David Ruffin
Tenor · Soul · R&B · USA · prominent since 1964
How David Ruffin uses that range
Raw-grained tenor whose signature is controlled fray: a pleading rasp that intensifies as lines climb, stretched over a firm rhythmic core. He belts to Bb5 in full voice and rides screamed peaks above that, using hoarseness as expression rather than accident. Phrasing tugs against the pulse, with sobs and spoken asides breaking the line. Students copying him start with the rasp and lose the pitch; his grit sits on top of accurate, supported tone, and the cracks are placed, not accidental.
What is David Ruffin’s vocal range?
David Ruffin's vocal range is commonly cited as A2 to E6 — about 3.6 octaves, or 43 semitones, and is usually classified as tenor. Full voice is cited up to around A#5 (Bb5); everything above that comes from falsetto or head voice.
Gravel-and-plead soul tenor whose controlled fray climbs into screamed full-voice peaks.
- Signature song
- My Girl
Reading the numbers
- The top note beats 95% of the 223 tenors in this library.
- The ceiling clears the conventional tenor top of C5 by 16 semitones.
- The span runs 10.5 semitones past the median voice in this library (32.5 semitones).
- Roughly 14% of the span sits above the cited full-voice ceiling of A#5.
- The weight of the range is above middle C: 28 semitones up there against 15 below.
Commonly cited figures, not lab measurements — extreme notes are one-off recorded moments, not the singer’s everyday range.
More about David Ruffin’s voice
How high can David Ruffin sing?
David Ruffin is commonly cited singing up to around A#5 (Bb5) in full voice, and as high as E6 overall — the stretch above A#5 comes from falsetto or head voice.
What is David Ruffin’s highest note?
David Ruffin’s highest note is commonly cited as E6, heard in Rainy Night in Georgia. Full voice is cited up to around A#5; the very top comes from falsetto or head voice.
What is David Ruffin’s lowest note?
David Ruffin’s lowest note is commonly cited as A2, heard in I Get Excited.
How many octaves can David Ruffin sing?
David Ruffin’s commonly cited range spans about 3.6 octaves (43 semitones), from A2 up to E6. That span is wider than 87% of the 636 voices in this library.
Take the free 2-minute range test — your mic finds your lowest and highest notes, then this page shows exactly how your voice lines up with David Ruffin’s.
Also bottoming out on A2
66 other voices here are cited to the same floor.
Also topping out on E6
25 other voices here reach the same ceiling.