So my vocal coach recently told me I could possibly be a countertenor. However, my range is small in terms of my falsetto. My full range is C#2-C#5-F5. C#5 being the highest I can mix belt and F5 being the highest I can sing in falsetto. Countertenor is supposed to be the highest voice type but I know people from all the vocal types that can go a lot higher than F5.
I find it very difficult to use my chest voice regularly or even just a few lines of singing.
Back when I was about 10-11 years old, I would happily 'belt' out Jessie J's Domino and other high songs. I know for a fact that I was using my chest voice. I'm just not sure if I was belting or mixing or using purely chest.
Fast forward, I began to have a liking for Mariah Carey. Soon enough, I became a diehard lamb (name for a Mariah Carey fan). As you may know, Mariah's songs involve a lot of falsettos/head voice. Naturally, I would copy her technique. The problem then arises. I don't know where and how it started, but I just seemed to have stopped using my chest voice from then on. At around 13, I sang as a Soprano 1 in my previous choir. As such, I extensively use my head voice. I once had whistle tones. But I know (now) that my whisle technique was unhealthy. Though it did allow me to reach Mariah's signature notes.
Puberty then struck me and took an octave from my previously 4 octave range (D3-D7). At present I could sing in my chest voice from a G2 to G3. Any note higher than that would be difficult for me to reach in chest voice. However, I could sing VERY COMFORTABLY and "very well" (if I must say) in falsetto from a C3 to a G5. Whenever I sing pop I would do it purely in a masked mixed. Choral/classical mostly requires falsetto from a countertenor/alto so I have no complaints. Both my conductors (pre and post puberty) classified me as a countertenor.
There was a recent technique seminar where my 'lack of chest voice' was kind of called out. The teacher explained that a healthy singing voice is always accompanied by a healthy chest voice. Any register (even falsetto or head) would need the placement from a healthy chest voice [Although for this part I'm not sure if I remember the lesson correctly].
She did like my command on my falsetto but suggested that I work on double time for my chest voice. WHICH TOTALLY MAKES SENSE because it's the 'default' of the singing voice. However, in my case, I have developed my falsetto to be the default (which I know is wrong) but I FIND IT VERY WEIRD AND VERY HARD everytime I work on my chest voice even in the simplest of vocal exercises.
My question is how do I develop my chest voice in a way that wouldn't make me feel too uncomfortable. Additionally, do you think I would lose my falsetto prowess (or literally just my countertenor status) if I do develop my chest voice since strictly speaking my chest range
... keep reading on reddit β‘It may have been addressed in that documentary about him (from early 2000s), can't remember but does anyone know if Klaus Nomi ever trained as an operatic singer before becoming a New Wave / club person? I somehow have it in my head that he had aspired to that career path but didn't have the chops... Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I also kind of think that in the '70s it perhaps wasn't as feasible to pursue a professional career as a countertenor--became more of a thing during the last 30ish years perhaps? I wonder if he would have been able to have a career in opera under different circumstances. His pop songs are deliberately campy and he does seem vocally limited (not a singer so can't really judge) but I do like his rendition of Wayward Sisters.
My pitch has dropped significantly and that has helped with dysphoria. But the resonance and strength just arenβt there, yet. I must say that I have only been able to find one example of an ftm opera singer online. So I basically have no idea what to expect anymore.
I initially tried to get speech therapy covered by insurance. That didnβt work and so I looked into vocal lessons, instead. I was a soprano before and now am a countertenor after 1.5 years on T.
I am really wondering now how common this is for us? My coach explained that the reason countertenors exist, is because their larynx doesnβt grow like the rest of their body (including vocal folds/cords) does. Does ours grow on T?
PS: Itβs become a joke that I am a castrato.
I'm 17 and my voice has changed, but not much really. Maybe 2 or 3 notes lol. And I do take voice lessons, just haven't gone in a while since I'm busy.
So when I hear the term "countertenor" I think of a guy who strengthens his head voice to sing in the upper 4th to the upper 5th, sometimes lower 6th octave. That's what I hear most of the time at least. But what if their voice is naturally that high?
I naturally talk and sing in the 4th octave, and can mix up to an F5 and still sound fairly chesty. My full range would be A2-B5-F6. Now if we're talking reliable notes? (lol) that would probably change to E3-G5-D6. Still "high for no reason" as I say lol.
Anything below E3 straight HURTS my throat π I love singing at the top of my chest voice and singing in mixed voice is basically addictive lol. I LOOOOOOOOVE the feeling of singing in mix!!! And the F4-G5 range is my vocal sweet spot, especially on open vowels! π
So am I a really high tenor or countertenor? Is countertenor even a real voice type?
So I'm a transfem person. High baritone + countertenor. Now, my countertenor has more use than ever, but the issue is, despite it having the range and the power, it sounds a bit Miss Piggy in timbre, a bit hooty. Is there a way to change this, or should I just expect this of a countertenor voice?
Like, on Killing Loneliness and Vampire Heart.
What do you think?
So Iβve been singing for a while now and Iβve always found something to be very different about my voice. Especially trying to sing along to male singers. Iβve just learned of a counter tenor and I know itβs incredibly rare but I actually think I might be one. My range is roughly G3-C6. I was wondering what anyone thinks about this and I would love to hear more information about countertenors as Iβm honestly having a hard time finding a whole lot about them.
I've been seeing videos on john Holliday, and I was wondering if I could apply his mix to other song genres and sound like a female while at it
What's your purely personal opinion of this kind of voice? Do you like it? Do you prefer mezzos over them, especially for the baroque repertoire? If you're a composer, would you write for this voice? Just pour parler βΊοΈ
I want to master my falsetto/headvoice and become a sopranist/countertenor, but I can't find any countertenor coaches. I've worked with a mezzo vocal coach, and it's nice and all, but it might be better to work with someone with similar passagios.
If anyone here knows a countertenor coach or where I can find one, or if you are one yourself, let me know please. Thanks
I think I'm naturally a tenor, but I have a powerful head voice, that sometimes goes up to Bb5. I think it starts being uncomfortable after E5, but maybe I can sing F5 without straining. After F5 it sounds breathy, eventhough I somehow mixed HV up to G5 once, it was the best sounding note I ever produced (including chest voice).
My range in HV (without getting too breathy) is: F3 - F5. Can I be considered a countertenor or tenor contraltino or whatever is called? Please let me know.
Edit: I seem to have a crack in my HV at D4-E4 and D5-E5.
