above the staff but I firmly believe ANY baritone who studys voice for long enough can at least produce a clean A natural.

I hope so. I'm up to about an F# to G. I've only had lessons for about 6/12, so there is hope for me to get to an A yet. That is my target pitch.
Prior to lessons, I could not sing at all, so I have to agree that voice lessons are an incredibly valuable invesdtment.:dude

[Ken Ho]

Thanks, yeah I've been taking lessons for a few weeks now... I've been practicing using John Frusciante as a model and Eddie Vedder.

And thanks everyone else who provided a singer I'll check them out.

My teacher uses a lot of musical theatre written by guys like Sondheim etc. Those professional songwriters really knew how to use intevals for dramatic effect and are typically more sophisticated than pop stuff.
She also gives me a lot of traditional spirituals to work with, which seem simple, but can be quite demanding. The voices that made them were often exceptional.
Frank Sinatra as well, not mentioned yet. You may not want to sing his stuff, but wonderful training.
If you want a list of songs I've done, PM me.

[Ken Ho]

I typed this out in reply to a PM, but as I did, I thought it was a useful list for anyone else wondering

My singing lesson songs....
They are in the order that she has given them to me. Each one had a specific task. They tend to move your voice around a bit. A couple she got me to sing down a tone, to help me.
The other singer I thought of on the way home is JAmes Hetfield. I was listening to Unforgiven II, brilliant song for your range. Metallica have a huge catalogue, but the Load/Reload and GArage Inc albums have the best written songs including stuff like Tuesday's Gone, Turn the Page, Loverman ( hey that reminds me, Nick Cave, another awesome low baritone). Stuff like Mama Said, Bleeding Me, King Nothing, Fade to Black, Low MAn's Lyric, Memory Remains etc are all great bass/baritone songs.

Fire and Rain - JAmes Taylor
Tedars in Heaven - Clapaton (down 5 semi-tones)
When I Fall in Love - Heyman/Young, sung by NAt King Cole, another fantastic baritone wiht a huge catalogue of beautiful songs
All the Way - Cahn/Van Heusen, sung by Frank Sinatra
Unchained Melody - Zaret/North, made famous by the Righteous Brothers, of course
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot- arranged by HT Burleigh, this arangement drops down to the minor key for one line and then back up to the major, I learned a lot of control from nailing that.
Yesterday - Lennon/Mccartyney ( down a tone)
MOrning Has Broken - Cat Stevens/Farjeon, she had me sing it down a tone, but I also did it as written in C, cos I accompanied myself on piano, and it was too hard to read one thing and play another. I really developed a LOT of tone while learning that one.
Tonight - Sondheim/Bernstein, from Westside Story
Drink With Me - from Le Miserables
Johnny One Note - Hart/Rodgers, every male baritone must learn this song, cos it teaches you humility, but also has a heap of great interval training and style jumps to keep you on your toes.
No-One Knows the Trouble I've Seen - another Burleigh arranged spiritual
On the Street Where I Live - Lerner/Loewe, from My Fair Lady
Anyone Can Whistle - Steven Sondheim, from the musical of the same name, an very difficult song, cleverly written
Dulcinea - Darion/Leigh, my favourite song she has given me, from The Man From La Mancha
Joshua Fight the BAttle of Jericho - another Af-Am song, arranged by Arthur Loam
Deep River - another spiritual from teh Burleigh collection.

There are a heap of spirituals there, but you know, the tradition of singing in church is the BEST training for a vocalist. It almost makes me want to join a church choir just so I can sing in high places.

[Clrtxf]

Geddy Lee, Jeff Buckley, Anthony Gre-OH! Baritones...sorry dude. I didn't know those existed!

[burningyen]

Scott Weiland/Stone Temple Pilots/Velvet Revolver
Lou Reed/Velvet Underground

[Jon Silberman]

Me!

[no1yuno]

Trace Adkins!!

[re-animator]

songs in the key of morrisey.

[All Hallows]

Oh man, just wanted to say DANZIG rocks!! :banana

[Shiny McShine]

I just heard an old song called The Pusher and realized that Steppenwolf's John Kay had a baritone voice... pretty husky sounding too.

[Texas_Blues]

Would Noah Hunt from KWS be in baritone range?

[Shiny McShine]

Iggy Pop has a baritone voice also. Check out that tune Candy with the chick from the B-52's. It's not a dead on harmony but it works and people would recognize it.

[Laroosco!]

Would Noah Hunt from KWS be in baritone range?


Yes.

Most rock singers are somewhere in the baritone label.

Just because a baritone voice sits in the middle ground between bass and tenor doesn't mean that they can't go out side of that. Chris Cornell is a Baritone, Layne Staley was a baritone also and both have(had) great ranges high and low

[rich2k4]

Billy Ocean, Rob Thomas

[fuzz_factor]

This has been an interesting thread. I think that my voice falls pretty squarely within the baritone range, but I'm trying to figure out for sure.

Please clear up any misconceptions or errors in the following:

According to this image:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Range_of_baritone_voice_marked_on_keyboard.s vg

a baritone voice falls between the G below the treble clef to the the E at the top of the treble clef (according to the wikipedia page, this can vary a bit).

Also according to the wikipedia, the guitar actually sounds an octave lower than written on the treble staff.

So, the lowest note I can easily sing along with on my guitar is G on the third fret of the low E string. This is also the low end of the baritone range. I can make it up to around the open high E string (top end of the baritone range), but with maybe a bit of a struggle.

Does that make me a natural baritone?

Thanks!

[Texas_Blues]

Billy Ocean, Rob Thomas
What range is this cover Rob did?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2116Y2v6yY

[Ken Ho]

This has been an interesting thread. I think that my voice falls pretty squarely within the baritone range, but I'm trying to figure out for sure.

Please clear up any misconceptions or errors in the following:

According to this image:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Range_of_baritone_voice_marked_on_keyboard.s vg

a baritone voice falls between the G below the treble clef to the the E at the top of the treble clef (according to the wikipedia page, this can vary a bit).

Also according to the wikipedia, the guitar actually sounds an octave lower than written on the treble staff.

So, the lowest note I can easily sing along with on my guitar is G on the third fret of the low E string. This is also the low end of the baritone range. I can make it up to around the open high E string (top end of the baritone range), but with maybe a bit of a struggle.

Does that make me a natural baritone?

Thanks!

Sounds like it.
I'm a bit confused about that whole guitar plays an octave lower than written. I often accompany myself, and plays the same notes as written as my teacher lays on tape for me.
I can currently get to about an F# and I'm aiming to get to A before I'm done. That will cover everything but Axl !!

[Texas_Blues]

Also, I need help finding my "Head Voice" in low volumes, cause when I jam with a drummer or whoever, Im able to get the sensation in my forehead producing head voice, but in low acoustic volume with myself I find it harder to do so.

[Shiny McShine]

X

Of course, he's working with a female doing harmonies (of sorts).

[fuzz_factor]

Sounds like it.
I'm a bit confused about that whole guitar plays an octave lower than written. I often accompany myself, and plays the same notes as written as my teacher lays on tape for me.
I can currently get to about an F# and I'm aiming to get to A before I'm done. That will cover everything but Axl !!

I think what they mean is, if you play a middle C, as written on the treble clef, on guitar, then play the same note on a piano, the guitar will actually produce a note an octave lower.

Anyone, is this true? I don't have a piano or keyboard...

[Ken Ho]

Yeah, I get what they meant, but it still doesn't make sense to me, as I play the same notes in the same octave.
I dunno, it could be true, because it is very hard to distinguish between notes if they are the same even if they are an octave apart.
I do know that sometimes the high guitar notes are written down on the staff, rather than on high ledger lines where they belong, and you see "8va" or "16va" in small script to indicate that they need to be played an octave or 2 higher. Maybe that is what they are referriing to. I think it is.
eg the E on the 24th fret of the first string might be notated at the top space of the treble staff, rather than on 6 or so ledger lines where it really belongs, with 16va noted near it. Middle C on the other hand, will be in the same place for piano and guitar, and be the same note.

[Kaviler]

Yes.

Most rock singers are somewhere in the baritone label.

Just because a baritone voice sits in the middle ground between bass and tenor doesn't mean that they can't go out side of that. Chris Cornell is a Baritone, Layne Staley was a baritone also and both have(had) great ranges high and low

Actually this brings up a good point that most rock singers actually do sing in the baritone range which actually goes as high as an Ab. However most rock singers are actually tenors that dont like to sing at the top of their voices so it produces alot different of a sound then a baritone. This is why you might think you have alot different of a voice when the reality is your probably only about 3 half steps down from them.

So what im trying to say is you can sing most rock in key but you have to find your own sounds or your gonna sound like a dying cat. I use to some select offspring before and could sound ok but my voice would horse by the end of the night. Make sure you dont try to whine and scream like alot of tenors do when you get up to the top of your range.

[re-animator]

today I was debating with my sis whether Robert Plant was actually a baritone with an extended falsetto range, or a tenor with an extended bass range

[Texas_Blues]

I was wondering when writing an original song, how do you figure out how your gonna sing it note wise?

[Mr Savage]

Guitar plays an octave lower than written. Middle C is not located on the same place of the staff for both guitar and piano (or other instruments). Middle C is on the first ledger line below the staff, but guitar sounds middle C on the third space.

If you are singing from treble clef you are most likely transposing down an octave just like guitar.

[arthur rotfeld]

I think what they mean is, if you play a middle C, as written on the treble clef, on guitar, then play the same note on a piano, the guitar will actually produce a note an octave lower.

Anyone, is this true? I don't have a piano or keyboard...

This is true.

The B-string first fret C is the note that will match the frequency of middle C on the piano. The C we read and play on 3rd fret of the A string is an octave lower than the piano's middle C.

The bass also transposes at the octave. So even though the Low E is notated one leger line below the bass staff, it sounds an octave lower than that.

-----------
Sorry, Savage. Should have known someone would have fielded this question......

[bluesbreaker59]

I'm a strong baritone singer, and have to really work hard to hit notes on certain songs. For example, I sing "Some Kind of Wonderful" in my current band, in like a tenor range D, its HELL on my throat. My natural range (speaking voice) is a low D, thus why I use Open D tuning for slide. Another tough one for me is Buck Owens stuff, he sat somewhere between a tenor and bass I'd say, like Act Naturally is a major pain in G.

As for singers that I find I can do a good job on...

Johnny Cash (I love his stuff)
Merle Haggard
Junior Brown
Red Simpson
Dave Dudley
Greg Brown
Elmore James
Kim Wilson
Fats Domino
Dale Watson
Muddy Waters

Lots of folks say I sound just like Johnny Cash, so that's cool I guess.

I can get down to about a low B, so my low range is nice, but sometimes I struggle getting up to say C at the 8th fret on a guitar.

Male country singers are great, because most of them were bass / baritone singers.

[Texas_Blues]

Billy Ocean, Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas is hilarious on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

[Kaviler]

today I was debating with my sis whether Robert Plant was actually a baritone with an extended falsetto range, or a tenor with an extended bass range

Robert Plant, Journey and other old school screaming rockstars have a interesting voice style only works with sound engineering and amplification. If you were to sit them down with you in your basement and listen to them acoustically their voices would sound funny and barely be audable. If you notice, Plant doesnt use his falsetto in Stairway until the song moves away from an acoustic style.

This is actually called a re-enforced falsetto and is better for light tenors because their voice already sounds airy. Baritones actually have better sounding falsettos but its harder to mesh it with the main voice because theres so much more bass.

To answer your question in a better way though, you can distiguish a baritone from a tenor by listening for the singers screaming range. If you listen closely the voice will change in texture at around E for baritones or G for tenors. This is why its bad to try to sound like a tenor at an E or F even though you have the note. When you sing in that range make sure you sound like a baritone and not like the album that has been sound engineered

[Texas_Blues]

I'm in a indie band as well as a blues/rock band. I was wondering if this band "The Libertines" usually sing in baritone. Like in this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpk0mrlfYiE

[Ken Ho]

Has anyone mentioned Mark Knopfler yet ??
Bleeding obvious, but I kept forgetting him.
James Hetfield too, but I think I mentioned him.

[Texas_Blues]

Frank Sinatra?

[Ken Ho]

Frank Sinatra?

Yeah, Frank. But I mentioned him ages ago.
Mikael Akerveldt

[Texas_Blues]

Oh yeah I just checked past posts, thanks. What are good albums? I have In the Wee Small Hours and his Christmas album.

[Ken Ho]

I have no idea. I'm not really a fan. I just did a song wiht my singing teacher. I think Frank is pretty mich Frank. I 'm sure there are heaps of compilations.
I've been using youtube a lot lately to research stuff and find good songs. I'm turning into abit of a youtube junkie actually.
NAt King Cole too, heaps of great stuff, all baritone.

[fuzz_factor]

Oh yeah I just checked past posts, thanks. What are good albums? I have In the Wee Small Hours and his Christmas album.

I really like the albums Frank did with Count Basie, particularly It Might As Well Be Swing. His singing is great and the band really swings. Plus, you get the added benefit of Freddie Green's comping. :band

[Rusty G.]

I think that Scott Stapp from the old Creed was a baritone singer.

You know. . .Chris Cornell also has a deep voice, but his range is incredible. . .one of my favorite all time singers.

Also, the old Creedence Clearwater stuff, John Fogerty seemed like he had a deep voice that he just brought upstairs. Listen to some of their old stuff. He had a HUGE voice, and used it like an instrument.

[Texas_Blues]

Alright cool, any tips on harmonizing with a melody etc...

[r58black]

Billy Idol is most probably a first Tenor.

Ian Gillan is probably the greatest Rock and Roll baritone.

Other noteworthy baritones are Greg Lake (ELP) and David Gahan.

[cmc2878]

Robert Plant, Journey and other old school screaming rockstars have a interesting voice style only works with sound engineering and amplification.


+1000!

There is a huge difference between singing acoustically and singing amplified. There are pros and cons to both, but require different techniques.

It's very hard to eek out falsetto for an extended period without amplification. The physics of the vocal folds just aren't there.