Though each person’s vocal range is unique to their voice, most of them fall into one of six categories: bass, baritone, tenor, alto, mezzo-soprano, and soprano. If you’ve ever participated in a choir, you’re undoubtedly quite accustomed to these ranges. If not, you might have questioned which voice “type” best describes you.
Your vocal range, in general, extends from the lowest note you can sing to the highest sound. Although you may be able to sing in more than one vocal range, comfort is the most crucial factor when choosing. Where do you feel most at ease speaking? Even when you can still squeak the notes, where do they cease sounding great? We’re here to support you.
Before we break down each voice type, you should be comfortable using a keyboard’s numbers system. It might get complicated to refer to notes as “the second A above middle C,” hence it’s a common practice to include note names alongside their corresponding octave number on a keyboard. Middle C is called C4 because it is the 4th C up on the piano (counting from the bass). Let’s find out which voice type best matches you now that you are more familiar with the notes!
There are three male voice types: baritone, tenor, and bass.
Alto, Mezzo-Soprano, and Soprano are the three female voice varieties.
Bass
The lowest vocal range, the bass, usually ranges from E2 to E4. Some basses can sing from C2 to G4 in the bass voice’s lower and upper ranges.
Baritone
The baritone range, which falls between bass and tenor, is the second lowest in the vocal range. The standard baritone range is from A2 to A4. However, it can go as low as F2 or as high as C5.
The most typical male voice type is the baritone voice type.
Voicing range
Tenor
The highest range of the male voice is the tenor, which is usually at ease between C3 and C5. Tenors can reach notes well into the feminine register because they typically have more control over their falsetto (head voice).
The term “countertenor” is frequently used to describe singers who can go higher than the typical tenor.