news.bbc.co.uk— Yma Sumac, the Peruvian soprano famous for her range, has died. Her voice spanned more than four octaves, but why is that so unusual?
Nov 5, 2008View in Crawl 4
You make a good point about what people are comfortable listening to. Billie Holiday was a very influential jazz singe who had a vocal range of just a bit over one octave. She had a limited number of notes she could sing but her phrasing was special and had a major influence on singers who followed. Her music was important in spite of her limited vocal range. It may be too that she had to be more innovative in her use of phrasing to overcome her lack of range.
I have a 3 1/2 octave vocal range..almost there! On a good day it's 4 though! But that only happened like...once. A3 - A6 was when that happened. I don't think that'll happen again. I've heard this woman sing though, it's ridiculous. I can't even squeak half those notes let alone sing them.
A range of 4 or more octaves is unusual: having 4 octaves all actually worth listening to is extremely rare. The article quotes a vocal coach saying that most people are capable of 3 octaves. I know I am, but actual singing range, about 2... maybe 2? on a good day. Yma Sumac recorded in a range exceeding 4 octaves but claimed to have 5 altogether and I believe her. She was one of a kind: not only an outstanding soprano range but probably the best low growl I've ever heard from a singer of either gender.Freddie Mercury had a winning combination of quantity and more importantly quality in his range.My favourite living singer with a range exceeding 4 octaves is Vitas <a class="user" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkRwX90485Y">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkRwX90485Y</a>
destroyposeursNov 6, 2008
The people digging you down obviously haven't listened anything this tragically short lived singer has put out. Their loss.Here's another one for anyone curious:<a class="user" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm8JoMhgjRw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm8JoMhgjRw</a>
tdclark23Nov 6, 2008
You make a good point about what people are comfortable listening to. Billie Holiday was a very influential jazz singe who had a vocal range of just a bit over one octave. She had a limited number of notes she could sing but her phrasing was special and had a major influence on singers who followed. Her music was important in spite of her limited vocal range. It may be too that she had to be more innovative in her use of phrasing to overcome her lack of range.
chriscimNov 6, 2008
My favorite...Lover you should've come over<a class="user" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq9R9Iu4EEs">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq9R9Iu4EEs</a>
singingsoxNov 7, 2008
I have a 3 1/2 octave vocal range..almost there! On a good day it's 4 though! But that only happened like...once. A3 - A6 was when that happened. I don't think that'll happen again. I've heard this woman sing though, it's ridiculous. I can't even squeak half those notes let alone sing them.
orowlandFeb 4, 2012
Sorry, but A3 to A6 makes a three-octave span, not four...
Closed AccountNov 7, 2008
I was all over that till I read this comment. Patton is mostly a madman,
kaileycullenJan 20, 2009
Alexz Johnson has a four-octave range !:D
siddlesApr 14, 2009
You'd be surprised... <a class="user" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiBPELFRyf8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiBPELFRyf8</a>
siddlesApr 14, 2009
A range of 4 or more octaves is unusual: having 4 octaves all actually worth listening to is extremely rare. The article quotes a vocal coach saying that most people are capable of 3 octaves. I know I am, but actual singing range, about 2... maybe 2? on a good day. Yma Sumac recorded in a range exceeding 4 octaves but claimed to have 5 altogether and I believe her. She was one of a kind: not only an outstanding soprano range but probably the best low growl I've ever heard from a singer of either gender.Freddie Mercury had a winning combination of quantity and more importantly quality in his range.My favourite living singer with a range exceeding 4 octaves is Vitas <a class="user" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkRwX90485Y">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkRwX90485Y</a>
afr00ditaJul 6, 2009
Thank God someone said that Freddie had range of four octave...
donlorenzo20Oct 1, 2009
So live without it then. She's a dynamic singer with a great range. Deal with it