Do Arctic Monkeys Use Autotune?

Written by Jeff Campbell in Alternative Rock Last Updated November 17, 2022

arctic monkeys autotune lg

The Arctic Monkeys are a popular English rock band. And their lead vocalist, Alex Turner, has a unique accent and singing style. But still, many fans are critical of his vocal talent. So, do Arctic monkeys use autotune?

Here is what I found out:

Arctic Monkeys generally avoid using autotune because vocalist Alex Turner has a very strong voice that needs very little pitch correction. However, the band has occasionally used voice-altering software such as Melodyne, which can do similar things to autotune.

According to an online discussion thread, Alex has such a magnificent voice that he doesn’t need to bother about using autotune.

But overall, Alex’s vocals are flawless, despite his small range. What kind of voice does he have, though? Is Alex Turner a good live performer? And do the producers ever go back and add any autotune?

Let’s have a look.

Can Alex Turner actually sing?

Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys can actually sing really well.

Alex’s poetic prowess makes him stand out not only as a singer but also as a lyricist. His speaking voice has evolved slightly over the years, but it is undeniable that he has a distinct tone.

When Arctic Monkeys broke onto the scene, the band caught the attention of the music industry, particularly due to Turner’s unique sound and dark, sometimes religious lyrical imagery.

His lyrical prowess has influenced a number of artists significantly, so much so that there are singers who keep bringing up YouTube videos to teach how to sound like the band’s frontman.

He has remarkable vocals, especially when you try to listen to his vocals in isolation. He seems to have a nice base tone but definitely lacks control over his tone. He has a nice flow that appears great as long as it’s not tense.

His vocals also tend to stress him out when he hits high points, leaving him resorting to straight-out screaming. But honestly, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t put in hard work.

A fan notes that Alex’s live version of “Arabella” is pitchy throughout the entire first verse with minimal instrumentation (great to judge his vocals), but sometimes Turner’s struggle is quite apparent.

Does Alex Turner sound good live?

Alex Turner does sound good live, but his voice has become less appealing over the years. As per a magazine, it doesn’t sound mature, and there’s also a squeakiness to it.

The Arctic Monkeys are perhaps one of the names that many fans associate with their all-time favorite band. The group has certainly had a fruitful career steered profitably by its frontman, Alex Turner.

I had the opportunity to see AM live and believe me, I can listen to them for hours on end.

Alex’s voice sounds great. But call it evolution if you will, but Turner’s voice seems a lot different than it used to a few years ago. There is a significant change in his meter, and the way he just drags out the words feels like it’s become less theatrical.

When I was searching online, I came across a discussion thread in which some fans mentioned,

“There are only a few bands out there that have such a big contrast between their first LP and their most recent album as Arctic Monkeys have.”

But I also found other fans who were particularly fans of Turner’s recent style.

So, as of now, it all comes down to a matter of taste. Some may be divided in their opinions here. All I can say at this point is that Alex Turner is a great singer, and he also sounds good when heard live, mostly.

How many octaves does Alex Turner have?

Turner has a 2-octave range between a vocal range of F2 and D5. So while not an astronomic range, it is the perfect range for a rock vocalist. And the average singer has approximately a 2-octave range.

The High Green-born musician created his landmark album “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not,”.

But he soon developed a smooth tone with a “transatlantic snarl” (Far Out Magazine) complemented by his Yorkshireman’s inherent draw-quite evident if you listen to Turner’s isolated vocals in “Arabella”.

According to the magazine, Turner enjoys both ends of the spectrum: being a scruffy rapscallion and a smooth-talking schmoozer. This same technique is part of the Arctic Monkeys’ major success, also giving the band a new level of maturity in their illustrious career.

At the height of their record-breaking career, the band’s sound was elevated into a new genre, signaling Turner’s transition from boy to man.

Growing up under the spotlight, his voice certainly began to reflect the change. Look at Turner from “R U Mine?” to “Do I Wanna Know?” and you can clearly hear Turner’s voice changing a lot.

What type of voice does Alex Turner have?

Alex Turner has a unique baritone voice that enters the tenor range slightly. He also has a unique accent and delivery style that makes Arctic Monkey unique. 

Well, if you go back to his Arctic Monkey days when the band had just started, Alex had a somewhat cracked teen-like voice that completely went out of tune at times perhaps due to Turner’s excessive drug and alcohol use.

Rather, it just sounded like someone shouting in a loud and fast-paced voice. Listen to his “The Ritz to The Rumble” for reference.

You wouldn’t hear anything extraordinary.

In fact, a fan online notes, “Turner’s vocals back then consistently underwent countless hours of screaming during practice, and the band soon began to perform live within two years of playing instruments.”

Within two years of the band’s formation, Turner most likely learned to sing during this time period.

Cut to present day, it’s pretty obvious Alex has had time to develop his vocals. He can stretch to ranges he probably couldn’t do 11–12 years earlier.

For this, I would say time and age probably helped a lot. But even now, he still falls short in the range space. Still, it doesn’t mean that he is not counted among A-list musicians.

The singer puts in a lot of hard work to maintain his baritone and deserves all the praise that a good singer gets. A natural talent and a fantastic example of a passion for the ability to work hard.

What is Alex Turner’s accent?

Alex Turner has a Yorkshire accent. Turner and his bandmates primarily grew up in High Green, a suburb in South Yorkshire, England, where that accent is common.

If you don’t know, there is an entire research paper titled “A Certain Romance”: Style shifting in the language of Alex Turner in Arctic Monkeys songs from 2006–2018. It studies Turner’s vocal performance over 13 years.

According to the same research paper, throughout their career, the band has evolved both in terms of genre and style. However, what remains most significant is Turner’s dialect.

The paper says language and identity are two broad concepts interwoven in Alex Turner’s performances that suggest salient discourse on Turner’s interaction.

His song “Beach” especially notes the artist’s ability to convey different social distinctions through different linguistic signs such as accents, diction, and vocabulary, as well as the voice itself.

Each of the band’s albums’ is rooted in the band’s local experience of growing up in northern Britain.

You hear Petridis (first album) talking about local prostitutes and getting into fights in the bar, while Humbug (third album) was inspired with when Turner moved to Brooklyn.

His Yorkshire accent is especially noticeable, especially in the first two albums, gradually fading in the following three.

Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know? (Live)

Conclusion

Arctic Monkeys are a well-known UK band led by Alex Turner, a confident and charismatic vocalist. One of the reasons for the jibe’s inception was the Arctic Monkeys’ headlining in the music industry.

However, the same accent also brought Turner accusations suggesting he was using autotuning. But in reality, Arctic monkeys mostly avoid using autotune, and it has become evident in the past few years.

Especially since the Arctic Monkeys headlined their Glastonbury show. People couldn’t help but notice the odd accent Turner carried, which wouldn’t have been the case if he used autotune.

Many fans said perhaps Turner’s voice has “continued to transmogrify in multiple ways”. And as an accent coach noticed, it could also have resulted from his casual alcohol habit.

Photo which requires attribution under CC2.0

Arctic Monkeys @ the Wiltern by Neon Tommy was cropped, edited, and had a text overlay added.

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