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Re: Bass and contrabass singers
Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 6:48 am
by justinbarleben
Bob1062 wrote:Are there any contrabass vocalists (in a classical vein, not death metal

)?
Through the wonders of youtube, I have just become aware of Matti Salminen (awesome voice!).
Who are some other great low vocalists?
Any simple advice on strengthening my low voice (just for fun really)? I have a really strong and rich F (below bass clef), but E is pretty hard.
There are a lot of different ways to approach singing low notes, but this is what has worked for me...
-Sing it on a closed vowel (long e, long u). It gives you more resonance, and will get you an extra half/whole step right away. Eventually, you will be able to open the vowel up (long a, ah, long o) with no problem.
-RELAX! You're at risk of seriously damaging your voice if you push it too hard in the low range, especially if you are not a natural bass 2 voice. It becomes a lot easier to hit those low notes when you "place" your voice on them, as opposed to forcing your way down there.
I'd say more, but I have to go to school now...
Justin "my choir director would love this thread" Barleben
Re: Bass and contrabass singers
Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:52 am
by Ed Jones
Basso Profundo is the term used for the lowest male voice. Russia has a choral tradition that requires some very low voices. The current best Basso Profundi are Vladimir Pasuik (or Pasuikov):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOCfr9PyiRA" target="_blank" target="_blank
Viktor Wichniakov:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neiJ0xgblFo" target="_blank" target="_blank and Vladimir Miller (also singing "Do Not Reject mMe in Old Age")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vH0JHUU6H0" target="_blank" target="_blank Here is Pasuik and Wichniakov duking it out over bragging rights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TobBU7uu ... re=related" target="_blank" target="_blank
Look up Basso Profundo or Basso Profondo on YouTube and you will find more low singing than you could imagine.
Bill Bell said it best "All tuba players should sing and all singers should play the tuba."
Re: Bass and contrabass singers
Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 11:29 am
by lgb&dtuba
Bob1062 wrote:Awesome!
Does anyone else occasionally experience a "bass hangover" after playing tuba?
After a job that went 8 hours Saturday and 6 hours Sunday, the answer is, yes.
Re: Bass and contrabass singers
Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:39 pm
by SplatterTone
Two gospel groups that were well known for their low bass were
The Cathedrals
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=c ... mb=0&aq=f#
and The Fairfield Four.
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=f ... fairfield#
edit: fixed url (I think)
Re: Bass and contrabass singers
Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:53 pm
by Todd S. Malicoate
Alvin Chea from Take 6. 'Nuff said.
Re: Bass and contrabass singers
Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 12:09 am
by eupher61
Jon "Bowser" Bauman, Sha Na Na
(lookin' a bit....ancient??? )

Re: Bass and contrabass singers
Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 12:02 pm
by OldsRecording
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3yAlequ ... re=related" target="_blank
Those basses sound like a damn tuba section. Anyone who can sit on a low D for that long and hit a low C with that kind of power is very cool in my book. And that last chord-

-goosebumps! I would love to hear this piece done by a brass ensemble.
Re: Bass and contrabass singers
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:04 pm
by ken k
The bass singer for Rockapella is awesome. sorry I don't know his name and was too lazy to look it up.
But check them out, You can probably find something online.
On thie xmas album he does a great rendition of the Grinch
k
Re: Bass and contrabass singers
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:58 pm
by Todd S. Malicoate
ken k wrote:The bass singer for Rockapella is awesome.
Absolutely...the original fella's name was Barry Carl (made them famous with the Carmen Sandiego stuff), but the current bass guy is George Baldi.
Check the current Rockapella out
here, or check out a Barry Carl solo album
here.
I'm still casting my vote for Alvin Chea of Take 6...very smooth walking bass lines in a challenging harmonic texture, and he goes lower than most. Google "So Cool" by Take 6 for some incredible stuff!
Re: Bass and contrabass singers
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 11:14 pm
by tuba72
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVpF4GOYIGc" target="_blank" target="_blank
Hope this works. The gentleman singing bass is JD Sumner. In the early 70's was in the Guiness Book of World Records for singing a double low C on an arrangement of Blessed Assurance. Sang in another area code.
Re: Bass and contrabass singers
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 11:28 pm
by rocksanddirt
Love the Take 6 sound.
we had in our church choir previously (he's sinced passed away) a guy with a wonderful huge amount of power in the low range....he'd rattle your teeth.