{"id":45549,"date":"2016-04-21T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2016-04-20T21:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ngradio.gr\/en\/?p=45549"},"modified":"2016-04-20T21:50:29","modified_gmt":"2016-04-20T18:50:29","slug":"scientists-explain-freddie-mercurys-incredible-singing-voice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ngradio.gr\/en\/news-el\/music-en\/scientists-explain-freddie-mercurys-incredible-singing-voice\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists explain Freddie Mercury’s incredible singing voice"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

An in-depth scientific analysis has studied the distinctive singing voice of Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury.<\/p>\n

Mercury wowed audiences as Queen\u2019s lead vocalist for just over two decades before his death in 1991. Now, a team of researchers have carefully scrutinized his vocal talents and have published their results in the journal Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology.<\/a><\/p>\n

Led by Christian Herbst, a voice scientist at the University of Vienna, the researchers analyzed \u00a0\u201cFreddie Mercury: The Solo Collection,\u201d <\/i>as well as 23 commercially available Queen recordings. \u00a0The scientists also used an endoscopic video camera to study a rock singer brought in to imitate Mercury\u2019s singing voice. Additionally, the experts analyzed a series of interviews given by the late Queen lead singer.<\/p>\n

An analysis of Mercury\u2019s speaking voice suggests he was a baritone, according to the research. A-cappella recordings of Mercury highlighted \u201ca surprisingly high mean fundamental frequency modulation rate (vibrato) of 7.0\u2009Hz, reaching the range of vocal tremor.\u201d<\/p>\n

The scientists also identified \u201csubharmonic vibration\u201d in Mercury\u2019s singing voice that likely created his famous \u201cgrowl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir occurrence aids in creating the impression of a sound production system driven to its limits, even while used with great finesse,\u201d the paper said. \u201cThese traits, in combination with the fast and irregular vibrato, might have helped create Freddie Mercury\u2019s eccentric and flamboyant stage persona.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/b>The study, however, was unable to prove claims<\/a> that Mercury possessed a four-octave singing voice. The analyzed data, it said, could not conclude nor rule out that \u201csuch a phenomenon existed in Freddie Mercury\u2019s voice.\u201d
\n