Songbirds of DL, can you technically explain Judy Garland's voice?

Judy was one of the most talented singers ever. She also had a lot of pain and struggle throughout her life. Despite that, she had a good heart, which is hard to encounter in Hollywood. At a time when gay people were oppressed beyond belief, they identified with her struggles and she theirs.

R1 nice sentiment but hardly relevant to the question OP asked.

Im also curious to hear some analysis of her skills from those in the know.

Mama had a god given talent.

Trained singer here. Bottom line: you can't create a voice out of nothing. Judy had a gift. I'm sure there was some training from the studios to help with things like breath support, but she actually *wasn't* a well-trained singer. She didn't have a huge vocal range or an expansive upper register. Her voice wasn't in good shape in her 40s and it would have been if she'd taken care of it. She was very musical and had a gift for emotional immediacy that was stunning.

So, mostly it was her and whole lot of practice from an early age. Notice there's never been another Judy. That kind of talent just doesn't happen often.

I think she sounded awful by the time of her tv show. That hard vibrato!

R5 I actually love her vibrato in 64. Think it's all about song choice and she usually found the right tunes. Ol' Man River for example.

R4 I agree. Her vocal range was relatively pitiful, and she really wasn't trained well. However, she had a true contralto, which is decently unique in women.

R4 I agree it got worse, but she still seemed able to pull out the long held notes with that even long vibrato which many singers can't even to once. She seemed to have just to have lost the stamina later on, but kept the technique if that's what it was

I'm more rhythmic than melodic because I play the drums and was always naturally drawn to percussion. All I know is that Judy had a natural gift vocally which is hard to describe. She had a natural, free, and pure contralto register when she was a pre teen which was very mature because of that unique manner she had with her vibrato. Like I say it's hard to describe.

Judy knew just when to emote vocally within her contralto range and unique vibrato like a grand actress. She was blessed with her natural range because she basically didn't need anything more! She knew just how to, for lack of a better way of putting it, aim- point- and shoot when she sang because she was natural.

I forgot the link. Sorry. What she did here is what I was thinking of.

I was molested.

She had a “fat” voice- rich contralto to mezzo range and instinctive musicianship. In her prime and in good voice through force of will and talent she produced the sound and effect she wanted. The only singer with similar talent: a perfect storm of sound, power at will and musicianship was/is Streisand. Streisand holds notes both powerful and soft with melismas while retaining perfect tone and pitch that classical trained singers (with great voices) cannot. Both combine the magic instincts of an artist that are absent in much if Celine, and yes, Whitney’s material.

R12 I don't see them as the same level. Barbra was nasally which produced a beautiful sound, but she was imitating Lena Horne, especially in her early work. She did have power, but I thought never produced a institutional sound like Judy's. Lower registers always sounds better for belting in my opinion. Aretha, Babs, Whitney, give me a headache after a while, and while Cher is low she sounds too wolfy and distinct.

Streisand did not imitate Lena Horne- Jesus

Listen to any 60s Babs, and then listen to anything from Lena at this time or before especially a song Babs would sing. Sometimes you can't tell who you're listening too. It's uncanny, plus Babs was a massive fan.

Close to the end:

(Brings a tear to the eye.)

I guess Judy's contralto is different from others' (Toni Braxton, Traci Chapman, Cher, etc.) because she's so tiny.

Not tiny enough, r17!

[quote] The only singer with similar talent: a perfect storm of sound, power at will and musicianship was/is Streisand.

OMG hi Barbra/r12! Are you posting from your basement mall??

Judy Garland's voice was a one and only. She just had the richest tone that no other singer has been able to duplicate. But it was her natural voice. What would be called by most as a gift.

There are other great singers. But they don't sound like Judy.

[quote] What would be called by most as a gift.

Did she play the balalaika?

I wouldn't minimize what R4 said about "emotional immediacy" when it comes to Judy Garland's technique. Being able to interpret and convey precise intentions and meanings into songs and their phrases, words and even parts of words is itself the application of technical tools. And Garland also was extremely intelligent and a penetrating observer.

It is not always available to be developed, as can be heard in the "better" voices such as Kathryn Grayson, Deanna Durbin and (!) Jeanette MacDonald, who each had some fine performances but not in the same league as Garland. Emotional understanding and the knowledge required to translate it into singing terms, integrated with the physical components of the body, brings a feedback loop in which judgment and expression seem to become one.

This is harder with rehearsals, as rough patches are worked through and the gestalt of motives has to be refound. Garland's trade largely was built on intimacy. For every "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" in the memory there probably are four or five more-complex ballads. The ballads convey a multi-layered, often self-contradicting set of emotional underpinnings. She did it without the pride-in-craft knowingness that great singers such as Sarah Vaughan had. Garland, even as her voice got ragged and her diction slipped, lent a purity of discovery despite the vocal flaws. Billie Holliday couldn't manage this towards the end of her career, and her material was chosen so she didn't have to try.

Here's a good review of Garland's training.

I like the earlier-era Judy "voices." I'm amazed by the joy and youthful vitality of her late 1930s stuff that bounces off the recordings and kind of sizzles with whatever energy may have been in the musical air of that era. Then my favorite period is the established-film-star Judy voice of her later-Metro middle and late 1940s years. Definitely she didn't sound like a '40s band lead singer who was trying to act out the feelings of a song, but rather an actress who was delivering and acting out the emotions and words of a situation in song. Sorry I couldn't put it better than that way it hits me when I hear her from that era. The control and subtlety in her voice in those years, making the hair go up on the back of your neck! After that, I found Judy's vocals becoming too hammy, always at top volume, and croaky and creaky for my tastes. Maybe that started to happen when she needed to start using different vocal muscles and strength switching from her Metro singing days to her full-on, constant concerts-performing era. Anyway, she was truly amazing and gifted, any of the personal issues she struggled with behind her much publicized lows and highs notwithstanding.

Like, THIS. To me, this is an example of what made Judy's voice different and "Judy" -- the entire package:

She had as natural gift. Here descending glissandos are exquisite, right on pitch. Soft trailing ending notes.

Here her voice being analyzed, this might help, OP.

Whoops. Wrong thread!

Didn't Mara Callas once say that Judy Garland was the best singer she'd ever heard? Or am I making that up?

She completely did a number on her audiences in concert. They went wild by the end. That kind of electricity must have been something to experience.

OP asked for an explanation and the analysis in R25 is a pretty interesting technical explanation. He acknowledges a limited range but a perfectly controlled vibrato going up but also down. (I don’t know what I am talking about but watched the video.) It reminded me of an analysis of Freddie Mercury’s voice I heard on NPR where they too targeted his natural vibrato as his power. Listening to both, and as a pure amateur, I think Judy’s sounds much more subtle, as great as Freddie was.

Freddie got the same analysis from that guy at r25's link. The thing about Freddie's natural vibrato is that it's fast and uneven. Something I don't care for.

R25 cool link, wish they looked at a later song. Thought her voice sounded better then.

r27 it's claimed here that she preferred Nancy Sinatra over Judy Garland lol "Well, once I remarked to Maria that she was very similar to Judy Garland, you know, in that really intense give-and-take with the audience, and the absolute emotional commitment in the singing. 'I hope you don't mean I sing like her,' Maria replied, 'To me Judy Garland always just sounds like she's yelling. But there is one singer I do like�' I tried to guess -- Ella? Peggy Lee? Mabel Mercer? 'I really like that Nancy Sinatra,' Maria said."

[quote]Listen to any 60s Babs, and then listen to anything from Lena at this time or before especially a song Babs would sing. Sometimes you can't tell who you're listening too. It's uncanny, plus Babs was a massive fan.

In no way did Barbra "copy Lena Horne". They are two very different styles.

The only female singer name uttered by Barbra in interviews was Joni James.

I really like Judy from Carnegie Hall through her TV show.

Yes, her voice was aging and less accurate but her acting, her delivery, her phrasing was at its height.

I like this analysis.

Here's an interesting and insightful discussion on Judy's voice by professionals. Enjoy.

No one has yet mentioned Judy's arm gestures, which were so important to her singing.

I think we can agree no one else ever made gestures quite like this when she sang.

Judy had a powerful voice even as a child. Her mother marketed her as Little Miss Leather Lungs. They did a schtick when she was a tween where she began singing "My Man" while entirely hidden under a black cloak on a dark stage. After a verse or two, she threw off the cloak, revealing herself to be a little twelve-year-old girl. Audiences went nuts for it.

Even at 7 years old, before she really knew how to sing at all, she could still belt them out:

Barbra Streisand's voice is very small. Judy's (and Liza's) was huge.

Barbra as Lena Horne.

[quote]I think we can agree no one else ever made gestures quite like this when she sang.

Years of Vaudeville. Working with and watching old pros, dealing with rowdy audiences..., Judy knew how to deliver a number.

Miss Garland benefitted from years of vaudeville singing and dancing, which really builds up your lung power. My grandmother (1903-1988), who would wax rhapsodic about the wonderful days of vaudeville and the Orpheum circuit, loved performers who had what she called a full-throated delivery. If they had the coveted skill of being able to sing loudly (for projection) yet soft (for emotion) they were golden. Sherrill Milnes, Beverly Sills and some others I have seen perform were able to deliver a loud-soft passage. Others not so much.

In addition to her vibrato, etc., Miss Garland used techniques that enabled her to augment the support her lungs were getting from her diaphragm. If you watch her delivery you will see moments where she’s wrapping her arms around her torso, pressing her palms together or pressing her elbows into her rib cage while she’s belting out that last measure. By doing so, she was providing a natural, additional form of resistance against her lungs so she was getting support from below from her diaphragm and on the sides from her arms.

If you watch videos of Tony Bennett in concert you may notice he uses the same hug / arm wrap technique as Miss Garland when he’s going for the big finish on some of his numbers.

"Miss Garland"???

[italic]Mary.[/italic]

Judy copied Kay Thompson's inflections and phrasing. The difference is that Judy's voice is so much sweeter. Another thought- where do Linda Ronstat's pipes add to the equation?

The force was with her...

I find this song compelling because of its masterful emotional depth and simplicity, but we get to hear a note near the top of Judy's register she rarely sang, or was asked to sing and it's lovely.

This was a trailer for a movie theater fundraising drive for the Will Rogers Foundation. We are unaware of what a massive star he was at the time of his death. Judy is likely still seventeen, or just turning eighteen. Her control of her instrument is pretty unique or such a young person.

Judy sings opera

r2 is new to these parts. R1 is a cherished DL contributor. Demented, kinda. But cherished, fer sure.

[quote] Demented, kinda.

Ha ha ha! I'll say.

To further R2's education in DL folklore and protocol, the proper response to R1 is as follows:

[quote]If you really believed that JP, you would change your insulting screen name, which only contributes to the image of Garland as a pill-popping no-talent better off forgotten, not an artist on the level of Sinatra or Picasso or Callas. YOU and YOUR NAME are part of the problem, JP.

R50: for a so called forgotten queen Judy seems to be at the forefront of the mythology around here

Judy had perfect pitch. Her open throat vibrato was remarkable. Singers work very hard to perfect that ability. I doubt Judy ever thought about it. She just used her gift and sang the song.

Can someone educated in signing technique answer whether vibrato is forced or just naturally happens? When I sing, my voice doesn’t naturally produce vibrato, but with a hint of an extra push, I can get vibrato out. Is that how singers do it or is it completely effortless?

Judy sings so wonderfully because she had it all. NATURAL, rare gift, long training, wide exposure and experience - she knew HOW to make music. But she also was SO smart and SO perceptive and she had exquisite NATURAL artistic taste - in choice.

So it's not that she just knew HOW to do stuff, she was an artist who knew WHAT to do. (And what NOT to do - we didn't hear her making mistakes.)

Finally, she had energy returned to her, live, during her entertainments. That creates something special. The total lack of cynicism and that it was art and entertainment and acting on a pure and honest level.

In comparison, Babs has the gift and the long training and exposure and she knew how to do everything. But Babs does NOT have impeccable taste and her taste got worse as she aged. She was making great choices in her singing and her art but then some tackiness, greed, and ego damaged her taste.

Here is an analysis of Judy Garland's 1939 soundtrack vocal of "Over the Rainbow."

Here's an analysis of Judy Garland's performance of "Almost Like Being in Love / This Can't Be Love" from her 1964 TV series.

R57. That was an excellent vibrato break down of my very favorite Judy performance, but from the Carnegie Hall recording. Absolute joy.

Piaf reminds me of Judy in terms of a big sound coming out of a tiny individual and the heavy vibrato Also as mentioned in the analysis clip at r57 they both sang as they spoke which connected with audiences. There I think the similarities probably end (except both were addicts of course).

Piaf didn't sustain powerful notes like Judy and she didn't have the musical theatre training Judy had. But she had a big lovely voice and like Judy she had the ability to move an audience even here at the end of her career

Years ago a guy I was seeing, a Latin music critic, took me to a Rocio Durcal concert at Universal in LA. I could not believe how powerful this artist's voice was. I'd provide a link but the power of her voice was not captured in recordings

I suspect Judy was like this. We have lovely recordings, but to see her perform live must have been something else entirely.

Judy's gift was in interpretation and emotive power. Aretha Franklin praised her as having "soul." She did not have a pristine voice like Ella, or a vocal range like Streisand, or vocal power like Shirley Bassey or Eydie Gorme. Her voice was lovely -- but they were lovelier voices -- it's what she poured into her vocal performance that made her legendary.

[quote] Streisand did not imitate Lena Horne- Jesus

She did. Arthur Laurents said she did.

Judy and Piaf were friends as well as fans of each other. Whenever they were in the same town and one was performing, the other always attended.

r53, you can tell the difference between a forced vibrato and a natural one. Christine Aguilera's forced vibrato really annoys me.

She sounds like a brass instrument with her vibrato

Omg r59, thanks. I'd never heard Edith sing until your clip. Her vibrato is perfect and rare. I need to hear more.

R15? No- not at all and I’ve never read that Streisand was a massive fan. In fact it’s pretty hard to know who she likes- I’ve heard her say Johnny Mathis and Joni James (I don’t even know who the latter is.

R66 this is her other big song. Fun fact. When Judy performed in Paris she was billed as "La Piaf Americaine" - the American Piaf.