Rihanna: Voice Profile and Vocal Range (2022) - The Pop Smarts (2024)

Vocal Range: C3 – G5 – E6[1]https://therangeplanet.proboards.com/thread/1824/rihanna

Vocal Fach: Lyric Mezzo-Soprano (3 octaves and a perfect fourth)

Vocal Rating: Singer

Analysis: Rihanna hardly needs an introduction: one of the best-selling musical artists of the millennium and of all time, she is one of the most well-recognized names in music. Discovered at the age of 15, she has since spent the majority of her life as a quintessential pop star and training her voice to become a more central pillar of her artistry. While initially dismissed as a vocalist early in her career, she has since garnered more praise as she has developed her voice and confidence through practice and discipline.

Various sources often contradict Rihanna’s vocal fach; she’s labeled as a contralto, mezzo-soprano, and soprano by various sources. While not quickly identifiable, Rihanna seems to have been a light-lyric soprano for most of her career. While her voice is low and husky at times, she is certainly not a contralto as her lower register lacks the bite and her timbre has a decidedly feminine, not androgynous, quality. In fact, her voice is quite often bright and girlish. Many would dismiss her soprano classification because of the weakness of her mixed voice and consequentially the upper register, but this seems to be due to insufficient vocal coordination and breath support rather than a lack of natural inclination. Even within the same studio recording, Rihanna can display a dark, womanly timbre but also a bright, girlish one depending on the approach (“What Now”). Her most recent performances during the Anti era show a darker, more womanly timbre, along with a strong lower register, suggesting a possible transition to a mezzo-soprano voice.

One of her signature traits as a vocalist that she developed in the early 2010s is the use of overdrive or compression. This technique is prominently featured in her 2012 hit “Diamonds,” as well as the Anti ballads “Love On The Brain” and “Higher.” While she intentionally introduces this tension as a stylistic choice, it is more taxing on the voice than is technically necessary. Rihanna’s voice is also quite nasal at times, a polarizing trait for listeners but one that seems to help with her vocal production and compensate for the extra tension that she introduces. While none of these traits are necessarily technically admirable, they help her achieve a unique style.[2]Sam Johnson, Vocal Analysis of Rihanna’s Best Live Vocals (Voice Teacher Reacts) As she’s grown more confident in her vocals, she has begun to experiment more with tonal colors, varying between this aforementioned forward, nasal placement and a lower, backward one, in addition to the use of distortion.[3]Beth Roars, Vocal Coach reacts to Rihanna – Love On The Brain (Live)

Her lower register is nicely colored down to around D3, and has grown stronger over the years. As she ascends into the fifth octave, however, the shortcomings of her technique begin to show, losing consistency and polish around her bridge at C5. With the right training and discipline, she would very likely be able to develop this part of her voice better and not only navigate this transition but also sing above it. While she sang up to G5 in her early career, she recently tends to only belt up to D5.

Overall Rihanna is a vocalist who has worked hard to harness her vocal prowess over the years. While she was an unpolished performer early in her career as a teenager, she has since grown into a stronger, more confident vocalist.

What do you think of Rihanna’s voice? Would you add anything to our analysis? Let us know by commenting below!

What is Rihanna’s vocal range?

Rihanna’s vocal range is three octaves and a major third, spanning C3 – G5 – E6.

What is Rihanna’s voice type or vocal fach?

Rihanna was a light lyric soprano for most of her career but seems to have developed recently into a mezzo-soprano.

How many octaves can Rihanna sing?

Rihanna’s vocal range is three octaves and a major third, spanning C3 – G5 – E6.

3 Octaves Mezzo-Soprano Rihanna Singer

Rihanna: Voice Profile and Vocal Range (2022) - The Pop Smarts (2024)

FAQs

What vocal range is Rihanna? ›

Rihanna's voice spans nearly 3 octaves. Her range can go as low as C3 to An Eb6 in a heavy belt and as high as a B5 in her head voice. She may have stretched beyond these notes in live performance adlibs and key changes.

Who has the highest vocal range in pop? ›

But it's Mariah Carey who takes the prize for the largest vocal range of all. She can reach a low F2 and hit an unbelievable G7, a note that dolphins would envy, and that only some dogs can hear.

Who has the highest voice scale? ›

Soprano: this is the highest singing voice, with the highest tessitura. It is also the most common female voice. Sopranos are given prominent singing roles, and are often the protagonists of the opera.

What is Christina Aguilera octave range? ›

Her range. Christina has a phenomenal range, spanning four octaves from around C3 to C7.

What is Beyonce's octave range? ›

Beyoncé has a vocal range of around 3 to 3.5 octaves, which puts her slightly behind a vintage Mariah Carey but on par with singers like Tina Turner and Michael Jackson.

Does Rihanna have vibrato? ›

Her vibrato has become very well developed and rolling. Negatives: Her voice, especially live, becomes nasal. She also can miss notes pitch-wise, and in earlier recordings be off key.

Which pop singer has perfect pitch? ›

Some of the greatest classical composers, including Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Handel all had perfect pitch; and it's not so rare in the pop world either. Mariah Carey has it, as did Michael Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby.

What singers can hit 7 octaves? ›

The seventh octave is the range of notes between C7 and C8. It is easier for very high coloratura sopranos to sing in this octave, but some people who are capable of singing in the bass range (like singers Adam Lopez, Virgo Degan, Nicola Sedda or Dimash Kudaibergen) can do it.

Who is the best female voice of all time? ›

Aretha Franklin

The Queen of Soul was unrivalled for decades when it came to having the best singing voice on the planet.

What is the rarest female voice type? ›

Contraltos are arguably the rarest of female voice types and they possess a tone so dark they often give the men a run for their money. If mezzos are like clarinets, contraltos are more like bass clarinets.

Who can hit all 8 octaves? ›

Based on the findings, Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose has demonstrated the greatest vocal range in studio. Mariah Carey comes in second, followed by Prince, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Christina Aguilera and David Bowie.

What is the highest vocal note female? ›

Soprano: the highest female voice, being able to sing C4 (middle C) to C6 (high C), and possibly higher. Mezzo-soprano: a female voice between A3 (A below middle C) and A5 (2nd A above middle C). Contralto: the lowest female voice, F3 (F below middle C) to E5 (2nd E above Middle C).

How many octaves was Whitney Houston's range? ›

Houston's range spanned five octaves and her voice was plush, vibrant and often spectacular. She could pour on the exuberant flourishes of gospel or peal a simple pop chorus, sing sweetly or unleash a sultry rasp.

What was Mariah Carey octave range? ›

Mariah Carey, known for her extraordinary whistle notes and five-octave range, has a voice that people have been obsessed with for years. And she has an exceptional way of producing it: through and with the help of nodules – a word that would bring fear into the hearts of most singers – on her vocal cords.

What is the octave range of Celine Dion? ›

The French Canadian diva Celine Dion has a beautiful resonant belt across 3-octaves with a lovely lower range. She has quite a nasal quality which adds to her distinctiveness but isn't to everyone's taste.

What is Michael Jackson octave range? ›

Either way, he still has a 4 octave range.

What was Aretha Franklin octave range? ›

Aretha Franklin, the legendary Queen of Soul, is dead at 76

Franklin's four-octave range and mastery of melisma made her a force to be reckoned with both on record and on the stage.

Did Rihanna have vocal training? ›

Rihanna has gotten vocal lessons from fellow musician Ne-Yo.

Although she never received formal vocal training, Rihanna did take informal lessons from fellow R&B singer Ne-Yo in 2007. "When I'm in the studio, he'll tell me how to breathe and stuff," she told MTV that year.

What type of pop does Rihanna sing? ›

Rihanna, byname of Robyn Rihanna Fenty, (born February 20, 1988, St. Michael parish, Barbados), Barbadian pop and rhythm-and-blues (R&B) singer who became a worldwide star in the early 21st century, known for her distinctive and versatile voice and for her fashionable appearance.

Why is vibrato so hard? ›

Why is vibrato so difficult? Vibrato is considered difficult because fingers naturally want to tense up so it becomes difficult to relax hands and not squeeze the neck or on the fingerboard. It also won't sound good at first, which might be discouraging.

Did Whitney Houston have perfect pitch? ›

What fans remember most was the raw emotion that came out with every note she sang and that like Ella and Mariah, she had that ability to create vocal rhythms within scat singing. Whitney had perfect pitch which led her to success after success with that unique, often emotional style to every song she ever recorded.

Did Michael Jackson have perfect pitch? ›

Jackson had several incredible skills, like beatboxing, singing falsetto, and a perfect pitch. One of the more interesting parts of his voice was how high it was. According to close friends and accomplices, Jackson actually had a deep voice when he spoke normally (which was almost never).

What singer can sing the highest? ›

Which Singers Can Hit the Highest Notes?
  1. Mariah Carey.
  2. Jonas Kaufmann.
  3. Ariana Grande.
  4. Luciano Pavarotti.
  5. Christina Aguilera.
  6. Prince.
  7. Maria Callas.
  8. Axl Rose.
Aug 28, 2021

What female singers can hit 5 octaves? ›

5 Female Singers with the Largest Vocal Range
  • Mariah Carey. With her 5-octave vocal range and her ability to reach notes in the 7th octave vocal range as well just go back, it should come as no surprise that Mariah is the top. ...
  • Christina Aguilera. ...
  • Hayley Williams (Paramore) ...
  • Celine Dion. ...
  • Beyoncé
Apr 3, 2018

What is a female tenor called? ›

A contralto's vocal range is almost identical to that of a countertenor, while a woman who sings lower still might be called contralto profundo, equivalent to a male tenor, or even contralto basso, equivalent to a baritone, but all these distinctions are full of variation.

Who can sing the lowest note? ›

Tim Storms (born August 28, 1972) is an American singer and composer. He holds the Guinness World Record for both the "lowest note produced by a human" and the "widest vocal range".

What is the most famous voice? ›

1. Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech is just as powerful today as it was in 1963, and for good reason: His voice. ...
  • We bet you read “I have a dream” in Martin Luther King's voice each and every time too–it's unforgettable. ...
  • Not an expert on making the most of different pitches yourself?

Who is the most famous singer in the world? ›

Popularity rankingArtistTour dates
01Drake5 concerts
02Rihanna0 concerts
03Coldplay52 concerts
04Eminem0 concerts
94 more rows

Which type of voice is more attractive? ›

There is also abundant evidence that women prefer men with a deep voice, while men prefer women with a high voice. Attractive male voices are around 96 Hz and the most attractive women voices are up to 280 Hz.

What singer has a unique voice? ›

If you try to think of singers with unique voices, a few might come to mind: from Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, Axl Rose and Nina Simone to Bjork, Amy Winehouse, Beyonce, Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Jeff Buckley...

How to find my voice type? ›

How to Find Your Voice Type
  1. Warm up. Before doing any type of singing, it's vitally important to do a vocal warm up, particularly when singing near the edges of our vocal range. ...
  2. Find your lowest note. ...
  3. Find your highest note. ...
  4. Compare your lowest and highest note.

Who is the best male singer of all time? ›

We've ranked who we reckon are the greatest male singers of all time, in terms of ability, pitch and power.
...
The 20 best male singers of all time, ranked in order of pure...
  • Al Green. ...
  • Sam Cooke. ...
  • Otis Redding. ...
  • Frank Sinatra. ...
  • Nat King Cole. ...
  • Michael Jackson. ...
  • George Michael. ...
  • Freddie Mercury.
Jan 3, 2023

How many octaves could Michael Jackson sing? ›

Michael Jackson was one of the few singers who had great vocal range though he didn't have the largest vocal range . But it was more than 4 octaves which is really rare for male singers . His voice was high tenor and high piched .

How many octaves Freddie Mercury has? ›

One study on Freddie's vocal range even confirmed that he was able to vary from about 92.2 Hz to 784 Hz, meaning he was reliably able to hit notes from the booming low of F#2 to the high pitch G5 – that covers a full three octaves!

What note is the average female voice? ›

In general, women speak at a higher pitch—about an octave higher than men. An adult woman's average range is from 165 to 255 Hz, while a man's is 85 to 155 Hz (see sources). Men's voices are generally deeper because the surge of testosterone released during puberty causes their vocal cords to elongate and thicken.

How many notes is a good vocal range? ›

The average human vocal range is 3 and 1/3 octaves. That's huge! That's about 40 notes in total on which the average person can produce sound. Most singers, even very experienced professionals, often underestimate the length of their range capacity.

How many octaves did Elvis? ›

Elvis Presley was a baritone whose voice had an extraordinary compass — the so-called register — and a very wide range of vocal colour. It covered two octaves and a third, from the baritone low-G to the tenor high B, with an upward extension in falsetto to at least a D flat.

What is Barbra Streisand's octave range? ›

Comfortably spanning just over three octaves, Streisand's voice has something of a rounded, nasal quality to it, something emphasised by Streisand's frequent use of vibrato.

What voice type was Whitney Houston? ›

What's Whitney Houston's Voice Type? Whitney Houston is a very powerful mezzo-soprano that has a richness to her voice that will forever be distinct and memorable. Whitney had a really high range for belting/chest voice that always seemed to come effortlessly in a way that no other singer could really match.

What voice type is Adele? ›

As a mezzo-soprano, Adele's songs sit in a range that suits most listeners, singing along. Adele can mix her chest voice up quite high (E5, 10 notes above middle C) but she is not taken to the range extremes of early Mariah or Celine.

What is the octave range of Ariana Grande? ›

Below, five things you likely didn't know about Ariana Grande: Despite her four-octave range, Grande has had no formal vocal training.

What is Rihanna's vocal range? ›

Rihanna's voice spans nearly 3 octaves. Her range can go as low as C3 to An Eb6 in a heavy belt and as high as a B5 in her head voice. She may have stretched beyond these notes in live performance adlibs and key changes.

What is Britney Spears octave range? ›

What is Britney Spears vocal range? Britney Spears has a vocal range of approximately three octaves and a minor third, spanning B2 to C#6. What is Britney Spears voice type or vocal fach? Britney Spears is a lyric mezzo-soprano, although she purposefully sang like a soprano for most of her career.

Is Rihanna a soprano singer? ›

Rihanna was a light lyric soprano for most of her career but seems to have developed recently into a mezzo-soprano.

What voice type is Beyonce? ›

Beyoncé is basically an operatic mezzo-soprano in disguise – and she proved it in this impressive clip.

What is the highest soprano female voice? ›

soprano, the highest human vocal register, extending approximately from middle C to the second A above. A voice with a range approximately from the A below middle C to the second F or G above is termed a mezzo-soprano.

Is Rihanna a trained singer? ›

She got vocal training from Ne-Yo

Upon rapidly entering the charts, Rihanna admitted that she had never received official singing lessons. She said of her work with Ne-Yo: “I've never had vocal training, so when I'm in the studio, he'll tell me how to breathe and stuff…

What is Queen Latifah's vocal range? ›

Latifah has a two-octave vocal range. She is considered a contralto, having the ability to both rap and sing.

What is the lowest voice range for a female singer? ›

Contralto: the lowest female voice, F3 (F below middle C) to E5 (2nd E above Middle C).

Is Beyonce mezzo or soprano? ›

What's Beyonce's Voice Type? Beyonce is a Mezzo-Soprano singer with a huge range and a lot of different vocal style abilities.

What type of voice is rare? ›

A countertenor is a male singer who can sing as high as a soprano or mezzo-soprano. The countertenor is the rarest of all voice types.

What voice type is Mariah Carey? ›

Regarding her voice type, Carey said that she is an alto, though several critics have described her as a soprano. However, within contemporary forms of music, singers are classified by the style of music they sing. There is currently no authoritative voice classification system within non-classical music.

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