Information about Vocal Range
Human voices may be classified according to their vocal range — the highest and lowest pitches that they can produce.
For this reason, it is important to clearly define what is meant when discussing a vocal range. For example, one might say of a man that he has a two and one-half octave range in full voice and an additional one half octave in falsetto. Similarly, when discussing the range of a woman one might say that she has a "useful" two octave range with an additional major third on the bottom that is only audible with amplification. Unfortunately, there is no standardization in this nomenclature outside of classical unamplified singing.
Choral music is somewhat less stringent than opera. In contrast to opera, the large number of voices that can be deployed in each group make it somewhat less important that each individual voice be flawlessly produced and completely audible. Thus, for example, choirs can often deploy notes that are lower than those that might be deployed in an operatic performance - no single member of the choir might be able to project such a low note individually, but taken together the note might be quite audible.
In much choral music the vocal ranges are often divided not into the three parts per sex as they are in operatic solo music but into only two parts per gender - Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass - or into four parts per sex - Soprano I, Soprano II, Alto I, Alto II, Tenor I, Tenor II, Bass I (or baritone), Bass II. For example see the Mass in B Minor. There is therefore some ambiguity in mapping the solo baritone voice defined in the three way solo system to the four way choral system. Many high baritone soloists like Sherrill Milnes might have sung Second Tenor in a chorus, (usually not a preferred compromise) whereas other baritones such as Bryn Terfel might have sung First Bass. They would have had to choose one or the other as any baritone part is labeled in that manner.
Basic Operatic Ranges:
Basic Choral ranges:[1]
A soprano who can sing higher than C♯6 is known as a sopranino and a Bass who can sing G1 or lower is known as a sub-bass singer or a basso profondo. However, many people will still call sopraninos sopranos and basso profondos basses/bassos.
Male falsetto and female flageolet register can extend the vocal range of a singer higher.
Males who possess high ranges or can project falsetto, are referred to as countertenors and possess ranges equivalent to those of the female ranges, alto, mezzo-soprano and soprano (a male soprano is specifically referred to as sopranist). Contraltos have been known to sing Tenor (although this is strongly discouraged, especially among younger contraltos), and occasionally men will sing in the upper three ranges.
In addition to these general classifications, additional subdivisions are very commonly deployed in opera and other classical music for solo voice. There are a number of such detailed classification schemes, some of which are historical or country-specific. See voice type.
In 2006 the Guinness Book of Records published several categories relating to extremes of "Human vocal range." It stated the following:
Females
Russian singer, Vitas, is said to have a range of 8 octaves. Watch Clip
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| Voice Type (ranges) |
Female voices
Male voices
|
Vocal range defined
The broadest definition of vocal range, given above, is simply the span from the highest to the lowest note a particular voice can produce. This broad definition, however, is quite often not the one meant when someone speaks of "vocal range." This is because some of the notes a voice can produce may not be considered "musically useful" for a particular purpose. For example, when speaking of the vocal range of a male opera singer, one usually excludes falsetto pitches, which are not used in most opera. A male doo-wop singer, on the other hand, might quite regularly deploy his falsetto pitches in performance and thus include them in determining his range.For this reason, it is important to clearly define what is meant when discussing a vocal range. For example, one might say of a man that he has a two and one-half octave range in full voice and an additional one half octave in falsetto. Similarly, when discussing the range of a woman one might say that she has a "useful" two octave range with an additional major third on the bottom that is only audible with amplification. Unfortunately, there is no standardization in this nomenclature outside of classical unamplified singing.
Vocal range in classical music
Vocal range is generally very important in classical music. In opera and solo classical music, two considerations are paramount in determining vocal range: consistency of timbre across the vocal range, and ability to project the pitches (that is, to be heard clearly over an orchestra without amplification). Of course, if any pitch cannot be properly projected, it is not considered part of the range. See voice type.Choral music is somewhat less stringent than opera. In contrast to opera, the large number of voices that can be deployed in each group make it somewhat less important that each individual voice be flawlessly produced and completely audible. Thus, for example, choirs can often deploy notes that are lower than those that might be deployed in an operatic performance - no single member of the choir might be able to project such a low note individually, but taken together the note might be quite audible.
In much choral music the vocal ranges are often divided not into the three parts per sex as they are in operatic solo music but into only two parts per gender - Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass - or into four parts per sex - Soprano I, Soprano II, Alto I, Alto II, Tenor I, Tenor II, Bass I (or baritone), Bass II. For example see the Mass in B Minor. There is therefore some ambiguity in mapping the solo baritone voice defined in the three way solo system to the four way choral system. Many high baritone soloists like Sherrill Milnes might have sung Second Tenor in a chorus, (usually not a preferred compromise) whereas other baritones such as Bryn Terfel might have sung First Bass. They would have had to choose one or the other as any baritone part is labeled in that manner.
Classification of vocal range
| Common vocal ranges represented on a musical keyboard |
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Basic Operatic Ranges:
- Soprano: C4 - C6
- Mezzo-Soprano: A3 - A5
- Contralto: E3 - E5
- Tenor: C3 - C5
- Baritone: G2 - G4
- Bass: E2 - E4
Basic Choral ranges:[1]
- Soprano: C4 - A5
- Mezzo-Soprano: A3 - F5
- Contralto: F3 - D5
- Tenor: B2 - G4
- Baritone: G2 - E4
- Bass/Basso: E2 - C4
A soprano who can sing higher than C♯6 is known as a sopranino and a Bass who can sing G1 or lower is known as a sub-bass singer or a basso profondo. However, many people will still call sopraninos sopranos and basso profondos basses/bassos.
Male falsetto and female flageolet register can extend the vocal range of a singer higher.
Males who possess high ranges or can project falsetto, are referred to as countertenors and possess ranges equivalent to those of the female ranges, alto, mezzo-soprano and soprano (a male soprano is specifically referred to as sopranist). Contraltos have been known to sing Tenor (although this is strongly discouraged, especially among younger contraltos), and occasionally men will sing in the upper three ranges.
In addition to these general classifications, additional subdivisions are very commonly deployed in opera and other classical music for solo voice. There are a number of such detailed classification schemes, some of which are historical or country-specific. See voice type.
Induced vocal range
Where the above are largely achieved through practice and natural aptitude, adult vocal ranges can be obtained by means of physiological modification. The most notable example of this would be castrato singers, although modern examples include the lowering of the voice through Tobacco smoking.Vocal range in terms of frequency
In terms of frequency, human voices are roughly in the range of 80 Hz to 1100 Hz (that is, E2 to C6) for normal male and female voices together. The world records for high and low pitch extend well outside of this range, and can extend outside the range of human hearing.''' '''World records and extremes of vocal range
As noted above, claims of exceptionally wide vocal ranges are not uncommon among some singers. The biggest claim came from Charles Kellogg, who claimed to have a vocal range of 12.5 octaves. Kellogg could accurately imitate birdcalls, which sometimes went up into the ultrasonic range, according to Kellogg as high as 14,000 Hz (14 080Hz is A9). Some recordings of Kellogg's birdcalls still exist. However, Kellogg's claims are very hard to verify. [2]In 2006 the Guinness Book of Records published several categories relating to extremes of "Human vocal range." It stated the following:
Females
- Greatest range: Eight octaves G2-G10, Georgia Brown, Brazil Watch Here (example of E7)
- Highest vocal note: G10 (25087Hz), Georgia Brown, Brazil
- Guinness lists the highest demanded note in the classical repertoire as G6 in 'Popoli di Tessaglia,' a concert aria by W. A. Mozart. However, this is not a standard repertory piece. The highest note in the standard repertoire is F6 in Mozart's aria "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" Watch Clip" (sometimes called "The Queen of the Night's aria," though this character actually has two arias) from the opera Die Zauberflöte. It calls for four F6's, which is often cited as the highest note in classical vocal music (she sings an additional F6 during the first Act aria, "O Zittre nicht"). Several little-known works call for pitches higher than G6. For example, the soprano Mado Robin, who was known for her exceptionally high voice, sang a number of compositions created especially to exploit her highest notes, reaching C7 according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera (edited by Harold Rosenthal)
- Greatest range: Six octaves, Tim Storms, USA Watch Clip
- Highest vocal note: C♯8 Adam Lopez, Australia Watch Clip
- Lowest vocal note: B-2 (minus 2, two octaves below the grand staff)(8 Hz), Tim Storms, USA
- Guinness lists the lowest demanded note in the classical repertoire as a "Low D" (two Ds below Middle C) in Osmin's aria in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Although Osmin's note is the lowest demanded and commonly performed in the operatic repertoire, Mahler's second symphony contains an optional B♭1 in the choral section at the end of the piece: basses who cannot reach it are requested to remain silent rather than sing a B♭2. Leonard Bernstein's Candide has an optional low B (a minor third below the low D) in a bass aria of its opera house version. Some choral works and songs also call for notes lower than the low D. For example, Pavel Chesnokov's "Do not deny me in my old age" features a basso profundo soloist, sometimes reaching as low as G1, depending on the arrangement.
Russian singer, Vitas, is said to have a range of 8 octaves. Watch Clip
References
See also
External links
- A history of vocal definition
- Accurate average vocal ranges
- http://www.schillerinstitute.org/music/rev_chart.html
human voice consists of sound made by a human using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming etc. The vocal folds, in combination with the lips, the tongue, the lower jaw, and the palate, are capable of producing highly intricate arrays of sound.
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Voice type (equivalent to the German Fach and similar Italian and French categorizations) is a system for categorizing classical and operatic solo singers, and the roles they sing, by the tessitura, weight and timbre of their unamplified voices in an opera house or
..... Click the link for more information.
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soprano is a singer with a voice range from approximately middle C (C4) to "high A" (A5) in choral music, or to "soprano C" (C6, two octaves above middle C) or higher in operatic music.
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A mezzo-soprano (meaning "medium" or "middle" "soprano" in Italian) is a female singer whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above (i.e.
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alto or contralto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a mezzo-soprano. The term is used to refer to the lowest female singing voice, or to a kind of male singing voice utilizing falsetto called a countertenor.
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alto or contralto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a mezzo-soprano. The term is used to refer to the lowest female singing voice, or to a kind of male singing voice utilizing falsetto called a countertenor.
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A sopranist (or sopranista) is a male classical singer with a voice-type and register equivalent to that of a female soprano.
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The Sopranist Voice
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A countertenor is an adult male who sings in an alto, mezzo or soprano range, often through use of falsetto, or sometimes natural head voice. This term is used almost exclusively in the context of the classical vocal tradition, although numerous popular artists have
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alto or contralto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a mezzo-soprano. The term is used to refer to the lowest female singing voice, or to a kind of male singing voice utilizing falsetto called a countertenor.
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Mezzo is:
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- mezzo , the Italian word for "half", "middle" or "medium".
- The beginning of various Italian musical terms, e.g. Mezzo-soprano.
- The Mezzo TV cable channel in France.
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tenor is a singer with a voice range from approximately C3 (one octave below middle C) to A4 (above middle C) in choral music, or up to "tenor C" (C5, one octave above middle C) or higher in operatic music (see voice type).
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Baritone (French: baryton; German: Bariton; Italian: baritono) is most commonly the type of male voice that lies between bass and tenor.
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A bass-baritone is a singing voice that shares certain qualities of both the baritone and the bass. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: Dutchman (in Der fliegende Holländer), Wotan (in the Ring
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A bass (or basso in Italian) is a male singer who sings in the deepest vocal range of the human voice. According to Grove Music Online, a bass has a range extending from around the F below low C to the E above middle C (i.e., F2–E4).
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Falsetto (Italian diminutive of falso, false) is a singing technique that produces sounds that are pitched higher than the singer's normal range, in the treble range.
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For the Lauryn Hill single, see Doo Wop (That Thing).
Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music, which was started in the black community and became popular in the mid-1950s to the early 1960s in the United States[1]...... Click the link for more information.
Perfect octave
Inverse unison
Name
Other names -
Abbreviation P8
Size
Semitones 12
Interval class 0
Just interval 2:1
Cents
Equal temperament 1200
Just intonation 1200 In music, an octave
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Inverse unison
Name
Other names -
Abbreviation P8
Size
Semitones 12
Interval class 0
Just interval 2:1
Cents
Equal temperament 1200
Just intonation 1200 In music, an octave
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Voice type (equivalent to the German Fach and similar Italian and French categorizations) is a system for categorizing classical and operatic solo singers, and the roles they sing, by the tessitura, weight and timbre of their unamplified voices in an opera house or
..... Click the link for more information.
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Opera is a form of musical and dramatic work in which singers convey the drama.[1] Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition.[2] An opera performance incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and
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Voice type (equivalent to the German Fach and similar Italian and French categorizations) is a system for categorizing classical and operatic solo singers, and the roles they sing, by the tessitura, weight and timbre of their unamplified voices in an opera house or
..... Click the link for more information.
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A choir, chorale, or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers.
A body of singers who perform together is called a choir or chorus. The former term is very often applied to groups affiliated with a church (whether or not they actually occupy the quire) and the
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A body of singers who perform together is called a choir or chorus. The former term is very often applied to groups affiliated with a church (whether or not they actually occupy the quire) and the
..... Click the link for more information.
Opera is a form of musical and dramatic work in which singers convey the drama.[1] Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition.[2] An opera performance incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and
..... Click the link for more information.
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The Mass in B minor (BWV 232) is a musical setting (or more formally a missa tota) of the Latin Mass by Johann Sebastian Bach. Although parts of the Mass in B minor date to 1724, the whole was assembled in its present form in 1749, just before the composer's death in 1750.
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Sherrill Milnes (born January 10, 1935) is an American baritone who has carried on the great tradition of American baritones that began in the 1920's with Lawrence Tibbet. He is most famous for his Verdi roles.
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The Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel, CBE (IPA: [brɨn ˈtɛrvɛl]; born November 9, 1965) is a well-known contemporary opera and concert singer.
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musical keyboard.]] A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers on a musical instrument which cause the instrument to produce sounds.
Keyboards almost all share the common layout shown.
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Keyboards almost all share the common layout shown.
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soprano is a singer with a voice range from approximately middle C (C4) to "high A" (A5) in choral music, or to "soprano C" (C6, two octaves above middle C) or higher in operatic music.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
A mezzo-soprano (meaning "medium" or "middle" "soprano" in Italian) is a female singer whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above (i.e.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
alto or contralto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a mezzo-soprano. The term is used to refer to the lowest female singing voice, or to a kind of male singing voice utilizing falsetto called a countertenor.
..... Click the link for more information.
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tenor is a singer with a voice range from approximately C3 (one octave below middle C) to A4 (above middle C) in choral music, or up to "tenor C" (C5, one octave above middle C) or higher in operatic music (see voice type).
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