Problems with range of songs

Question

I started singing when I bought a guitar (a year ago). Since that, I noticed I can't sing properly almost all songs I play.

I've searched a bit and found out some texts about vocal range. My range now is from F2 to D4 and falsetto up to C5.

When I checked a table of common vocal range by types, it seems like I have a baritone range but without the high notes.

Recorded 3 audios to try show you what happen (all recorded during night):
Low register: Hurt - Johnny Cash
Medium to high register: Space Oddity - David Bowie (falsetto only for the highest note)
High register: All of me - John Legend (a lot of falsetto. Tried full voice in the end. Did not work)

Should I focus on my bottom range or should I try high notes? In other words, am I a untrained bass or a untrained baritone?

If I should try high, what am I doing wrong while trying sing high?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Not listened to your voice, but with a range of two octaves and more, it's enough for most pop type songs.

The problem is most likely that you're trying to sing in the recorded key. It obviously was a good key for the artist, but you haven't the same range as them.

Listen to some songs that have been recorded by many different artists. It will become clear that they're not all in the same key. Some will argue that the song isn't as good in any other key - that's subjective. Most times it'll sound better if the key matches the singer's range.

Taking a song in, say, E, that's too high in parts, you can transpose it down a tone to D, or a couple of tones to C, to get it into your range. Simple thing - find the highest notes that you struggle with, sing them gradually lower and lower, till you're happy they sound o.k. That's your new key. It probably won't make the lowest notes in that song too low. If it does, then the range of that song is too big for your voice. Find another! Song, not voice!

The downside of all this is that the voicing of some of the chords won't sound the same as in the original recording, although if the song needs to go up a bit, a capo is your lifesaver. Bear in mind that a lot of songs went through key changes before they were ever recorded. 'Hotel California' certainly wasn't written in Bm, the key the Eagles recorded it in.

Answer 2

This website can help you: Song to Sing (https://songtosing.net/) First you will have to input your vocal range: F2 to D4 in your case. Based on that the website will offer you the songs that fit your voice. You can filter them by singing difficulty and by music style. For any song that you can not sing in original key the website will offer you a transposition needed. Basically you will know on which thread to put your cappo.

Answer 3

I personally believe you are a baritone, as your lows sound very throaty, but that very well could simply be improper technique. As I'm sure the majority of responses reply with, the best and only surefire way for you to ever know your voice type is simply getting a vocal tutor.

Answer 4

While vocal training can extend your range and improve the notes within it, the usual solution to a song being outside your range is to change the song's key. Professional singers choose a particular song's key primarily because the chosen key lets them sound best. So if singing a song in B brings your voice to the extreme low end of your range, try singing it in C or D instead.

If you want to really sound your best and know what voice classification you'd have in classical music, you will need to take professional voice lessons.