Where do the notes stop sounding great even though you can still squeak them out? Before we break down each of the voice types, you should be familiar with the numbering system on a keyboard. Middle C is called C4 because it is the 4th C starting from the Bass up on the keyboard.
The three male voice types are: Bass, Baritone, and Tenor. The three female voice types are: Alto, Mezzo-Soprano, and Soprano. The bass is the lowest singing range and typically lies between E2 to E4. In the lower and upper extremes of the bass voice, some basses can sing from C2 to G4. The baritone is the second lowest singing range, and overlaps both Bass and Tenor. The typical baritone range is from A2 to A4, and might extend down to F2 or up to C5.
The tenor is the highest type of male voice, typically comfortable between C3 to C5. Tenors generally have greater control over their falsetto head voice , allowing them to reach notes well into the female register.
The alto is the lowest type of female voice. The typical alto range lies between F3 to F5, though there are those who can sing above or below this range. Though altos have a very similar range to mezzo-sopranos, their voices are usually richer and fuller in the lower register than mezzos.
They call on their other senses for help. Singers, voice teachers, and other vocal scholars like to fall back on sight, touch, and taste when discussing specific voices. For example:.
Try these metaphors on for size:. Comparisons like these will help get the point across because the brain is pretty good at translating one sensation into another. The timbre of a voice along with its musical range, its tessitura pronounced tes-see-TOO-rah, meaning the span of notes where the voice feels most comfortable , and its flexibility how fast the voice can move from note to note combine to form a vocal category.
The standard vocal categories in Western music are:. The following is a basic overview of each of these voice types and a look at how they function in modern and classical music. As you read on, though, keep in mind that these voice categories are merely guidelines. There are many variations within each voice group, so much so that vocal scholars often have trouble agreeing on where one voice category begins and another ends. No soprano is more soprano-y than another. Do not use this guide as a way of defining your own voice.
While one voice type may appeal to you more than the others, it is absolutely essential that you do not try to fit your voice into any specific category——this can be incredibly unhealthy.
Allow your voice time to grow and develop. A selection of singers share their skills from the lowest voice type to the highest, demonstrating the power of the bass, baritone, tenor, mezzo-soprano, countertenor and soprano voices. In opera, sopranos are divided into three basic groups: coloratura kuhl-er-ah-TOOR-ah , lyric , and dramatic , with coloratura being the lightest and most flexible sound, and dramatic being the darkest and most powerful. Audra McDonald. In fact, mezzos often sing just as high as their soprano counterparts.
In addition, operatic mezzos are also divided into the basic coloratura, lyric, and dramatic groups. What sets mezzos apart are their strong middle voices, their smoldering lower registers, and their lush tone quality. Most female pop and Broadway artists fall into the mezzo category.
A mezzo-soprano performs "Habanera" from Bizet's Carmen. Tracy Chapman. And you thought the mezzos had deep voices?
Check these ladies out. Contraltos are arguably the rarest of female voice types and they possess a tone so dark they often give the men a run for their money. If mezzos are like clarinets, contraltos are more like bass clarinets. Idina Menzel. Belting is a complicated but exciting technique in which singers push the heavier chest voice register up past its natural range. Any vocal category can produce a belt, but the most familiar belter is the mezzo-soprano, who is often showcased in Broadway musicals.
Elphaba in Wicked? Elle in Legally Blonde? You get the picture. The following voice types explore all aspects of the male sound, from the light and lilting to the dark and forceful.
No girls allowed———these voices are strictly for the men. Luciano Pavarotti. Tenors are the highest male voice and, like sopranos, they are capable of delivering thrilling high notes and often have a brilliant shining timbre.
Think of them as the trumpet of the vocal orchestra. In opera, tenors have several subcategories, which range from the softer sound of the tenore buffo ten-OR-eh BOO-foh, a high-range tenor who sings comedic roles to the bold and hefty sound of a Heldentenor HELL-dehn-ten-OR, the term for a strong-voiced tenor who sings heroic roles in lengthy German operas. Norm Lewis. The most common of all male voices, this category occupies the wide range of vocal timbres between the tenor and the bass.
As a result, the baritone voice, recognizable by its glorious middle register, came into fashion and was championed in many 19th-century operas, particularly those of Verdi. As with all other categories, the baritone comes in many forms, including the lyric a lighter voice often featured on the classical concert stage and the dramatic a darker tone used in lead operatic roles. Paul Robeson. The name says it all. These men make up the bottom of the musical staff, and their incredibly deep tones are a rare but essential part of music making.
Basses do for low notes what sopranos do for high notes. Pitches at the bottom of the scale are notoriously difficult for the ear to pick up, so think of the skill involved in making a magnificent low note sound loud enough to be heard over an entire orchestra. Men are usually divided into four groups: countertenor, tenor, baritone, and bass.
Some women fall into the tenor or baritone groups, while men identified as countertenors can be grouped as contralto, mezzo-soprano, or soprano. When considering the pre-pubescent voice, an eighth term, treble, is applied. Within each of these major categories, subcategories identify specific vocal qualities such as coloratura facility and vocal weight to differentiate between voices.
The vocal range of classical performance covers about five octaves, from a low G1 in scientific pitch notation to a high G6. Vocal ranges are grouped into overlapping types that each span about two octaves.
Many singers fall between groups and can perform some parts in either type. A typical choral arrangement divides women into higher and lower voices and men into higher or lower voices.
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