Music Lessons: The types of voices

Voices are classified according to range, gender and somewhat according to quality and from high to low. The basic classifications are:

      Soprano is the highest female voice type. Soprano voices are subdivided into coloratura, lyric, dramatic and mezzo and they differ in vocal agility, vocal weight, timbre, and voice quality. All of the sopranos have in common the ability to sing higher notes with ease. A typical soprano can vocalize B3 to C6, though a soprano coloratura can sing a lot higher than that reaching F6, G6 etc.

      It is widely thought that the higher a singer can sing, the better the singer is. This couldn’t be further from the truth as range is defined by our physique and size of the vocal cords, and not how professional we are.

     Contralto is the lowest female voice type. Alto and Contralto are used synonymously, though contralto sometimes seems to carry the connotation of a particularly deep alto voice. It exploits the low tones of the female voice. In a choir, contraltos are commonly known as altos and sing the supporting melody to the sopranos. This doesn’t mean that contraltos are not as important. On the contrary, because true altos are hard to find, a true alto has greater chances of a solo carrier than a soprano. The quality, typically is rich, resonant, dark and 'throaty'. A contralto is expected to be able to vocalize from E3 to F5, however, the lower her tessitura, the more valuable she is.

     Tenor is the highest male voice type you will find in a typical choir. Though it is the voice type with the smallest range, it barely covers 2 octaves from C3 to B4, tenors are the most sought after choir singers for two major reasons. The first reason is that there aren’t as many men singing in choirs to begin with. The second reason is that most men, singers or not, fall under the baritone voice type. Tenor voices, like soprano voices, sometimes are classified according to type. Robusto (robust), lyric, drammatic and heroic are adjectives commonly attached to tenors.

      Bass is a general term for all low male voices, thus, a bass sings the lowest notes humanly possible. A bass singer especially proud of his low notes may advertise himself as a BASSO PROFONDO. A bass specializing in a lyric style will be known as a BASSO CANTANTE, and one associated with comic roles will be known as BASSO BUFFO. A bass will be asked to sing anywhere between a D2 and an E4.