Vocal Range

G2 ~ F5 (2 Octaves and 5 notes)

(Might be wider)

Supported Range

D3/Eb3 ~ G#4

Voice Type

Tenor

Strengths/Achievements

• Resonance and placement have been consistent up until the F#4/G4 range
• Has been able to show support on notes as low as C3 at times with good cord connection
• Has produced non-breathy G2’s
• Strongest vocalist in Infinite
• Has improved his intonation and support throughout the years from debut until present
• Nasality has been reduced and is not often present in his singing
• Falsetto is generally controlled and relaxed, even as high as Eb5
• Can support notes as high G#4’s at times, with occasional resonance on them
• Lowest range in Infinite
• Natural vibrato and control of it is very well present in his voice

Points for Improvement

• Intonation can still at times be slightly off due to weak and inconsistent breath support
• Although falsetto is relaxed, it isn’t often used and it’s not a very much explored register
• Inconsistent support in lower register causing breathiness and overly quiet, unprojected low notes
• Notes above G#4 are often very tense and pushed and becomes squeezed starting on Bb4/B4
• Not a very agile nor flexible voice in terms of music styles
• Mixing is often not explored much and the tone production often just always balanced, without the flexibility to add more chest or head voice to his mix at will
• Connection between registers can be lost at times from his low register to upper mix register
• Not a very extensive range nor supported range overall
• Jaw tension very often present, most noticeably on the “Oh (오)” vowel and the “Ee (이)” vowel

Registers

• Lower register: Woohyun has shown improvement in this area, from earlier on in his career, notes below F3 showed little to no support, which has changed and more often now he will show better cord connection and projection down to D3’s and Eb3’s. At times able to support notes as low as C3, but lacking consistency.

• Mixed register: his mixed register seems to lack consistency in support and at times placement. At times vowels can cause him trouble, making his throat close and his jaw tense up. He has shown improvement in this area with consistency in a resonant sound up until G4, losing it after G#4,  although at times supporting and even showing resonance on them. Notes above G#4 are generally strained with a tight throat and high larynx.

• Upper register: Underused register where the sound seems to be controlled in terms of pitch and switching from mix to the falsetto register, but not a very used register which may show a lack of control and a lack of development of said register. Even so, he’s able to keep a stable larynx and an opened sound even as high as Eb5.

Agility

Woohyun’s voice shows a lack of flexibility and agility. He does not attempt runs often at all which may come from a different style choice and different vocal direction. It seems he does not posses a very agile voice.  He is a smart vocalist for not trying to do something he isn’t quite skilled at doing, however, so when he does do short runs with slow speed, he often uses the shaping of his jaw and mouth to direct the notes instead of relying solely on his breath support and vocal cords. This shows tension and lack of freedom in his voice when trying to achieve a faster and more flexible sound.

Overall analysis

Infinite’s main vocalist, Woohyun, is a lyric tenor with a bright light boyish voice. He possesses a youthful quality to his voice and due to the mixing being generally very balanced, his voice retains a lighter tone and does not seem harsh to the ear. He possibly possesses a 3 octave wide range, although he does not showcase it often. He is a vocalist who shows interest in his vocal technique, as he has shown improvement overall even with bad habits and technical flaws over the years.

His lower register can be extensive and reach down as low as G2, however so it seems as though whenever he gets to the bottom of the third octave, his voice will lose cord connection and start becoming unprojected and inconsistent in tone production. One of the few times he was able to show a fuller tone in his lower range was, for an example, in a Radio Show where he and ToHeart/SHINee’s member, Key, were appearing as guests. He sang a cover of 소주한잔 where he was able to go down to G2 and produce fuller and supported notes down to C#3. However so for it being a radio show, it’s possible that due to the morning time, his voice wasn’t warmed up enough, resulting in his lower range being more extensive than usual. In general though, he’s learned to support and project his lower range down to Eb3 and D3 over the years with more consistency, even if at times using artificial coloring to his tone to produce notes in that area.

Woohyun’s mixed register is a more extensive and developed register where he’s been able to show good placement and resonance even as high as G#4’s. However so, he lacks consistency in those G#4’s and more often than not lose the placement, even if keeping a supported sound down there. His resonance and placement have shown considerable improvement over the years. He is now very consistent up until F#4 and G4 with a full clean tone most of the time. His mixing is generally balanced, without too much chest or head voice, making it healthier on his vocal cords.

He loses support and consistency on notes above G#4, where he generally just strains and constantly utilizes a throat-based approach to get to those notes. The mix then loses its balanced quality, becoming headier and less controlled, with a tight closed throat. He does not try to extend his mix above the fourth octave, which shows a consciousness in not trying to go beyond his limit, but even on B4’s and A4’s, strain is apparent and present.

His falsetto register seems to be the most underused of his registers. He seems to produce it better than his lower chest register but the overall control and usage of this register suggests a lack of ability in developing said register. His falsetto is clean and produced with a smooth transition up until B4 in vocal lines, and he has shown the ability to produce a relaxed Eb5 in falsetto in his cover of “편지할게요” on “Immortal Song 2 (불후의 명곡2)”.

From his days on “Immortal Song 2 (불후의 명곡2)”, Woohyun has shown improvement in his musicality and overall control of his breath support and voice. At times he would show a lack of ability to keep his voice stable with good breath support, resulting in shallow breaths causing his voice to become off pitch and flat. He was able to, however, improve his breath control over time, showing smoother breaths and his intonation has since improved. One of Woohyun’s good assets is his apparent control of vibrato. Many times he uses a very clean and straight tone when sustaining high notes, but when he chooses to let his vibrato kick in, it sounds smooth and well supported, with a very relaxed tone.

His voice used to show more nasality, but has improved over time to a fuller and brighter tone, where he places his voice more in mask and lifts his soft palate more. One of Woohyun’s worst weaknesses is his tendency to overly extend his jaw downward when singing “Oh (오)” vowels, where it lets his muscles tighten and creates a tight constricted sound. This often happens even in lower notes, where he simply extends his jaw too low and creates a very unnecessary space for his singing with a shape that generally tightens his muscles. He also loses the consistency he has in his mix on G4’s and such, when singing with an “Ee (이)” shaped vowel, example being the performance of “시간아” where he sounds resonant on G4’s except when the vowel is “Ee (이)”.

Woohyun shows a very determined passion for singing, however he may not be exposed to as much vocal technique as he should. His breathing and jaw tension seem to be recurring issues that although have improved, are such implemented habits that perhaps nobody has told him not to do. He has shown good improvement over the years and could potentially show much more improvement in the future when given the right tools to work with. He has an certain degree of understanding of music and dynamics, where he knows how to place his voice to create different breathy approaches, fuller sounds or lighter brighter sounds when singing. He has the potential to show much more than he’s shown so far, with much more attention to detail, breathing and perhaps developing and using his voice to fullest to a create a one sounding connected instrument throughout his registers.

Musicianship

Woohyun generally sings as the music asks him to, he does not attempt many melodic changes, but when he does, they’re often in tune and thought out. He is not a big risk-taker and although he may go off key at times, he knows where his strengths lie and what he should do to deliver a song without taking away from the overall performance.

Label (Type of Vocalist)

MB Vocalists: Mid-Range Belters

Vocal Range Video(s)

video by: HDPomegranatz

videos by: 변한석

Best Vocal Performance(s)

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Analyzed by Ahmin (Kitsunemale)