Sinatra: Master of The Divine Couplet Of Singing Pt. 2

Very early in his career, Sinatra rarely sang in the down, back, and open oo and ee positions and this is why his voice could sound light, thin, and nasal. Thin, nasalized vowel sounds are signs that a singer’s vocal musculature—in the larynx and pharynx—is not sufficiently involved in forming vowel sounds. It also means that the larynx is resting too high in the throat—and the soft palate relaxing too low—to allow for their deep-throated formation; a forward-sounding voice is the natural consequence. Sinatra’s young, unformed voice was, in this sense, open vowel-sound deficient, and is one reason why he often crooned, Bing Crosby style, when he performed rather than sing out—and back and down—in a full-throated fashion.

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Sinatra: Master of The Divine Couplet Of Singing Pt. 1

One of the secrets to Sinatra’s lovely singing is the way he expertly Italianized his vowels—that is, how he keeps them open and pure, and this is why he is able to move from English word to English word as though he is moving from Italian vowel to Italian vowel; the overall effect is that his singing seemed to flow along in a honey-like stream of beautifully open tones. That he could even perform his swing tunes with his Italian vowels doing all the swinging is all the more remarkable. His innovative back, down, and open vowels hold the key to this accomplishment.

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Frank Sinatra: The Master of Rubato

In analyzing Sinatra’s singing at its best, lovers of the art of singing have pointed to its many virtues—e.g., his fine musicianship, his ability to sing with intimate feeling, his flawless legato (connected singing), his careful employment of vibrato, and his cello-like vocal tone. Still others have believed that the creative way he moved his golden voice through his songs was the crowning achievement of his singing. Let’s consider for a moment this last virtue. What was is about the way Sinatra moved his voice that contributed so much to his remarkable singing?

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Frank Sinatra’s Vocal Transformation

When Nelson Riddle, the renowned arranger and conductor, first heard Sinatra sing, he described his voice as sounding like that of a “muted violin.” Indeed, his voice was thin, reedy, and lacked resonance and vocal thrust. But as Sinatra began to sing with—and compete with—Nelson Riddle’s thick and lush orchestrations, his voice underwent significant changes. It was during this period (1950s-60s) that he developed his characteristically colorful and resonant tonal quality. His voice also gained in power and drive.

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My Angel Shirley MacLaine

The news of both Michael Wilmington and Larry Carlton's voice recovery circulated quickly around certain circles in Hollywood, and before I knew it, I was receiving calls both from singers and those suffering from voice problems. One call was from noted publicist Dale Olson who knew Michael Wilmington professionally, and apparently was “stunned” by his vocal recovery. Dale insisted that he take me to lunch and said, “I would like to find out what you do with the singing voice.” It was obvious that the lunch was really an interview. For what? I didn’t ask, and I didn’t particularly care. At that time, I was eager to talk to anyone who might have valuable connections or helpful suggestions.

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