The Vocal Range of Karen Carpenter

One of the finest voices of all time.

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Vocal Range: D3 – B♭5 (two octaves, eight semitones)
Voice Type: Mezzo-Soprano

SONGS USED:
Low Notes:
G♯3: Christ is Born, My Body Keeps Changing My Mind, Someday, Superstar
G3: At the End of a Song, Aurora, Crystal Lullaby, I Believe You, Jambalaya (On the Bayou)
F♯3: I'll Be Home for Christmas, Little Girl Blue, Now, Please Mr. Postman, The Rainbow Connection
F3: Another Song, Johnny Angel, On Top of the World, This Masquerade, Ticket to Ride
E3: Crescent Noon, The End of the World, Silent Night, Solitaire, (They Long to Be) Close to You
E♭3: Ave Maria, I Can Dream Can't I?, Only Yesterday, Rainy Days and Mondays
D3: Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song), A Song for You, Where Do I Go From Here?

High Notes:
G♯4: Ave Maria, Eve, I Have You, Someday, This Masquerade
A4: California Dreamin', Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Mr. Guder, A Song for You, Two Sides
B♭4: Bacharach/David Medley, The First Snowfall/Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow, Only Yesterday, Superstar, (They Long to Be) Close to You
B4: B'wana She No Home, Because We Are in Love, If We Try, Road Ode
C5: Don't Try to Win Me Back Again, Jimmy Mack, Kiss Me the Way You Did Last Night
C♯5: Guess I Just Lost My Head, It's Really You It's Really Me, Midnight (Never Lets You Down)
D5: If I Had You, Invocation, Please Mr. Postman
E♭5: Just an Old Fashioned Love Song (live), Somebody's Been Lyin'
E5: Beechwood 4-5789, Fun Fun Fun
F5: I'll Never Fall in Love Again, Strength of a Woman
F♯5: Calling Occupents of Interplanetary Craft
G5: Don't Try to Win Me Back Again, Remember When Lovin' Took All Night
B♭5: B'wana She No Home

Summary:
As one half of brother-sister music duo The Carpenters, Karen Carpenter quickly became a household name in the '70s for her vocal talents. As the drummer and one of the lead singers in the duo, Karen initially shared the limelight with her brother Richard on the group's earlier recordings but was later convinced to take more of a lead role in the group, singing lead on their main hits like "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun". Sadly, Karen died in 1983 at the age of only thirty two from her struggles with anorexia, though she continues to be revered to this day for her immense vocal talents.

Karen possessed a fairly light singing voice, and as a result, close miking was often used to bring out richness in her lower register and other subtleties in her studio performances. Though Karen's commonly held up as a contralto because of how frequently and richly she sang in the lower third octave, Karen's didn't sound particularly deep or androgynous (especially compared to other quintessential contraltos like Cher or Nina Simone). Karen's upper and mid registers sounded fairly light, and though she focused more extensively on her lower notes (famously once saying "the money's in the basement"), she was likely a mezzo-soprano because of her tone, which didn't sound particularly weighty or low.

With that said, Karen's lower notes still hold up as some of the best of any female singer. Karen displayed an outstandingly rich, silky lower register, making notes in the lower third octave sound exceptionally easy in lieu of how low they really were for her. In addition, Karen's ability to sustain notes in her lower register was outstanding (once sustaining a G♯3 for 20 seconds in a live performance of "The End of the World"), as she showcased some seriously impressive breath control. She may have never sung exceptionally low, but her silky smooth lower notes still hold up today as some of the strongest of any woman ever.

While her upper register was never used quite as much as her lower one, it was still a very solid one, with Karen becoming more and more confident in her upper register further into her career. While not much of a belter (with notes sometimes as low as G♯4 sounding like high belts), Karen's grasp over vocal dynamics and Richard's arrangements had her often ending songs with more dramatic, belty high notes, occasionally showcasing slightly chestier highs around C5. Her head voice was too a very solid one, as Karen frequently showcased her seamless ability to transition from chest voice to head voice (in "California Dreamin'", "Calling Occupents of Interplanetary Craft" and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" for example).

Karen was never a particularly range-y singer, but her tonal purity, strong lower register and silky phrasing are things many singers would dream of. Other singers may be more flashy and extravagant than Karen, but very few will ever match the natural beauty and finesse of Karen's voice.

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