The Voice, The Vocalist, And The Singer

In thinking about what constitutes good singing, it’s illuminating to view singers in light of three interrelated but separate categories: the voice, the vocalist, and the singer.

A singer’s voice is the vocal quality (color or “timbre”)—the sound—that distinguishes his voice from all others. This includes both its general tonal quality as well as the typical ways a singer’s vocal color changes during dynamic singing—such as, for example, when a female voice possesses a breathy, whispery color on low, soft notes; or a clear, bright one on high, powerful notes. Unlike power, resonance, range and control, vocal quality cannot be created. It’s nature’s gift. On the other hand, proper vocal training can free and develop a singer’s “sound,” and, as a result, become more pure; richer; vibrant; identifiable; and acoustically, more balanced. The general rule for vocal timbre is that the more recognizable it is, the better. But having a very distinctive voice is not equivalent to having an appealing one; in fact, one’s vocal quality could be singularly unappealing. By contrast, the most beloved singers possess voices that are both instantly identifiable and attractive.

The technical and musical skill that a singer employs to express his voice reflects his talent as a vocalist. Excellent musicianship—e.g., singing in tune; keeping good time; singing with natural legato (when required); phrasing naturally; singing with controlled vibrato; singing with disciplined voice control—these are some of the abilities that define a good vocalist. Being a good vocalist also implies the capacity to use one’s whole voice as a vocal instrument; this means that a good vocalist should be proficient in producing low, medium, and high notes in a musically pleasing fashion. What is not necessarily required for being a good vocalist, however, is a distinctive vocal quality. In the case of background singers, for example, having a distinctive voice is considered a handicap because “blending in” with each other (and with the lead vocalist, if there is one), and not “sticking out,” is what professional background singers are expected to do.

Finally we have to consider the singer as singer. The first point to note is that someone may not have an especially attractive voice, be a mediocre vocalist, and yet be a good singer. To understand this point we must first define what it means to be a good singer and what the goal of artistic singing should be. A good singer has the ability to project her personal feelings, thoughts, and moods—in a word, her identity—to the listener through the musical and emotional use of her voice. There is an inborn restraint, however, that should guide all good singing; this means that a singer should understand the guiding principles of good singing. Many singers, for example, are so obsessed with performing high notes that they lose their artistic way, and literally forget about their obligations to the music and to the emotional needs of their listeners; we hear this, for example, with singers who insist on singing in unnaturally high keys to show-off their higher register, vocal skills. This is not to undermine the natural thrill of witnessing mesmerizing, vocal acrobatics, but only to say that flamboyant singing is artistically justified when it serves the intentions of the music or situation, such as in certain rock, gospel, and operatic repertoire.

Bob Dylan does not have a beautiful voice, is a mediocre vocalist, but nonetheless, is a very good singer; and the reason is simple: he gets his emotional and lyrical messages across very effectively, despite his purely vocal limitations. A talented artist like Mariah Carey, by contrast, has a good voice, is an excellent vocalist, but could be very boring as a singer—that is, she often fails to make what she is singing about viscerally real to her listeners. Singers like Luther Vandross, K.D. Lang, and Ray Charles, by contrast, are just a few examples of artists who score very high in all three areas—great voices, fantastic vocalists, and emotionally compelling singers; their artistry invites you into their personal world to share their most intimate moods, feelings, and experiences.

Approaching quality singing by considering it through the prisms of the voice, the vocalist, and the singer can also go a long way in helping us to understand what it means to be an exceptional artist. The simple point is that every authentic singer represents a unique blend of these three aspects to the extent that they produce a one-of-a-kind singer with a very personal “artistic mood.” In short, we go to a particular singer because we want to experience the specific emotional color—or mood—that emanates from her music and vocal performance.

The next time you hear a singer that interests you, ask yourself the three big questions: Does she have a beautiful or attractive vocal quality? How good of a vocalist is she? Does her singing move me emotionally—that is, is she a good singer?

(Excerpt from my book, A Revolution In Singing)

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