To: vocalist
Date sent: Wed, 15 Dec 1999 14:49:08 -0600
Subject: Tenor timbre vs baritone timbre
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>



"Oluseun Ekunwe" wrote:
>I can virtually produce any timbre I want(silver, bronze, leather,gold,
>paper etc :)) ), so should I go ahead and train to be a tenor or should I
>follow advice and "wait and see" while I sing baritone?

seun,
You are not the only poster recently who has stated this. Are you
basing this statement on listening to recordings of yourself? Or do you
base it on feeling and hearing your voice as you sing?

The human voice is capable of a fantastic array of colors and
interpretive modifications. Nonetheless, each voice has unique, distinctive
core that undergirds all the rest. This is your timbre, it makes your voice
recognizable. A good pleasing timbre that is present consistently in all
your singing is one indication of good technique. It is not easy (or even
possible?) to really change your basic timbre; it can be free or you can
inhibit it in various ways. It is hard for me to see someone write that
they change their timbre and not think that in some cases they are singing
below their potential.

In my work to develop a tenor solo voice, I have spent a lot of time
shedding myself of making my voice sound like I think it should sound if I
were a tenor, and instead simply singing freely and being a tenor because
that is the voice God gave me. Sometimes we just need to get out of our own
way. Based on your results at your audition, you may not be mired in this
as deeply as I have been.

Tenor timbre and baritone timbre are only concepts anyway. Your timbre
is your own, and is real. Tenor timbre describes an amalgamation of
qualities of those who have successfully worked the tenor repertoire (and
as such is a valuable concept). Most real timbres, even those of tenors,
will vary from the standard in some ways.

Many baritones sing glorious high notes, capable of making tenors
quite envious. The other difference besides timbre is tessitura, what
subset of notes exhibit your best voice quality and are comfortable to sing
consistently. There is a big difference between a song that shows off a
couple big high notes and one that floats around in the top of your range
the whole time.

Thanks,

Karl Rasmussen
krasmuss-at-vvm.com