Do you know what's happening when that happens? I'm guessing it is something similar to the Tuvan throat singing you mentioned (
example), maybe, where both the vestibular (or false) and vocal folds are adducted and can vibrate simultaneously, so you get two sounds at once. I don't think hers sounds quite as solid as what they're doing, but I suppose you can chalk it up to experience.
Hell, your guess is as good as mine, Mumei! While I may be able to understand
what is happening, I don't know the
how or
why. I've never sang with overtones like this. Nor do I know anyone who has. I've only ever gone to a concert with Tibetan monks who were throat singing, and that was well over ten years ago.
I'd probably agree he's not the most technical singer, but his skill is something I don't think I could scoff it off.
On the topic of nasality, I think his normal speaking voice is already kinda nasally anyways, but I think it kinda fits with what he does a parodist as its kinda goofy, in the same way that Dave Mustaine isn't an amazing singer but his nasally snarl of a singing voice fits well with Megadeth (but that's another post for another time).
You kinda answered your own question there at the top of this post.
(WARNING: LONG POST AHEAD!!!)
While these things are always subjective to a degree, in order to be considered a great vocalist, I feel you really should have these things down:
1. Has vocal beauty - The unique quality and timbre of your voice (once pitch and volume are accounted for). So harshness or breathiness or nasality or warmth or brightness
or darkness. These are all aspects of how your voice sounds. As far as the "Beauty" of your voice and what qualities constitute a beautiful voice: You either got it, or you don't! You can't really change this that much, or at least that dramatically. Your
natural singing voice (meaning how you sound when you aren't thinking or putting on an "effect" to purposely sound different) is what it is; the main thing you can do is refine it through training.
2. Uses good technique - Which includes things like breath control, vocal placement like vowel usage and chest/head voice registration, and vibrato control.
3. Is "musical" - Meaning they have a good sense of rhythm, intonation, and are knowledgeable on the form of the song in front of them. (I've played gigs with musicians I've never worked with before, and
without rehearsal, sang many songs. At that point, you just have to be sure in yourself and flexible enough to listen and react accordingly. Sometimes the band won't come in on the chorus, but on the bridge. Well you have to be aware enough to realize that and jump in correctly. Believe me, the band is doing the same thing. There are no do-overs in live performance.) It also helps if you can read and write music, if you can play an instrument and if you can sing/play in multiple styles and genres. These all help out immensely for ones musicality (and quite frankly, if you can't at least read music, I wouldn't consider you a musician; but that's a topic for another time).
4. Is a good performer - In other words, being a great interpreter of the lyric; when it's a sad song, being able to convey the sadness with just your voice. (Diction also matters, and I struggled as to whether to put it with performance or technique. I guess it straddles both, really.)
This list is really of my own design. There will be some voice teachers and aficionados who will agree 100% with it, and some who will have issue with it. But I think in general it works. Not everyone will have all four things on this list. But if you do, I would consider you a great vocalist.
This sounds like a lot to balance and juggle, but it isn't, really. Like I said, number 1 is naturally whatever it is. Number 2 & 3 you can train for and number 4 mostly comes down to experience. And once you're on stage performing, you're not thinking about 1, 2 (unless something is wrong with your voice, like having a cold), or 3 (unless something goes wrong, like in my example up above). The only thing you want to think about is number 4. You want to think about the lyric, and how to deliver it to the audience in the most natural, effective way possible.
Now, as far as Weird Al is concerned, I'd say he has 3 and 4 down. But he doesn't have a particular nice sounding voice (it's very sharp and nasally), and his technique isn't spectacular. It works for what he does, very well in fact. So he is definitely a good singer. But I wouldn't go as far as saying he was a great one.
