u/LiamNashMiller

Innervisions Vocal Range
F#2-C#5-Eb6 (3 Octaves, 9 Semitones)
Lowest Note: F#2 (Visions)
Highest Belt: C#5 (Living for the City)
Highest HV: Eb6 (Jesus Children of America)

This album has the widest vocal range by far with nearly 4 octaves on a single album! His most wide song in range in his entire catalog is Jesus Children of America (B2-C#5-Eb6) with 3 octaves and 4 semitones on that song alone. His lows also sound fantastic on this album even venturing down to a whispery F#2 on Visions!

Talking Book Vocal Range
A2-C#5-D6 (3 Octaves, 5 Semitones)
Lowest Note: A2 (You’ve Got it Bad Girl)
Highest Belt: C#5 (Big Brother)
Highest HV: D6 (Maybe Your Baby)

This is one of his best albums vocally. He really shows off his agility and goes for some big belting moments in songs like Big Brother and You and I. Every aspect about his voice in this era is gold and this might be his best album!

SITKOL Vocal Range
G#2-E5-C6 (3 Octaves, 4 Semitones)
Lowest Note: G#2 (Village Ghetto Land)
Highest Belt: E5 (Joy Inside My Tears)
Highest HV: C6 (All Day Sucker)

Stevie’s legendary album surprisingly is a bit tame compared to some of other his albums in terms of vocal range and performance. I would say an album like Talking Book had more vocally challenging songs than SITKOL, but SITKOL is incredible in the way he navigates his lower register!

It took me a while to find an example for each note because many artists will have a gap in their range, thankfully Stevie did not!

I love how his voice really starts to open up around E4-A4 region. Then at Bb4 he starts his upper belts which go way up to F#5, but are most consistent at C#5 (semi consistent on D5 and Eb5).

He’s a High Tenor (Lyric Tenor) who possesses an impressive 4 octave range and is best known for his incredible agility, belting, and consistency singing the songs in the original key even today!

Consistent Range: B2-C#5/D5-F#5/G5

It’s been a bit since I showcased some Stevie vocals so here is one his banger tracks from the Woman in Red soundtrack. Around :33 he sustains a C#5 with VIBRATO which is ridiculously impressive for a man to do since that note is so high.

Brief compilation of Stevie soaring up into soprano territory. I think you really argue at his best he was consistent on D5 and semi consistent on Eb5. 1995 was probably the peak year vocally but I would argue that skill carried on until 1998/1999.

His ability to grab chord tones mid run and do all this intricate melisma in the 5th octave is insane. That glissando to a belted Eb5 already would take all the air out of basically every other male singer, but then he sustained and went through this intricate jazzy run.

Breaking down and analyzing one of Stevie Wonder’s fastest vocal runs ever! He starts the run belting an Eb5 and doing quick descending pentatonic triplets. The first 12 notes were done in A SECOND. The speed is so fast and he was well in his 50s and still had this melisma.

Let me know what your favorite Stevie Wonder vocal run is!

The public didn’t quite catch up this new sound until Talking Book, so Music of my Mind always feels kinda overshadowed by the other 1972 release. But Music of my Mind is as good as Talking Book and arguably has higher highs than talking Book.

Hotter than July era is such as great era of his career. His voice is transitioning into the brighter timbre of the mid 80s, while still retaining the warmness of the 70s voice. The dynamics, emotional delivery on this song are incredible. It’s a perfect showcase of how good of a singer Stevie is!

In his 40’s Stevie had continued to develop an astounding upper-belting range and insane vocal agility. With his shows, he would constantly be well up in to the C5-Eb5 range and produce solid notes that high. His runs were faster, more complex, and difficult than ever before. He also demonstrated excellent dynamic control at this time!

Listen to Jungle Fever and Conversation Peace and the difference from his 70s and 80s voice is incredible!

Consistent Range: C3-D5/Eb5-F#5

Vocal Profile
Lows: Good
Mid Belts: Good
Upper Belts: Great
Head Voice: Decent
Agility: Great
Dynamics: Great
Consistency: Great

Overall he was an elite vocalist in his 40s and represented insane endurance and stamina to be singing in the 5th octave throughout the entirety of his 2+ hour sets.

I go through many but right now You and I is on my mind. I made a little vocal showcase for my favorite part of the song!

Favorite Stevie Vocal Performances:
They Won’t Go When I Go
Creepin
Rocket Love
Living For The City
True to your Heart (feat 98 Degrees)
You and I
Seems so Long
Treat Myself
These Three Words
Make Sure You’re Sure

And so many others!

This is the new and improved Stevie Wonder vocal range video with a new low note added and some more clips for notes added! I might make a big video for YouTube at some point but here is the shorter version.

Stevie Wonder possesses an impressive 4 Octave Vocal Range spanning F2-F#5-F#6 (4 Octaves, 1 Semitone). His consistency with lows was around B2 (very warm and nice placement), to about D5/Eb5 for upper register notes (piercing and very resonant). His HV was used more for exclamations but he was pretty resonant and consistent on G5.

This is the most up to date and accurate Stevie Wonder vocal range video on the internet and it took a lot of time to find these clips. Shoutout to Vocal Range Planet for assisting in this Journey.

Please enjoy and spread the video to all the Stevie Wonder fans and vocal nerds you know!

For anybody who wants to learn how to do the runs like Stevie! I labeled out the notes and he was still getting up to Eb5 with little issue in his late 50s!!!! Still one of my favorite performances of his career!

The agility is off the charts. And basically none of this made it on the song either!!! And that riff he does at :35 is incredible!

What’s your favorite moment on We Are The World?

Listen to those vocal runs!!! That run he does around :14 is my favorite! This was really fun to make!

What is your favorite vocal performance on Songs in the Key of Life?

Stevie got extra flashy and started adding this crazy Eb5 on the second verse of Sir Duke in the 90s (possibly late 80s). It’s one of my favorite things he does vocally!

Which one is your favorite?

Personally, the Boston 1995 was the one!

Redemption Song (1996) | Get on the Bus Soundtrack

This particular performance has always been on my mind and I wondered how did Stevie sing this?! The runs are as fast as what Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey were doing in the 90s and here is a mature, seasoned legend still showing that he got the chops and can keep up with the new kids!

Also what an amazing tribute to Bob Marley!

Stevie Wonder, throughout his career, has shown a remarkable technical journey as a belter.

In the 70s, he would cap out at C#5/D5 on his very best days, but then once Stevie gets in his 30s and 40s, he starts soaring up to these high Eb5s, E5s, F5s, and even F#5s!!!

I can also hear that he doesn't really mix like singers such as Dimash, Brendon Urie, and many other tenors do, which relies on the M2 mechanism for their higher notes. Stevie still stays in M1 for these notes which, to me, is crazy.

How does Stevie sing so high in the M1 mechanism without pulling, straining, and even damaging his voice?

Examples of his high belts:

Stevie Wonder at 48 years old: https://youtu.be/W6pAiwbFQ4s (2:29 is where he starts singing E5s and Eb5s)

Stevie Wonder at 37: https://youtu.be/zMyWUgOe1RA (3:40 is when he sings this nasty F5)

Stevie Wonder at 45: https://youtu.be/VQ49ZNC3SKU (6:50 is when he glissandos up to this awesome Eb5)