Vocal range
James Brown
Baritone · Funk · Soul · R&B · USA · prominent since 1956
Cited range
F2 — C5
Octaves
2.6
Semitones
31
Voice type
Baritone
What is James Brown’s vocal range?
James Brown's vocal range is commonly cited as F2 to C5 — about 2.6 octaves, or 31 semitones, and is usually classified as baritone.
Shouted baritone used as percussion; screams and grunts placed on the beat. That cited span is wider than 39% of the 357 voices in this library.
- Signature song
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
Reading the numbers
- 8 other voices here carry the identical cited range — at the resolution these figures are quoted in, those voices are indistinguishable on the chart.
- No separate full-voice ceiling is cited, so the figures describe a range worked largely in full voice across its 31 semitones.
- Ranked by bottom note, it is the 44th lowest of the 357 voices here; by top note, the 285th highest.
Commonly cited figures, not lab measurements — extreme notes are one-off recorded moments, not the singer’s everyday range.
You vs James Brown
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 James Brown’s.
Same notes, other voices
Also bottoming out on F2
66 other voices here are cited to the same floor.
Also topping out on C5
32 other voices here reach the same ceiling.