Editing Freddie Mercury (section)

===Vocals===
[[File:Freddie Mercury range (F2-F6, with falsetto).svg|thumb|upright|Mercury's vocal range]]

Although Mercury's speaking voice naturally fell in the [[baritone]] range, he delivered most songs in the [[tenor]] range.<ref>{{Citation |author1=Evans, David |author2=Peter Freestone |title=Freddie Mercury: an intimate memoir by the man who knew him best |publisher=Omnibus |location=London |year=2001 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AH8zZsbmB98C&pg=PA108|pages= 108–9 |isbn=978-0-7119-8674-9}}</ref> His known vocal range extended from [[Bass (voice type)|bass]] low F ([[Scientific pitch notation|F{{sub|2}}]]) to [[soprano]] high F (F{{sub|6}}).<ref name="soto">{{citation|last=Soto-Morettini|first=D.|title=Popular Singing: A Practical Guide To: Pop, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Country and Gospel|year=2006|publisher=A & C Black|isbn=978-0713672664}}</ref> He could [[Belting (music)|belt]] up to [[tenor]] high F (F{{sub|5}}).<ref name="soto"/> Biographer [[David Bret]] described his voice as "escalating within a few bars from a deep, throaty rock-growl to tender, vibrant tenor, then on to a high-pitched, perfect [[coloratura]], pure and crystalline in the upper reaches".<ref name="Bret_1996_26">{{harvnb|Bret|1996|p=26}}.</ref> Spanish [[soprano]] [[Montserrat Caballé]], with whom Mercury recorded an album, expressed her opinion that "the difference between Freddie and almost all the other rock stars was that he was selling the voice".<ref name="Cain_2006"/> She adds:

<blockquote>His technique was astonishing. No problem of [[tempo]], he sang with an incisive sense of rhythm, his vocal placement was very good and he was able to glide effortlessly from a register to another. He also had a great musicality. His phrasing was subtle, delicate and sweet or energetic and slamming. He was able to find the right colouring or expressive nuance for each word.<ref name="soto"/></blockquote>

[[File:FreddieMercurySinging1977.jpg|thumb|upright|Mercury singing on stage in November 1977]]

[[The Who]] lead singer [[Roger Daltrey]] described Mercury as "the best virtuoso rock 'n' roll singer of all time. He could sing anything in any style. He could change his style from line to line and, God, that's an art. And he was brilliant at it."<ref>O'Donnell, Jim (2013). ''Queen Magic: Freddie Mercury Tribute and Brian May Interview''. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. {{ISBN|978-1491235393}}</ref> Discussing what type of person he wanted to play the [[Jesus|lead role]] in his musical ''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]'', [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]] said: "He has to be of enormous charisma, but he also has to be a genuine, genuine rock tenor. That's what it is. Really think Freddie Mercury, I mean that's the kind of range we're talking about."<ref>{{cite news|first=Brian|last=Love|title=Andrew Lloyd Webber: 'Jesus actor must have Freddie Mercury range'|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a360807/andrew-lloyd-webber-jesus-actor-must-have-freddie-mercury-range/|date=18 January 2012|access-date=24 November 2019|work=[[Digital Spy]]|archive-date=15 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415114742/https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a360807/andrew-lloyd-webber-jesus-actor-must-have-freddie-mercury-range/|url-status=live}}</ref>

A research team undertook a study in 2016 to understand the appeal behind Mercury's voice.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/04/25/475611808/why-freddie-mercurys-voice-was-so-great-as-explained-by-science |title=Why Freddie Mercury's Voice Was So Great, As Explained By Science |website=NPR.org |publisher=NPR News "All Things Considered" |date=25 April 2016 |access-date=30 April 2016 |archive-date=16 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191016155418/https://www.npr.org/2016/04/25/475611808/why-freddie-mercurys-voice-was-so-great-as-explained-by-science |url-status=live }}</ref> Led by Professor Christian Herbst, the team identified his notably faster [[vibrato]] and use of [[subharmonics]] as unique characteristics of Mercury's voice, particularly in comparison to opera singers.<ref name="journal">{{cite journal |first1=Christian T.|last1=Herbst|first2=Stellan|last2=Hertegard| first3=Daniel|last3= Zangger-Borch|first4= Per-Åke|last4= Lindestad |title=Freddie Mercury—acoustic analysis of speaking fundamental frequency, vibrato, and subharmonics |date=15 April 2016 | journal=Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology |volume=42 |pages=29–38|number=1 |doi=10.3109/14015439.2016.1156737|pmid=27079680|s2cid=11434921| issn = 1401-5439}}</ref> The research team studied vocal samples from 23 commercially available Queen recordings, his solo work, and a series of interviews of the late artist. They also used an [[endoscopic]] video camera to study a rock singer brought in to imitate Mercury's singing voice.<ref name="journal" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/science/scientists-explain-freddie-mercurys-incredible-singing-voice |title=Scientists explain Freddie Mercury's incredible singing voice |date=19 April 2016 |publisher=Fox News |access-date=30 April 2016 |archive-date=1 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701165001/http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/04/19/scientists-explain-freddie-mercurys-incredible-singing-voice.html |url-status=live }}</ref>