Starr and Waterman mention that a listener can recognize a distinctive vocal timbre by the “grain” of a singer’s voice. Artists listed in the text include Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Dr. Dre, and Bono. What adjectives might you use to describe the timbre of these artists’ voices? You may wish to consider such terms as rough, smooth, gravelly, smoky, silky, coarse, bright, nasal, or brassy.
