A scientific study has demonstrated that Queen singer Freddie Mercury was singing out of his natural range.

Published in Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology, the study, which analyzed footage of Mercury's larynx with a high-speed camera, hypothesizes that Mercury was a baritone who sang as a tenor.

The authors write that Mercury used a "subharmonic vibration," to create "the impression of a sound production system driven to its limits."

"These traits, in combination with the fast and irregular vibrato, might have helped create Freddie Mercury's eccentric and flamboyant stage persona," said the study's lead author Christian Herbs from the University of Vienna.

The study also showed that Mercury's vocal cords vibrated at a faster rate than those of peers, including those of opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.