Vocal range is the range ofpitches that ahuman voice canphonate. A common application is within the context ofsinging, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices intovoice types.[1] It is also a topic of study withinlinguistics,phonetics, andspeech-language pathology, particularly in relation to the study oftonal languages and certain types of vocal disorders, although it has little practical application in terms of speech.
While the broadest definition of "vocal range" is simply the span from the lowest to the highest note a particular voice can produce, this broad definition is often not what is meant when "vocal range" is discussed in the context of singing.Vocal pedagogists tend to define the vocal range as the total span of "musically useful" pitches that a singer can produce. This is because some of thenotes a voice can produce may not be considered usable by the singer within performance for various reasons.[2] For example, withinopera all singers mustproject over an orchestra without the aid of a microphone. An opera singer would therefore only be able to include the notes that they are able to adequately project over an orchestra within their vocal range. In contrast, apop artist could include notes that could be heard with the aid of a microphone.
Another factor to consider is the use of different forms of vocal production. The human voice is capable of producing sounds using different physiological processes within thelarynx. These different forms of voice production are known asvocal registers. While the exact number and definition of vocal registers is a controversial topic within the field of singing, the sciences identify only four registers: thewhistle register, thefalsetto register, themodal register, and thevocal fry register. Typically only the usable pitches within the modal register—the register used in normal speech and most singing—are included when determining singers' vocal ranges. There are exceptions,[1] as in opera, wherecountertenors employ falsetto andcoloratura sopranos use the whistle register; notes from these registers would therefore be included in the vocal ranges of these voices.[2]
The upper pitch range of the human voice is, on average, about half as high in males as in females.[3] Even after controlling for body height and volume, the male voice remains lower.Charles Darwin suggested that the human voice evolved through intersexual sexual selection,[4] via female mate choices. Puts (2005) showed that preference for male voice pitch changed according to the stage of the menstrual cycle[5] while Puts (2006) found women preferred lower male voices mainly for short-term, sexual relationships.[6] Intrasexual selection, via male competition, also causes a selection in voice pitch. Pitch is related to interpersonal power[7] and males tend to adjust their pitch according to their perceived dominance when speaking to a competitor.[6]
Vocal range plays such an important role in classifying singing voices intovoice types that sometimes the two terms are confused with one another. A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics; vocal range being only one of those characteristics. Other factors arevocal weight, vocaltessitura, vocaltimbre,vocal transition points, physical characteristics, speech level, scientific testing, and vocal registration. All of these factors combined are used to categorize a singer's voice into a particular kind of singing use or voice type.[8]
The discipline of voice classification developed within Europeanclassical music and is not generally applicable to other forms of singing. Voice classification is often used withinopera to associate possible roles with potential voices. There are several systems in use including theGerman Fach system, theItalian opera tradition, andFrench opera tradition.[1] There are other systems of classification as well, most commonly thechoral music system.[9]
No system is universally applied or accepted.[10] Most of the voice types identified by such systems, however, are sub-types that fall under seven different major voice categories that are for the most part acknowledged across all of the major voice classification systems.[10] Women are typically divided into three main groups:soprano,mezzo-soprano, andcontralto. Men are usually divided into four main groups:countertenor,tenor,baritone, andbass. When considering the pre-pubescent voices of children an eighth term,treble, can be applied. Within each of these major categories there are several sub-categories that identify specific vocal qualities likecoloratura facility andvocal weight to differentiate between voices.[1]
Vocal range itself does not determine a singer's voice type. While each voice type does have a general vocal range associated with it, human singing voices may possess vocal ranges that encompass more than one voice type or are in between the typical ranges of two voice types. Therefore, voice teachers use vocal range as only one factor among many in classifying a singer's voice.[2] More important than range in voice classification istessitura, or where the voice is most comfortable singing, and vocal timbre, or the characteristic sound of the singing voice.[1] For example, a female singer may have a vocal range that encompasses the low notes of a mezzo-soprano and the high notes of a soprano. A voice teacher would therefore look to see whether the singer was more comfortable singing higher, or lower. If she were more comfortable singing higher, then the teacher would probably classify her as a soprano. If the singer were more comfortable singing in the mid to lower part of their voice the teacher would probably classify her as a mezzo-soprano. The teacher would also consider the sound of the voice; sopranos tend to have a lighter and less rich vocal sound than a mezzo-soprano. A voice teacher, however, would never classify a singer in more than one voice type, regardless of the size of the vocal range of the singer.[2]
Within the operatic systems of classification, there are six basic voice types. The ranges given below are approximations and are not meant to be too rigidly applied.[11][failed verification]
| Scientific pitch name | Frequency (A440) | Voice type's range | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Soprano | Mezzo-soprano | Contralto | Tenor | Baritone | Bass | ||
| C6Soprano C (High C) | 1046.502 |  | |||||
| B5 | 987.7666 | ||||||
| A♯5/B♭5 | 932.3275 | ||||||
| A5 | 880.0000 | | |||||
| G♯5/A♭5 | 830.6094 | ||||||
| G5 | 783.9909 | ||||||
| F♯5/G♭5 | 739.9888 | ||||||
| F5 | 698.4565 | | |||||
| E5 | 659.2551 | ||||||
| D♯5/E♭5 | 622.2540 | ||||||
| D5 | 587.3295 | ||||||
| C♯5/D♭5 | 554.3653 | ||||||
| C5Tenor C | 523.2511 | | |||||
| B4 | 493.8833 | ||||||
| A♯4/B♭4 | 466.1638 | ||||||
| A4 A440 | 440.0000 | | |||||
| G♯4/A♭4 | 415.3047 | ||||||
| G4 | 391.9954 | ||||||
| F♯4/G♭4 | 369.9944 | ||||||
| F4 | 349.2282 | ||||||
| E4 | 329.6276 | | |||||
| D♯4/E♭4 | 311.1270 | ||||||
| D4 | 293.6648 | ||||||
| C♯4/D♭4 | 277.1826 | ||||||
| C4Middle C | 261.6256 | ||||||
| B3 | 246.9417 | ||||||
| A♯3/B♭3 | 233.0819 | ||||||
| A3 | 220.0000 | ||||||
| G♯3/A♭3 | 207.6523 | ||||||
| G3 | 195.9977 | ||||||
| F♯3/G♭3 | 184.9972 | ||||||
| F3 | 174.6141 | ||||||
| E3 | 164.8138 | ||||||
| D♯3/E♭3 | 155.5635 | ||||||
| D3 | 146.8324 | ||||||
| C♯3/D♭3 | 138.5913 | ||||||
| C3 | 130.8128 | ||||||
| B2 | 123.4708 | ||||||
| A♯2/B♭2 | 116.5409 | ||||||
| A2 | 110.0000 | ||||||
| G♯2/A♭2 | 103.8262 | ||||||
| G2 | 97.99886 | ||||||
| F♯2/G♭2 | 92.49861 | ||||||
| F2 | 87.30706 | ||||||
| E2 | 82.40689 | ||||||
| D♯2/E♭2 | 77.78175 | ||||||
| D2 | 73.41619 | ||||||
| C♯2/D♭2 | 69.29566 | ||||||
| C2Deep C | 65.40639 | ||||||
Some men, infalsetto voice or as a result of certain rare physiological conditions, can sing in the same range as women. These do not fall into the female categories, instead calledcountertenors within classical music. Within contemporary music, however, the use of the termtenor for these male voices would be more appropriate.[2]
Within choral music there are only four categories for adult singers: soprano andalto for women, tenor and bass for men.[12]
In the UK, the term "male alto" refers to a man who usesfalsetto vocal production to sing in the alto section of a chorus. This practice is much less common outside the UK where the termcountertenor is more often applied. Countertenors are also widely employed withinopera as solo vocalists, though the term "male alto" is never used to refer to a solo vocalist.
Children's voices, both male and female, are described astrebles, althoughboy soprano is widely used as well.[1]