Whitney Houston - Star Spangled Banner (Score Animation)

I've been wanting to do this one for a while
For me it is the perfect example of bel canto singing in pop belting
The legato, resonance, freedom and open throat are masterfully done
but what impresses me the most (in a pop singer) is that there are no drops of support going down to the low A-flat or nasty wimpy flips to disconnected falsetto (also possible drop of support) going up to high A-flat, she keeps a connected even vocal line throughout the 2 octave range.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• whitney
• houston
• vocal
• technique
• belting
• bel
• canto
• score
• animation
• star
• spangled
• banner
• mariah
• carey
• national
• anthem

[Wiccasfun]

@96Mlm I forgot to add that if she was straining, she probably wouldn't have been able to sing that "I'm Every Woman" bridge like she did on the same note...and higher. LOL.

[Wiccasfun]

@96Mlm She simply had to try harder like I said. What Whitney did with that song would be difficult for anybody, even Aretha I think, who have very different techniques about going for notes...which is why I "think" (because none of us know for sure any of this stuff, we can only speculate...especially concerning nodules) Whitney had a tough time on that ONE version of Aretha's song. The note you're talking about is fit well with the emotion of the song on purpose. Now, I'm done.

[Wiccasfun]

@96Mlm ...>.>....Sigh

[96Mlm]

@Wiccasfun LOL, I'd really say strain, even if it's hard to believe talking about WH. Listen to the end of the studio version of "I have nothing" and tell me that the F#5 isn't strained. She strained because she gained nodules due to drugs and not resting her voice. But you're right, she doesn't have to prove anything anymore.

[Wiccasfun]

@96Mlm I wouldn't say strain during that period but try harder than she used to. There was one song she sang live by Aretha though..."Ain't No Way" where I couldn't believe it was her! Lol. You could really tell, even in a lowered key the notes were tearing her apart. Oh well, though. She's given great music to enjoy and now I say she's earned to the right sit back and enjoy all the fruitful labor put in...Mariah too.

[96Mlm]

@Wiccasfun If you are referring to my very last comment, I wasn't talking about Whitney, I was talking about current pop music. However, even in the 80s Whitney had a rich voice. It was higher than what it became in the 90s, but it was still rich, with a "full" quality. I consider her vocal peak to be "The Bodyguard" years. She strained a bit for the high notes, but I find her voice divine during that period. About the drugs and smoking I totally agree, I find it obvious,but she did overtour.

[Wiccasfun]

@96Mlm Girls...yeah, I don't hear too many altos anymore except maybe Jazmine Sullivan, etc. I was watching some awards show on BET, I think it was Soul Train and all I could hear was screeching. It sounded really good at first but after a while it kind of got annoying. I was thinking maybe they were trying to channel Aretha or someone. But NOBODY could do those notes like her though. Hehe.

[Wiccasfun]

@96Mlm You must be talking about 90's Whitney. I'm talking about 80's Whitney. I think her voice would have stayed that way if she never was on substance abuse. Ppl try to say it was touring and singing the way she did that ruined her voice but I have family and see ppl on tv not everyday but occasionally that have only been smoking tobacco, for years and their voices are damaged as well. She's done everything, sadly.

[96Mlm]

@Wiccasfun I agree about the guys. I'm a baritone but people expect me to sing like Justin Timberlake, which is quite annoying. About the girls, hmmm. I actually think that sometimes people want everyone to sing alto. I mean, some songs from the "divas" peak at soprano notes like G5, but most of those songs stay in the alto range, just peaking at those notes. Then we have men and women forcing their high notes, men without lower registers and women who sing lower than they should.

[96Mlm]

@Wiccasfun I personally think it would be a waste of such a rich voice. I would like it better if I could hear her singing in all of her range with her rich voice, instead of just high Es and Fs with weak mid and low notes, which is typical of a coloratura soprano.