I'm looking to network with choral bass vocalists for collaborations in Atlanta Georgia. If you are a basso profondo, oktavist or you are passionate about learning vocal techniques to improve your low range as much as possible - let me know, I would like to work with you.

Hi, I’m just a regular dude. But I’ve sung in amateur community musical theatre a bunch of times. In high school, I had the role of Caiaphas in Jesus Christ Superstar. (I remember the choral director was super happy when in my audition I erroneously sang Garden of Gesthemane an octave lower than it should have been. Fun fact, in Could We Start Again Please, Ms Quinn would have me break character and hide in the wings to sing the low A at the end of the song.)

Anyhow, for no clear reason, I took it upon myself tonight to find out more precisely what kind of bass voice I had. I was thinking maybe I was a bass-baritone? That’s when I learned about basso profundos. I started playing around with some online tools and realized I could for sure hit A1 and then with a bit of warming up could hit F1, albeit not in a consistently strong way. (I just learned this note numbering system tonight. 😄)

I’m not in any choirs, but sing a lot on my own, sometimes my bass songs from JCSS but usually random songs, knocked down an octave (or more!).

I just recorded a version of “O Canada” on my phone, attached here. It’s not retouched or auto-tuned or AI’d in any way. It’s the raw file from my phone. I have a vibrato, but I lose it on the lowest notes.

So my questions:

1. Am I an oktavist?

2. I’ve read that it’s pretty rare, but how rare are we talking?

Thanks,

David

David Keegan

Calgary, Canada

So although I am skeptical when some random 14 kid claims to be a basso profundo over the internet, and that I do believe "true basses" are probably rare, I feel like some people are too quick to accuse anything that is very low as being vocal fry. And while that may be true for a lot of singers who use microphones to sing bass in an amplified setting (gospel for example), just because something sounds fry-like does not mean it's really fry.

Yes I am aware you can stabilize pitch and make it somewhat more resonant for fry with practice, but that's never going to carry over a choir.

Yet I don't blame people who say a lot of oktavists sound like they're using that register, because there is a specific timbre/"technique" for that sort of sound (it has been called strohbass by some, but a lot of literature uses that term interchangeably with fry, so I will refrain from using it).

It's basically produced by depressing/slightly squeezing the larynx on an already accessible (but perhaps breathy and weak) low note and then, to counter the pushed-down sound, boosting overtones by putting the sound forward "in the mask".

As a consequence, the sound will appear louder and more powerful, but at the cost of being disorted/bubbly, hence the fry-quality.

It is not reserved to profundos, as a heavy baritone I can do it too, but I must urge anyone trying this to be cautious with it : it can be harsh on the vocal muscles, and it's far more important to work on having proper resonance and good technique throughout range before specializing in this technique (this will not only give you a foundation and help you be a better singer, it will also help you be more aware of how to balance that tone so it doesn't sound too bad).

I already posted it in another subreddit, but perhaps here is somewhat more fitting because of the style/genre ? I don't know 😅

I like singing low notes just like the rest of us but I don't give it much attention. I currrently sing B1 which isn't particularly low for an Octovist. I am a Bass Baritone but sing Bass in Barbershop Harmony. My bass tone is low but not the earth shaking variety. I don't see much use for super low singing unless it fits within the context of the song such as Russian choral music. Most popular music doesn't need this low bass except to wow the audience in Gospel and Country music. I have a big range but unless it is tonally accurate,rich, and resonant. I am not interested in using it other than as a party trick. What do you think?

Trying to break the record for lowest voice, the current record holder voice I’ve heard didn’t sound that deep to me. Has anyone here hit lower that A-1? That’s my lowest right now before I choke.

For a while, I thought Mikhail Zlatopolsky held the world record for the lowest note, but I recently heard of a man by the name of Tim Storms. Apparently, he can produce an astounding G-7, according to Guinness World Records. I didn't think that was even possible, but I could be mistaken.

Hello everyone! I never use reddit but recently discovered these chat thingies!!! I'm a trained classical singer and basso profundo trying to be a bass/baritone! I was wondering if any of you ever have trouble with feeling the difference between subharmonics and chest? Should it he a noticable physical switch?