Female Vocal Range - Various Singing Voice Types for Women | Your Personal Singing Guide Female Vocal Range and Voice Types! There are many vocal ranges and voice types for females, and this section will discuss about the 3 main types of female voices, their respective note ranges, as well as how their tessituras or most comfortable voice ranges differ from each other. One point to note: There is a difference between the 2 terms – Vocal Range and Voice Type; The Range of our Voice refers to the range of notes that the voice can reach or produce a sound at, whereas Voice Type refers to the various kinds of voices classified using certain criteria like range of vocals, tessituras, register transition points, vocal timbre or tone and so on. Click on the links provided above to learn how to find the full range of your voice, as well as understand more about the various voice classification criteria and learn how to determine your own voice type! Now, the 3 main types of female voices are as follows: 1. Soprano Let us look at each of these voices in more detail: 1.

SOPRANO As many of us would know, the Soprano voice is the highest of the female voices, and many of us would be familiar with this voice type. I am sure many ladies out there would be envious of their Soprano friends who seem to be able to hit the high notes with such ease! A typical Soprano vocal range would probably be from the A note below middle C (A3) to the F or G note 2 octaves above (F6 or G6), making it a range of 2 plus to 3 octaves. Of course, this is not to be taken as an exact measurement but more as a rough guideline for soprano voices, and proper breath support must be used when measuring vocal ranges during singing. The Soprano Tessitura is also usually higher than the other female voice types, considering that the overall vocal range is the highest among the female voices. A Soprano would also probably transition out of her chest voice around the E flat note above middle C (E4) and shift into her head voice around the F sharp note one octave above the middle C (F5).

The soprano voice usually has a bright tone, and she would usually have a strong head voice, but a relatively weaker middle voice. Sopranos are also able to sing more high notes and sustain at a high pitch better than a mezzo soprano can, and they are also most often the lead role for operas or shows. 2. MEZZO SOPRANO For most ladies out there, you would probably belong to this voice type as the Mezzo Soprano voice is the most common female voice type out of the 3 main types, and it lies between the higher Soprano voice and the lower Contralto voice. The vocal range for the Mezzo Soprano voice would be likely between the G note below middle C (G3) to the C note more than 2 octaves above (C6), making it also a range of around slightly more than 2 octaves. The Mezzo Soprano Tessitura or most comfortable vocal range lies somewhere between the Soprano Tessitura and the Contralto Tessitura.

The Mezzo would probably transition out of chest voice around the E note just above middle C (E4) and shift into head voice around the E note one octave above the middle C octave (E5). Be sure to avoid the common singing problem of head raising when you are measuring your register transitions. The Mezzo Soprano has a stronger middle voice and a weaker head voice as compared to the Soprano. Also, the tone of the Mezzo Soprano’s voice is darker or deeper than the Soprano’s. 3. CONTRALTO The Contralto voice is the lowest among the female voices, and it is certainly more unique among females, as the typical female voices would probably either be the Soprano or Mezzo Soprano voices. Also, a common misconception would be to use the term ‘Alto’ instead of ‘Contralto’ to refer to female voices with this low range of notes. We should use the term ‘Contralto’ to refer to this low female voice type, as ‘Alto’ more commonly refers to the range or notes to be sung and is not exactly a voice type.

The term ‘Alto’ is commonly used in choral singing to refer to the vocal parts to be sung by singers doing the Alto section. The vocal range for the Contralto voice would lie somewhere between the E note below middle C (E3) to the 2nd G note above middle C (G5). This would mean that the Contralto voice would be very close to the male tenor voice, having a similar range in vocals, and would thus be able to handle most of the songs that men may sing too! The Contralto would probably transition out of chest voice around the G above middle C (G4) and shift into head voice around the D note an octave above middle C (D5). Also, the tone of the Contralto’s voice would be darker and richer than the Mezzo Soprano, and she would be totally comfortable in the lower part of her voice. Understanding more about the 3 main female voice types and their vocal ranges helps us to be able to understand more about our own voice as well as which voice type we may belong to. This will help us to determine the various keys or pitches with which to do our vocal exercises and vocal warmups !

1 Comment Stephanie Noboa September 2, 2014 at 11:08 AM I’ve read from someone that I am an Alto, though that kind of made me question myself if I should keep singing or not cause they mentioned I couldn’t quite hit those very high notes. I know I’ve always wanted to be able to, it would’ve been really nice; but, after reading what you wrote about Alto and Contralto it completely changed my opinion on how I view my singing and that I should be happy with it and keep practicing so that I can be a good singer as a Contralto (Alto) though I’m still not sure if that is my vocal range, I’ve never really known what it is. I really love this singing guide I came across, it has really great information, and can’t wait to put it to good use! And to also mention that it’s free, it’s amazing! Thank you so much! 🙂 Singing voice - definition of singing voice by The Free Dictionary Singing voice - definition of singing voice by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia .

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: bass voice , basso , bass - the lowest adult male singing voice baritone voice , baritone - the second lowest adult male singing voice tenor , tenor voice - the adult male singing voice above baritone countertenor , alto - the highest adult male singing voice alto , contralto - the lowest female singing voice mezzo , mezzo-soprano - the female singing voice between contralto and soprano soprano - the highest female voice; the voice of a boy before puberty phonation , vocalisation , vocalization , vox , voice , vocalism - the sound made by the vibration of vocal folds modified by the resonance of the vocal tract; "a singer takes good care of his voice"; "the giraffe cannot make any vocalizations" Operatic Voices | The Opera 101 The Opera 101 Fill out the fields below to contact us! Your name * Bass The Fach System Operatic voices can be classified by a variety of means. At base we define singers by the vocal range of their voice (basically what notes they can sing), but opera has developed a range of conventions for grouping singers with particular vocal styles as well.

The German Fach system is the predominant one and the one we cover here. This system gets pretty specific so frequently singers will sing across the sub-classifications, for example, a singer might sing a lyric tenor role one month and a spinto tenor one the next. Soprano The soprano range The soprano is the highest female voice type and they often take the leading female role. The vocal range for an operatic soprano is roughly from middle C up to the C two octaves above, though plenty of music particularly for coloratura sopranos ascends even further. Sopranos are split into five major categories: Coloratura The coloratura soprano is capable of seemingly superhuman feats. The voice is extremely agile, firing out fast paced coloratura sections that ascend as high as the 3rd F above middle C (and in a few cases even higher). These roles have existed from Baroque through 20th Century opera. A particularly fine example is Lucia in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and an excerpt from her mad scene can be found below.

The Mad scene from Lucia di Lammermoor sung by the late Joan Sutherland Soubrette A soubrette soprano refers as much to an archetype of character as a voice type. These are cheeky, coquettish parts, sung by singers with sweet, bright voices. The tessitura of these parts can sometimes be pretty high but without an excess of coloratura. An excerpt from Hansel und Gretel sung by Diana Damrau Lyric The lyric soprano usually possesses a fuller, richer sound than the soubrette and tends to have a more mature quality. Their tessitura generally lies higher than the soubrette but lower than the coloratura heading up to the D two octaves and a tone above middle C on occasion. Some of the loveliest music is given to these singers, Liu gets this haunting tune near the end of Turandot "Tanto amore segreto" from Turandot sung by Ana Maria Martinez Spinto The spinto soprano gets a good deal of the really plum roles in opera, particularly in the Italian Romantic tradition of Verdi and Puccini .

Partly for this reason, lyric and dramatic sopranos frequently take on these roles whether naturally suited or not (and more than a few lyric sopranos have shortened their careers by taking on heavy spinto roles). These roles call for the light, brilliant high notes of the lyric soprano but with more heft in the big climaxes (spinto translates as "pushed"). Below you’ll find an excerpt from Tatyana’s passionate love letter scene from Eugene Onegin . An excerpt from Eugene Onegin sung by Adrianne Pieczonka Dramatic These are big soprano voices with sufficient heft to be heard over a large orchestra whilst maintaining an evenness across the full range. Dramatic soprano roles came to the fore in the Romantic era, indeed there are few genuine dramatic soprano roles before the mid-19th Century. Wagner supplied a range of dramatic soprano roles such as the colossal part that is Brunnhilde.

Below is a tiny clip of Christine Brewer singing the immolation scene from the conclusion of Wagner's Ring Cycle An excerpt from Gotterdammerung, Christine Brewer singing Brunnhilde Mezzo-Soprano The Mezzo-Soprano range Singing slightly lower than the soprano, the vocal range of an operatic mezzo-soprano (often abbreviated to just mezzo) spans from the G below middle C to the A two octaves above, though plenty of roles require the voice to stretch above and/or below this. Mezzos are too often relegated to supporting roles or villains. What principal roles exist for the mezzo-soprano are most commonly found in French-language operas, Bizet’s Carmen probably the most famous mezzo role of them all. The Habanera from Carmen sung by Elina Garanca Mezzos breakdown into three broad categories: Coloratura The coloratura mezzo-soprano is a fairly small niche. Two periods heavily used this voice type and one of these after the fact. Roles actually written for agile, lower female voices belong to the Bel Canto period, Donizetti and Rossini writing a range of big roles.

The other collection of coloratura mezzo roles were originally written for castrati in the Baroque period but, as we no longer abide by such practices, mezzos have frequently taken these parts in modern times. Coloratura mezzo roles require agile runs up to even high C but also call for just as much oompf in the middle and bottom of the mezzo’s range. Below you’ll find a brief excerpt from Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Sivilia, with Agnes Baltsa singing “Una voce poco fa”, a wonderful example of this sort of singer. "Una voce poco fa" from Il Barbiere di Sivilia sung by Agnes Baltsa Lyric The lyric mezzo-sprano gets perhaps the least glamorous of roles, a good whack of them are “trouser” parts (women playing men). That classification belies voices that are also normally smooth and rather sexy such as Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte.

Here's a brief clip from Ann Murray singing "È amore un ladroncello" from that very opera: "È amore un ladroncello" from Cosi Fan Tutte sung by Ann Murray Dramatic Frequently playing mothers or witches, the dramatic mezzo voice is warm, rich and unbeatably loud. This voice type was frequently called for from the middle 1800s onwards. Verdi wrote a whole host of dramatic mezzo roles as did Wagner. One of the most vivid can be found in Richard Strauss’s Elektra: the role of Klytemnestra. An excerpt from Elektra, Brigitte Fassbaender singing Klytemnestra Contralto The Contralto range The contralto voice is the lowest of the female voices and by far and away the rarest. The contralto range is roughly from the F below middle C to a high F one octave above middle C almost exactly matching that of the male countertenor. Prior to the early 1800s (and to some extent ever since) the contralto sound was viewed as unromantic and unsexy so many of the parts written were older characters, often unpleasant, sometimes humorous.

The Russians never saw it that way however, so what youthful contralto roles there are are mostly in Russian language operas (think Olga in Onegin ). Worth noting is that the art of contralto singing is dangerously close to extinct. So out of favour that the magnificent Ewa Podleś is close to the only major living contralto (and she’s 63). The lack of singers of this voice type means contralto roles are often taken by mezzos (and even sopranos in some cases). Contraltos are divided into three broad categories: Coloratura A light, agile voice that can reach and remain at the highest end of the contralto range whilst managing to sustain a rich and powerful sound. Exceedingly rare, but blessed with several great parts. Rossini actually wrote Rosina (from Il barbiere di Siviglia) for a coloratura contralto as well as the title role in La Cenerentola. "Una voce poco fa" from Il Barbiere di Sivilia sung by Ewa Podleś Lyric Sitting between the coloratura and the dramatic, a flexible, but still rich sound. This is the most commonly heard voice within the classification.

"Hush, She Comes" from The Rape of Lucretia sung by Kathleen Ferrier Dramatic Low, dark, heavy and immense. Sadly as rare as the coloratura contralto. So rare we couldn’t find a decent recording anywhere. Please get in touch if you have one! Countertenor The Countertenor range The highest male voice type, roughly equivilent in pitch to mezzo-sopranos. Countertenors were popular in the 17th Century but fell out of fashion until the the mid 20th Century roughly coinciding with a boom in the popularity of Baroque and other early music. The countertenor range is roughly from the G below middle C to a high F one octave above middle C. These male singers achieve this high lying range through the use of their head voice (often called falsetto). In opera countertenors largely take Baroque roles, particularly those originally given to Castrati.

This voice type has been seized upon by some modern composers however, and has been increasingly utilised in contemporary opera, most famously by Britten with the King of the Fairies, Oberon, in A Midsummer Night's Dream Oberon's "I know a bank" sung by Jochen Kowalski Tenor The Tenor range Tenors frequently take the leading male role (and are said to always get the girl, on stage and off!). The operatic vocal range for a tenor is roughly from the C below middle C to the C above middle C. Striking these high Cs is a challenge for many tenors and one of the pinnacles of high C singing comes in Donizetti’s La Fille du Regiment, in the aria "Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête!", a clip of which you can hear below. "Ah! mes amis" sung by Juan Diego Florez Tenors breakdown into a range of categories, some more common than others. Below are the four of the most common groupings: Lyric Warm, bright and capable of hitting the highest tenor notes with ease, lyric tenors get some of the most charming operatic roles.

A fairly broad category, these singers can range in tonal colour, some much darker and fuller with others lighter and brighter. Below is a short excerpt from the prologue of Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Offenbach. It's sung by Rolando Villazón who sits at the heavier end of the lyric tenor spectrum. Hoffmann sung by Rolando Villazón Spinto Similar to the lyric tenor in range but with more heft, particularly towards the top. These roles are far tougher than many people give them credit for, the heroic Verdi parts icebergs that many a tenor have crashed upon. Radames from Verdi's Aida is one such role and “Celeste Aida” a formidable challenge. "Celeste Aida" sung by Placido Domingo Dramatic Big, emotive and powerful, a dramatic tenor is usually spared the blushes of trying to hit a string of high notes but must project a rich sound against potent orchestral forces. The example below is from Verdi's Otello, a dark brooding anti-hero requiring a muscular sound like that of Jon Vickers.

The start of "Niun mi tema" sung by John Vickers Heldentenor Literally translates as heroic tenor. This is a vocal class largely introduced by Wagner, a collection of parts with low, almost baritonal, tessitura. They are massive roles, requiring the singer sustain a powerful sound over enormously long periods making them near unsingable. Wagner created a good dozen of these roles but perhaps the most demanding of all is Siegfried in the Ring Cycle. Here is a short excerpt from a scene in which Siegfried forges his sword (hence the banging). The forging scene from Siegfried sung by Siegfried Jerusalem Baritone The Baritone range The middle male voice singing in the range from roughly the second G below middle C up to the G above it. Lyric Singing in a range from the A one and a half octaves below middle C to the A just above it, the lyric baritone is a light, fruity deep male voice. These tend towards comic parts but they’re not without depth in some cases. Papageno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute to most people) gets this delightful aria about his dream woman!

"Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen"s sung by Stephan Degout Verdi The Verdi baritone as you might expect from the name is a voice type specific to Verdi operas. True Verdi baritones are somewhat rare, the roles requiring the singer sing notes at the extremes of both ends of the baritone range and do so with a wealth of round sound. Verdi took Shakespeare's Macbeth and made a riveting opera out of it, the title role a great example of the Verdi baritone. "Pieta, rispeto, amore" from Macbeth sung by leo Nucci Dramatic The lowest true baritonal vocal type, dramatic baritones have a similar range to the Verdi singers, the G two octaves below middle C upwards, but the tessitura tends to lie lower. The despicable Scarpia from Puccini’s Tosca is a prime example of this voice, here is a clip of Bryn Terfel singing the mighty Te Deum. The Te Deum from Tosca sung by Bryn Terfel Bass The Bass range The lowest voice of all. The standard operatic bass range is from the E above middle C to the E two octaves below.

Some bass singers can go even lower, though this is seldom called for in the standard bass repertoire. Bass-baritone The bass-baritone can sing as low as a bass but just as comfortably in higher lying tessitura close to the baritone range. This voice type was predominantly written for from the mid 19th Century onwards but several Mozart roles, written in the era before baritone had even become a vocal type, are commonly given to singers in this class. Here is an excerpt from Strauss's Salome, the great Hans Hotter as Jokanaan Jokanaan's first appearance in Salome sung by Hans Hotter Buffo Buffo bass roles are funny, comic relief, roles found most frequently in Bel Canto works. They are very distinct parts with extensive “patter” singing requirements, the text frequently a tongue-twisting nightmare of alliteration. Though amusing, these are often villainous roles, albeit hopeless, blustering ones, for example Doctor Magnifico in Rossini’s La Cenerentola. "Sia qualunque delle figlie" sung by Alessandro Corbelli Basso profundo The lowest voice type in opera is the basso profundo.

These singers produce a wall of rich, unending sound with limited vibrato but enormous power. The parts are mostly limited to older male villains though not exclusively, for example Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, who is a sage like leader. Sarastro's "In diesen heil'gen Hallen" sung by Eric Halfvarson Contact Us Male Vocal Range and Voice Type | Your Personal Singing Guide Male Vocal Range and Voice Types! There are many vocal ranges and voice types for males, and this section will discuss the 4 main types of male voices, their respective pitch ranges, unique tonal characteristics, as well as how their tessituras or most comfortable voice ranges differ from each other. One important point to note: These 2 terms – Vocal Range and Voice Type – are not to be confused with each other. The Range of our Voice refers to the range of notes that our voice can reach or produce a sound at, whereas the Type of Voice refers to the various kinds of voices classified using certain criteria like range of vocals, tessituras, register transition points, vocal timbre or tone and so on.

Click on the links provided above to understand more about how to find your own vocal range, as well as how to determine your own voice type using the various criteria! Now, the 4 main types of male voices are as follows: 1. Countertenor Let us look at each of these male voices in more detail: 1. COUNTERTENOR The Countertenor Voice may actually be unfamiliar to those of us not from the classical realm, as many of us would probably only have heard of the 3 main male voices – Tenor, Baritone and Bass. The Countertenor voice is the highest of the adult male voice types, and has a vocal range that is similar to that of the Female Contralto Voice, the lowest of the female voice types! In the Mandarin pop scene, certain singers like Jeff Chang and the lead singer of popular pop rock band Soda Green would probably qualify as countertenor voices! An approximate Countertenor Vocal Range would be from a G note below the middle C (G3) to a high F one octave above the middle C (F5). Be sure to support your voice well with your breath so as to get a more accurate representation of the range in your voice.

Check out the section on ‘How to Find Your Singing Range and Voice Type’ to get some tips on finding your range on your own! Also, the Tessitura or most comfortable singing range for Countertenors lies above that of the Tenor and other adult male voices. The Countertenor voice would usually be able to sing the high head voice notes with great ease and brightness in tone, and would often be confused by many listeners with regular female voices. 2. TENOR The Tenor Voice is the highest of the main male vocal types that most people would be familiar with, with the typical tenor vocal range lying between the C note one octave below middle C (C3) to the C note one octave above middle C (C5)! This means that it would lie just slightly below the Countertenor voice, but has similar characteristics in the sense that the Tenor would also be able to sing most high notes with ease and vocalize the head voice notes with strength and brightness! The Tenor voice would probably transition into his middle voice around the D or E note above middle C (D4 or E4) and shift into head voice around the F sharp or G above middle C (F4 or G4).

The tenor tessitura would lie between that of the Countertenor’s and the Baritone’s. Do make sure that we avoid certain common singing problems like jaw tightness when we attempt to find out where our vocal register transitions lie, as this will affect the notes at which we transition, affecting the voice type we may classify ourselves to be! Famous Tenor voices include the 3 Tenors – Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo, as well as other classical singers like Enrico Caruso and pop singers like Elton John, Stevie Wonder. In the Mandarin pop scene, JJ Lin Junjie and Jay Chou would probably be considered Tenor voices too! 3. BARITONE Most men would have a vocal range similar to that of a Baritone voice, as this is the most common of the male voice types! A typical Baritone Voice Range would be between the A flat note one octave below the middle C (A Flat 2) to the A flat note above the middle C (A Flat 4).

The Baritone Voice would transition into middle voice somewhere around the A or B note just below middle C (A3 or B3), and move into head voice somewhere at the D or E note just above middle C (D4 or E4). Also, the baritone tessitura would lie somewhere between the Tenor and the Bass tessituras, and the baritone voice would be strongest in the middle range pitches. Famous Baritones include John Charles Thomas, Lawrence Tibbett, Leonard Warren and Robert Merrill. In the Mandarin pop scene, the iconic Andy Lau would qualify as a baritone singer. 4. BASS The Bass Voice is the lowest of the male voice types. It is also quite rare to find a good bass voice, which means that bass singers will be very much in demand in choirs and also in A Cappella groups! Famous Bass singers include Barry White, James Morris and Samuel Ramey. Bass singers would be strongest in their low voice, with a deep and dark booming quality to his voice, somewhat like how a sub woofer speaker may sound!

The Bass voice would have a vocal range of between the F note 1 octave below the middle C (F2) to the E note just above middle C (E4). He would also have a tessitura or most comfortable voice range that is lower than the Baritone’s. The Bass voice would probably transition from chest voice to middle voice somewhere around the A or A flat note just below the middle C (A3 or A Flat 3), and then shift into head voice somewhere around the D Flat note just above middle C (D Flat 4). Understanding more about the 4 main male voice types and their vocal ranges helps us to be able to understand more about our own voice as well as which voice type we may belong to. Knowing our voice type will help us to determine the various keys or pitches with which to do our vocal warmups before we sing, so as to achieve maximum desired effect! Achieve A Singing Voice You Can Be Proud Of ! Hit Higher Notes, Avoid Embarrassing Voice Breaks, And Achieve Vocal Mastery and Understanding !

The Ultimate Vocal Training System is a comprehensive online training system that will provide targeted solutions to vocal problems that you are facing, allowing you to sing higher in your vocal range, avoid sore throats or vocal swelling after a long night of singing, and avoid embarrassing vocal breaks or cracks in the range! This comprehensive vocal training system is divided into a total of 10 Modules consisting of 80+ training videos and other pdf resources, covering topics like breath and voice production, vocal folds and how they work, voice projection and a simple trick that will give you more singing power, as well as pitching and aural awareness training too! Find Your Vocal Range - Successful Singing Find Your Vocal Range 0 How To Find Your Vocal Range Every singer would like to know what their voice type is. Try our easy to use video to help you discover what range you sing in. First we will find the lowest note that you can reach. Simply sing ‘la’ to each note that is played. On screen you will see a code appear each time the note changes. Eg G4. These codes are the notes being played on the piano, and at what octave. When you reach the note that you feel is your lowest comfortable note. Write down the code.

Next we will try to find your highest note that you can reach. Again sing ‘la to each note that is played and write down the highest comfortable note you achieve. Please note that the range of notes played are vast and you will not be able to sing all of them. Guys you will find you will be able to sing more of the lower part of the exercise and girls, you will sing more of the higher part of the exercise easier You should now have to sets of codes Compare them to the chart below to give you an idea of what range you sing in. I have included a brief explanation of the different singing ranges below, and an explanation if your codes are outside the guidelines of each range. Female Voice Ranges: Alto or contralto. This is the lowest female voice range. generally very similar to the male tenor range – from F below middle C to a high D (F3-D5). In choral work, altos generally support the harmony to the soprano’s melody. Famous Pop alto singers include Adele, Alison Moyet, Shirley Bassey and Patsy Cline.

Mezzo Soprano The middle range and most common of the female voice, generally ranging from G below middle C to high A (G3-A5) In choral music, Mezzo’s usually sing along with the sopranos, although sometimes, soprano parts may be split into two and the mezzos will take the Soprano 2 part. Famous pop mezzo-sopranos include Beyonce, Dusty Springfield, Leona Lewis Soprano The highest female voice range, generally ranging from middle C above Top C: (this is a conservative range estimate for a professional singer. A true soprano can often reach a top E or even higher). In choral music, the soprano’s often get the melody line. Famous pop sopranos include Kate Bush, Sarah Brightman and Dolly Parton. Male Voice Ranges: Bass This deepest male voice, generally ranging from a low C, two octaves below middle C to E above middle C (E2-E4). In Choral basses may have rather monotone harmonies. In opera, basses probably have the greatest range of roles. Famous Bass singers include Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong.

Baritone The middle range for the male voice, and is the most common of the male singing voices.. It ranges from the second G below middle C to the F above (G2-F4). Most male pop singers sing within this baritone range. Tenor This is the highest of the male voices, with a vocal range of C below middle C to G above middle C (C3-G4). In Opera, the Primo Uomo (principle male) is most often a tenor. Famous pop tenors would include Michael Jackson, Phil Collins and Freddie Mercury. Counter Tenor This is one of the most rarest of male voices. A true countertenor is a male singer who can sing as high as soprano, without using falsetto. However many singers who sing in the counter tenors have developed a very strong and powerful falsetto. Counter Tenors were highly prized in 16th Century church music and many boys underwent castration to prevent their voices from breaking. They were know as Castrato and the last know was Alessandro Moreschi who died in 1922. Here’s a recording of him.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here . You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. I’ve got codes that are outside the singing ranges suggested The suggested guidelines for the singing ranges are standardised. Music written for eg. a Bass singer will be written within this range of notes. Many of you will find that you have a range beyond eg : Alto range. You can reach below the low F and you can easily reach notes beyond the high D. This is where other factors (explained below) which will determine your voice range. Depending on what genre of music you sing, or even the role you take, your singing teacher, choir or music director may point you into the Mezzo range or feel you are more suited to an Alto range.

The different characteristics which, also factor in determining your voice type: ·Range – the notes your body can produce ·Weight – light voices, bright and agile; heavy voices, powerful, rich, and darker ·Tessitura – part of the range which is most comfortable to sing ·Timbre – unique voice quality and texture ·Transition points – points where you change from chest, to middle, to head register ·Vocal registers – how extended each register is ·Speech level – speaking range ·Physical characteristics For example, vocal tessitura and timbre can be more important as range can be between types. This is usually the case with sopranos and mezzo-sopranos; they might have the same range but mezzo-sopranos have a lower tessitura and darker timbre. Something else to mention, especially in the pop genre, singers have what are called ‘Money Notes’. This is the part of the song, which the singer’s voice can being out the most emotion or dramatic part of the song, have a challenging technique or reach high notes that are difficult to sing, It all helps sell tickets or albums, for which the singer become well-known for, but it may not always sit within a particular voice range.

Every singer has a unique voice, and should sing what is comfortable for them. Share this: Identifying the Fab Four Singing Voices - dummies Identifying the Fab Four Singing Voices Identifying the Fab Four Singing Voices Identifying the Fab Four Singing Voices The four singing voice types are soprano, mezzo, tenor, and bass. Even though these names sound like characters in a mob movie, they’re nothing to be afraid of. Under each voice type heading, you discover specific traits about each voice type: the range, register transitions, voice tone, and any subdivisions of that voice type, as well as the names of a few famous singers to help you put a sound with the voice type. Soprano: Singing on top The soprano has the highest range of the female voice types. The following aspects are characteristic of her voice type: Range: Often Middle C to High C although some sopranos can vocalize way beyond High C and much lower than Middle C. A soprano is expected to have a High C and many sopranos can sing up to the G or A above High C. Choral directors or musical directors listen for the singer’s comfort zone when determining if the singer is a soprano.

Although a mezzo can reach some of these higher notes, a soprano is capable of singing high notes more frequently than a mezzo. Register transitions: Because not all sopranos are the same, the register transitions don’t occur on just one note. The transitions usually occur as the soprano shifts out of chest voice around the E-flat just above Middle C and into her head voice around F-sharp (fifth line on top of the staff) in the octave above Middle C. Strength: A soprano’s strength is a strong head voice. Voice tone: The soprano voice is usually bright and ringing. Weakness: Sopranos have a harder time projecting in middle voice. Subdivisions: High, higher, highest — okay, that’s not exactly technically accurate, but most other voice types have subdivisions that fill in the gaps. Common Performance Roles: The soprano is usually the lead in the show, such as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Marian the Librarian in The Music Man, and Mimi in La Bohème. Naming Names: Famous sopranos you may know include Dolly Parton, Julie Andrews, Sara Brightman, Maria Callas, and Olivia Newton John.

Mezzo: The low female voice The difference between a mezzo (mezzo is the abbreviated term for mezzo-soprano) and a soprano is often tessitura.(Tessitura refers to where most of the notes lie in a song — the notes that a voice feels most comfortable singing.) Many mezzos can sing as high as a soprano, but they can’t stay as high as a soprano. For example, some roles in operatic literature require the mezzo to sing as high as the soprano lead, but the mezzo doesn’t have to remain that high as long as a soprano does — thank goodness — because the mezzo comfort zone is usually different than the soprano; mezzos prefer to live in their middle voices. On the other hand, a soprano hates to live in her middle voice all day, preferring to sing high notes and soar above the orchestra. To further confuse you, many sopranos sing mezzo repertoire. How dare they! That’s not fair, but it’s a fact. As in other aspects of life, after the soprano becomes famous, she sings repertoire that she enjoys and that may be music written for somebody else, such as mezzos.

So just because a soprano sings a song doesn’t mean it’s a soprano song. You have to look at the details, such as range of the song, and decide if that range fits your voice. Range: The mezzo range is usually G below Middle C to a High B or High C. Many mezzos vocalize as high as a soprano but can’t handle the repetition of the upper notes. Register: The register transitions for the mezzo usually occur at E or F (first space) just above Middle C and the E or F (fifth line) one octave above that. Strength: Mezzos have a strong middle voice. Voice tone: The mezzo voice is usually darker or deeper than her soprano counterpart. Weakness: A mezzo’s head voice is often her weakness. Subdivisions: One subdivision of mezzo is contralto. Less common than mezzos, contraltos can usually sing from F below Middle C to about an F (fifth line) below High C. A contralto can vocalize or sing higher and has an even darker, richer color and is more at home in the lower part of her voice. Sometimes singers darken their voices intentionally to make themselves sound like contraltos.

The contralto may take her chest voice dominated sound up to a G (second line) above Middle C and shift into head voice around the D (fourth line) an octave above Middle C. Examples of contraltos include Marian Anderson and Maureen Forrester. Common Performance Roles: The mezzo is often the mother, witch, or the sleazy girl in town. Her roles include such fun ones as Miss Hannigan in Annie, Mrs. Pots in Beauty and The Beast, Carmen in the opera Carmen, and Aunt Eller in Oklahoma! Naming Names: Famous mezzos you may know include Marilyn Horne, K.D. Lang, Lorrie Morgan, Patsy Cline, and Karen Carpenter. High-singing men: Tenor Thanks to the Three Tenors, The Irish Tenors, and even Three Mo’ Tenors, you probably have a good idea of what a tenor sounds like. Range: The tenor range is about two octaves with many singing a little lower than C (second space in bass clef) and a little higher than the male High C (third space treble clef). Register: The tenor voice doesn’t make a huge transition from his lower voice to his middle voice.

His transition into his middle voice occurs around Middle C (or the E just above Middle C) and then a transition into head voice around F-sharp or G above Middle C. Strength: The tenor’s strength is his head voice. Voice tone: The tenor voice is usually bright and ringing. Weakness: His weakness is often his lower voice. Subdivisions: In the musical-theater world, a subdivision of the tenor, called the bari/tenor, reigns. This voice type is someone with the power to project in the middle voice and the higher ringing money notes of the tenor. The other voice type that you frequently hear of in the opera world is the countertenor — a male singer who sounds like a female. This voice type sings in the same range as the mezzo (sometimes soprano) and sounds similar. When you’ve heard the countertenor singing enough, you can distinguish him from a mezzo. Until then, just enjoy the unique quality that these gentlemen bring to the singing world. Common Performance Roles: The tenor is almost always the lead, winning the girl at the end of the show.

Examples include Rodolfo in La Bohème, Don José in Carmen, Tony in West Side Story, Billy in Chicago, and Rolf in The Sound of Music. Naming Names: Famous tenors you may know include Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and José Carreras, whom you may recognize as the Three Tenors, as well as John Denver, Enrico Caruso, Daniel Rodriguez (the Singing Cop), Elton John, and Stevie Wonder. The low lowdown on bass Bass is the lowest of the voice types. The bass is the guy that sings all the cool low notes in the barbershop quartet. Range: His range is usually F (below the bass clef staff) to E (first line treble clef) but can be as wide as E-flat to F. Register transitions: The bass changes from chest voice into middle voice around A or A-flat just below Middle C and changes into head voice around D or D-flat just above Middle C. Strength: His low voice is his strength. Voice tone: His voice is the deepest, darkest, and heaviest of the male voices. Weakness: His high voice is his weakness.

Subdivisions: Filling in the middle between tenor and bass is the baritone. The baritone can usually sing from an A (first space bass clef) or F (first space treble clef) below the male High C. The bass-baritone has some height of the baritone and some depth of the bass and his range is usually A-flat (first space bass clef) to F (first space treble clef) and sometimes as high as G below the male High C. The baritone’s register transitions usually occur at the A or B just below Middle C and the D or E above Middle C. Common Performance Roles: The bass or baritone is often the villain, father, or older man. Examples include Ramfis in Aïda, the Mikado in The Mikado, and Jud Fry in Oklahoma! Some exceptions to this villain image are King Arthur in Camelot, Porgy in Porgy and Bess, and the Toreador in Carmen. Naming Names: Famous basses you may know include Samuel Ramey, James Morris, José Van Dam, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Barry White.

Question: What is the lowest female singing voice?
Answer: Contralto