Songs for a limited vocal range

Subject: RE: Songs for a limited vocal range
From: Shalini
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 07:03 AM

Jim, thanks. I'm working constantly at extending my range, but in the meanwhile need to find songs comfortable to sing. I sing entirely in natural speaking tone and have been wondering if the only way to go higher is to develop a sort of head voice!

Subject: RE: Songs for a limited vocal range
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 06:55 AM

You might try extending your vocal range - there are exercises.
In our work with women singers in workshops we found the most common problem was the insistence in singing in head voice. The natural speaking voice tone has a far greater range than that of the somewhat artificially self-imposed 'little-girl' one and, for me at least, is far more attractive and convincing.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Songs for a limited vocal range
From: Shalini
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 06:54 AM

What is 'Ettrick' about? I searched, and found the words here, but nothing else about the song. What/where is Ettrick?

Subject: RE: Songs for a limited vocal range
From: Shalini
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 06:44 AM

He's got a wonderful voice. Lovely songs too.

Thank you.

Subject: RE: Songs for a limited vocal range
From: peregrina
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 06:40 AM

The very one. And this one   and here

Subject: RE: Songs for a limited vocal range
From: Shalini
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 06:34 AM

This Archie Fisher?

Subject: RE: Songs for a limited vocal range
From: fogie
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 06:24 AM

Archie fisher used to say that his vocal range was akin to a miner digging in a very small seam - and its a long time since I heard him sing in the clubs ,but his repertoir was marvellous -he hears and finds songs from all over the world on his travels. He also has a great radio show on radio scotland -Archie Fisher's travelling folk accessible through the BBC i player and is worth listening to ( I find it more interesting than the English folk progs but there again I've always been a fan )

Subject: Songs for a limited vocal range
From: Shalini
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 06:17 AM

I'm always on the look out for songs to add to my repertoire, and sometimes I really have to hunt because of my limited vocal range. Right now I can comfortably sing only about an octave and a half, which means I cannot sing a lot of lovely songs in public.

To give you some idea about the kind of material I might sing:

I am a young woman and I enjoy singing a lot of the English material chosen by Niamh Parsons, Dolores Keane, the Corries, and the more traditional-sounding songs of Maddy Prior, June Tabor, Mary Black and Maura O'Connell. Also several songs written by Jimmy MacCarthy.

Some songs I love (not necessarily within my range) are: Annie Laurie, Rigs of Rye, Eric Bogle's No Man's Land, And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda, Hori Horo, Teddy O'Neil, The Game of Cards, Four Green Fields, The Water is Wide, Massace of Glencoe, Sonny Boy, Trouble in the Fields, Paul Brady's The Island, Ye Banks and Braes of Bonnie Doon, Will ye No' Come Back Again, Down by the Salley Gardens, Wonderchild and Katie.

Any suggestions?