Vocal Range: D3 – B5 – E7[1]https://therangeplanet.proboards.com/thread/204/ariana-grande
Vocal Type: Light-Lyric Soprano (4 octaves and a major second)
Vocal Rating: Vocalist
Analysis: One of the biggest pop stars of the last decade, Ariana Grande is revered for her voice throughout the entertainment industry. A bright, warm, and well-controlled instrument, her voice is the product of natural talent but also years of technical training from a young age. Grande is not just a vocalist, but an actress as well, being able to mimic the tones and voices of other vocalists such as Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, and Céline Dion with dexterity and accuracy. This ability demonstrates not only control of her voice unlike that of her peers but also a sharp ear to be able to identify the tonal qualities of others. Grande is known for her exceptional talent that encompasses a wide, well-utilized, and blended vocal range, and solid pedagogical technique.
Grande is widely accepted as a light lyric soprano, given her vocal weight, output, tessitura, and timbre. Her voice is virtually weightless in all registers, fluttering throughout the entirety of her range. While she projects her voice well, it still has a small weight and output, consistent with light lyric classification. Her bright, girlish timbre is a dead giveaway of soprano fach, with her relatively weak lower register paired with a high tessitura. With all of these factors considered, Grande is certainly a light lyric soprano.
Her tone is often slightly airy and porous, perhaps best exemplified by her acapella performance of “Dangerous Woman.” A natural rolling vibrato can be heard in belts up to G#5 and as low as Bb3, suggesting a relaxed approach. Grande is able to move throughout the entirety of her range and between registers with ease, demonstrating exceptional navigation of her passagi and a well-blended voice.
Notably, however, Grande over activates muscles in her jaw mostly while singing runs, which may exacerbate her tongue tension. While this is not technically ideal, her jaw wobbling seems to aid her personally in her agility and is a more minor technical flaw.[2]This tension likely isn’t inhibiting vocal tasks that she wants to execute. Sam Johnson, Voice Teacher Reacts to Ariana Grande ‘God Is a Woman’ | 2018 Video Music Awards She is capable of complex, fast – but short – melismas (see “Hands on Me” and “Problem”), but seems to have more untapped potential here. By far her greatest weakness, however, is that her tongue tension leaves her diction unpolished and her lyrics incomprehensible at points (see the bridge of “Break Free”), although this has improved recently as she is aware of the issue.
Her lower register, although occasionally weak and inconsistent live, is relatively strong for a soprano, supporting down to F#3 and phonating all the way to D3. While it is the weakest part of her range, Grande has comfort here in studio recordings and doesn’t shy away from utilizing it. Her midrange is bright, warm, and well placed, highlighting the truly lyrical nature of her voice.
The highlight of her voice is her well-balanced mixed voice, which stretches up to Bb5’s reliably and consistently, a significant achievement for even professional soprano vocalists. Grande has no issue staying in the soprano tessitura for extended periods of time (see live performances of “Break Free,” “Dangerous Woman” and “Focus”), and is where her voice and ease truly shine, as she can still apply a rolling vibrato as high as G#5. As her devoted pedagogist stans will know, Grande’s vocal qualities here have changed over time; in her youth she utilized a Broadway-style technique, carrying support up to C5 with a chest dominant and projected sound, but this has dissipated since. Now, she approaches her belts with a more head-reliant mix, which betters preserves her voice at the cost of some power.
As she moves past the fifth octave, her falsetto is light and sweet and is also where her voice finds a ‘ring,’ being bright and reliable live up to E6. Her famed whistle register starting around G6 is piercing and fluttering. She is able to sing vocal runs in this register (See “Emotions“), although even she has admitted that she does not have a great degree of control here (most likely referring to the 7th octave, as she consistently reaches up to G6 live). Grande does seem to lack some confidence in this area of her voice as she solemnly enters the seventh octave live, but nevertheless, she has displayed a consistent ability to enter and control it over the years (“Imagine“).
Ultimately, Ariana Grande is a vocalist on a level that mainstream pop music has not seen in at least a decade. While she has some technical flaws, they are all relatively minor, and her discipline and attitude have allowed her to only improve her voice over the course of her career.
What do you think of Ariana Grande’s voice? Would you add anything to our analysis? Let us know by commenting below!
Ariana Grande’s vocal range is four octaves and a whole step, approximately D3 – B5 – E7.
Yes, she is a Light Lyric Soprano.
Ariana’s highest note is an E7, the second E above Soprano C, or the E above “dolphin” C. She whistles this note in her cover of Mariah Carey’s “Emotions.”
Ariana’s lowest note is D3, although it’s possible that she sang as low as C#3 on “Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart,” but this is disputed.
Ariana Grande can sing in four octaves; her vocal range spans approximately D3 – B5 – E7.
No, Grande’s vocal range is four octaves and a whole step, approximately D3 – B5 – E7. Those asserting that she does are confusing her with Mariah Carey.
This article was initially published on March 1st, 2021. It was republished on February 22nd, 2022, and last edited on February 23rd.
References
| ↑1 | https://therangeplanet.proboards.com/thread/204/ariana-grande |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | This tension likely isn’t inhibiting vocal tasks that she wants to execute. Sam Johnson, Voice Teacher Reacts to Ariana Grande ‘God Is a Woman’ | 2018 Video Music Awards |
