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Justin Timberlake's Head, Chest and Mix Voice

Don't know if I will get ridiculed for this or not, but happen to be a big fan of Justin Timberlake's voice and style/groove of music.

Ran across this version of his song, "Drink You Away" and it DESTROYS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsgokf3srU4 Even if you aren't a JT fan - what a great performance and song between he and Chris Stapleton. Killer.

My questions regarding his singing style and particularly some parts of this video:

1. To me his is a classic, Sam Cooke-ish "R & B" voice; a silky-smooth head voice that isn't an airy falsetto, but it doesn't have a lot of weight or power behind it. It's just crystal-clear and clean. Is that an accurate description of his voice.

2. What roughly is his range? (I am not up to speed on what A4, etc; I can only relate it to is it a high C for me (tenor), or when hitting the D, E above C in Level 2 workout or hitting around G/G# in the female soprano range in the Level 3 Mastery Workout

3. In beginning around :20, he sounds like he is in chest; around 1:00 on the chorus, "I can't drink you away..." chest or mix?

4. 2:13 - that sounds like pure head

5. 2:32 - head/falsetto mix or pure head?

6. 3:10 that vocal run down - pure head?

7. 3:54 - sounds like his first mix of head and chest with some grit?

Ken says I have a "middle America" voice that can do ballads and then go dirty for bluesy stuff; been told I sound Sam Cooke-ish/have a more R & B voice. Want to develop the ability like Allen Stone to be nimble with the head and chest voice/mix it/slide in and out at will like Timberlake seems to do this in the above video.

Thanks.

Bill

Comments

  • streeterstreeter Pro Posts: 679
    edited November 2016
    He is a great singer with excellent intonation. Sam Cooke was 'heavier' with his sound, especially live... check out 'bring it on home' live at Harlem... I could listen to Sam Cooke all day JT is a great singer but I don't really get into his stuff.

    2. I got no idea. Again I don't listen to much of his stuff but he seems to have mastered the lighter side of shedding weight. I wouldn't worry about his exact range but try and work up how he is singing his notes. JT vs Sam Cooke vs Dio... they can all sing B4 and up, it just depends what approach you want to take. All are viable options. KT master workout isn't a away to sing all the time but it's the best way to build strength, maintain great vocal health and break down barriers of what a lot of people call impossible.

    3. I can't drink you away... he kind of gravitates towards Ah CAEnt (may) DrIHnk (IH) yoooo (who) awAE (may)which tells me it's still in chest but a light mix of chest. Those vowels kind of pop up to the roof of your mouth as opposed to Ah CEHnt DrEHnk yAhoo awEH... which would lend itself to a heavier sound... I hope that makes sense. It's a subtle thing but has to do with which vowels he gravitates towards and where he puts them.

    4-7. Seems like a good analysis to me. Everything is gonna be a mix of something. Rarely in singing is something one thing, like @highmtn says, it's all shading.

    A JT type of mix has kind of been butchered by other schools of thought (taken to the most extreme at anything above a D4) but there is nothing wrong with it. Its just been given a bad name because 99 percent of people teach it wrong... even it's originaters. It's actually quite difficult to co-ordinate... Steve Perry is a master at this type of Mix voice. Mickey Thomas too. Jeff Buckley was pretty good as well, probably not quite as fluent in his blend but that could be an artistic choice... another brilliant singer.
  • billthebaldguybillthebaldguy Pro, 2.0 PRO Posts: 54
    Thanks, Brother.
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