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Acting in Plays, Singing/Exceptionally Low Female Voice

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Expert: - 5/21/2009


Question
Dear Sean,

I am a 44 year old woman and have an extremely low voice. It was higher (20 years ago, but has gotten progressively lower over the years. My regular speaking voice is around A to F right below middle C.  My singing range, of course, is equally low.  I am very comfortable singing bass with the guys and have been told I have a very rich sounding voice (they seem to like it at Karaoke).  After reading some of the prior postings, I was relieved to learn that I have a range with a name.  I believe I am a Contralto.  I’m not quite sure how to describe it, but here goes: The F (1 ½ octaves below middle C) to the 3rd line B flat (above middle C).  I can comfortably and audibly hit the lower F and on some days can go a couple of notes lower.  I can’t, however, ever hit anything above the B flat.  My voice stops there.  I’m not sure where my lower, middle or upper registers are.  I cannot sing in a head voice.  I used to be able to sing in “falsetto” and have tried, but nothing comes out.  I have to belt to hit anything remotely “high” for me.  Years ago, I used to sing with my father and he would tell me not to sing in falsetto, so I stopped for quite a few years.  Now, when I try, nothing comes out.  Consequently, I have been unable to sing in a head voice for years.  Perhaps, I am out of practice?  I am extremely frustrated with my voice.  Everything is too high for me and I always have to transpose music to a lower key.  I’ve only found one role in my range, but the character was 60.  I’ve stopped auditioning for musicals and audition for comedies or dramatic shows, instead.   Is there any way to increase my range?   I’ve heard of vocal surgery that could help, but am very hesistant to go in that direction. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Hello, Cathy –

Thank you for the question.

What variety of vocal surgery have you heard about?  What exactly would you tell the surgeon what he or she should do to get you beyond B-flat?

As with every instrumentalist, you have to learn how to play the instrument before playing a piece on the instrument.  You are your instrument.  It’s time to find your voice.

All my contraltos sing to at least the D below your F, most go to Bass C.  All of them sing  to the D above your B-flat, most go higher.  Thus, at least a two octave stretch.  As a professional vocal coach my job is to teach you a reliable vocal workout that will enable you to expand and maintain your vocal range.  From your information, I gather that you never had any real formal training.  It’s never too late to start.

Speaking in treble clef, it is not unusual for lower-voiced altos or contraltos to “hit the wall” at 3rd-line B-flat.  Dealing with the 3rd-space C above it is like getting to the other side of the moon.  It’s all about placement.  It’s all about Technique.  I teach my clients a complex series of scales that enables them to navigate through their entire range without evidencing any breaks or shifts.  That workout needs to precede every rehearsal, every review of previously learned material, and certainly before tackling something new.  You need to know how to warm-up and stretch your voice before hitting your material.

The voice is not divided into separate hemispheres marked “Chest” and “Head”.  It is also true that singing “styles” contribute to the discussion, especially when it involves the use of a microphone.  When you are singing at a neighborhood club or presenting your one woman show at a notable cabaret – you can sing anything you want in the keys that work best for you.  At the moment, all you’ve got is about an octave plus a major fourth. That eliminates a lot of material, especially the Broadway variety.

If you have any samples of your voice available on-line or that you can send me, I will be happy to listen to it and offer you some feedback.


I am a professional singing teacher and  vocal coach in San Francisco.  When you want to book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List – http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/1195967368.html
I am also the Editor and Publisher of SanFranciscoSentinel.com.  All my articles and interviews about the Performing Arts provide a link to my personal e-mail.

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Acting in Plays, Singing

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Sean Martinfield

Expertise

I am a professional vocal coach in San Francisco. In addition to answers from a previous web site (Askme.com - where my "tag" was "VocalCoach") I have published over 2000 responses related to vocal training - particularly as it relates to Musical Theatre and Opera. I have 24 years of experience as Personal Trainer to singers and actors in the San Francisco Bay Area. I sang professionally for 20 years and know what it means to live the life of a musician. I can determine your voice category, i.e., Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Alto Belter, etc., and how to broaden and strengthen your range. Need an audition song for a Broadway Musical? I will give you suggestions that are appropriate to your vocal category and to requirements specified in the audition notice. I have also created a vocal methodology, "The Belter`s Method". It will enable those in Musical Theatre to practice more efficiently because it focuses on the demands of professional performers as well as to those auditioning for school and community productions, and as University and Conservatory performing arts majors. If what you want is a better voice and more control over your career moves and choices, contact me. Also, as the Editor of SanFranciscoSentinel.com, it is my privilege to review productions at the San Francisco Opera, Ballet and Symphony, as well as Broadway National Tours booked into San Francisco's Orpheum, Golden Gate and Curran Theatres. I also review works by A.C.T (the American Conservatory Theatre) and Magic Theatre. I cover select films, tributes and retrospects, and various international film festivals – particulary those booked into The City's opulent Castro Theatre – including the LGBT Frameline Festival, International Film Festival, Silent Film Festival, Jewish Film Festival, etc. For private vocal instruction, I can be contacted through SanFranciscoSentinel.com. Look under: Seán Martinfield, Sentinel Editor and Publisher.

Experience

As a vocal coach, I work primarily with singers and actors throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. My students range from absolute beginners to working professionals, from pre-schoolers to senior citizens. The vast majority of my clients come to me through recommendation. I know how to identify any singer's vocal category, i.e., soprano, tenor, alto, baritone, etc. I know how to muscle-up every singer's vocal range and to expand it beyond conventional definitions. I have developed a vocal methodology for those who want to know how to belt, THE BELTER'S METHOD. As a singer who spent half of his career doing Bel Canto, I know that classical or Italian methodologies do not work in Standard American music. Bel Canto cannot be "adapted" to meet the needs of contemporary American music, including the demands of the Musical Theatre. There are a number of major components to my work as a vocal coach. The first is to identify the client's vocal category and to strengthen and maximize the vocal range accordingly. Then it's about teaching a reliable vocal workout that will enable the client to gain better control of their musicianship. That includes scale work to expand the vocal range and to improve placement, breath control, and diction. Then we work on material for the audition portfolio, the immediate job or assignment, a recording session, etc. My task to is to better equip singers and actors who are hoping to or relying upon their performance skills and vocal endurance to maintain a career in the Performing Arts. My clients regularly appear in cabarets and musical productions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Some have worked in New York and gone on National Tours. For more information, Contact me at: Broadwaybelters@yahoo.com

Education/Credentials
San Francisco State University – BA in Theatre Arts; graduate work in Theatre, Philosophy, and Comparative Reiligion. Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley – Graduate work in Ethics

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