Human voices may be classified according to their vocal range — the highest and lowest pitches that they can produce.^[1]

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). 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 sex - 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

Soprano Alto Tenor Bass

Basic Choral Ranges:

• Soprano C4- A5
• Mezzo-Soprano: A3 - F5
• Alto: E3 - E5
• Tenor: B2 - G4
• Baritone: F2 - F4
• Bass: C2 - C4

Note: Depending upon the conductor's vocal exercises & observations, an individual may possess an extended range which may allow a shifting of choral sections.

Basic Operatic Ranges

• Soprano: C4 - C6
• Mezzo-Soprano: G3 - B5
• Contralto: F3 - A5
• Tenor: B2 - C5
• Baritone: F2 - G4
• Bass/Basso: E2 - F4

Hear the basic choral ranges (soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass) played on the piano.

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, contrabass, or a basso profundo. However, many people will still call sopraninos sopranos and bassi profundo basses/bassi.

Falsetto and flageolet register can extend the vocal range of a singer higher.

Males who possess high ranges or can project falsetto in a clear sound, 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. Boy singers are referred to as boy soprano and younger men as Male Alto, if they sing in the higher 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.

*This chart displays only to a low C, though the octocontrabass clarinet extends down to at least a low A.

The world records for high and low pitch extend well outside of this range, and 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 alternative-experimental vocalist Beck, who has jokingly claimed a "seventeen-octave vocal range."^[2] Charles Kellogg, who claimed to have a vocal range of 12.5 octaves, could accurately imitate birdcalls, which sometimes went up into the ultrasonic range. According to Kellogg his calls could go 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. ^[3] Nicola Sedda hit an A9 (14079 Hz), broke Adam Lopez's record for highest vocal note and claims to have a vocal range spanning 8.5 octaves but has not been recognized by the Guinness Book of Records yet.^{[citation needed]} In late 2006, Edward Morgan hit an E8, showing his range of 7 octaves from E1-E8, breaking Adam Lopez's previous record, which has yet to be verified by the Guinness Book of Records. It is claimed that the sound clip was verified by J.M.Lindeijer of the Dutch Divas Opera site.^{[citation needed]} 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,
• 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. (One should also note that the instruments used when Mozart composed were pitched a whole step lower than contemporary instruments such that a G6 as he wrote it would be produced in the same anatomical position as the contemporary F6. The fact that Mozart composed with a G6 does not, therefore, indicate that the human voice is broadly capable of producing that pitch as it is contemporarily defined. A contemporary F6 is a different matter, however; the F6 (which is the contemporary tone produced if one were to sing "Popoli di Tessaglia" with period instruments) is a commonly produced pitch for sopranos as "Der Hölle Rache," for instance, is performed as written--with an F6--on today's instruments <producing what would have for Mozart been a G6>) The highest note in the standard repertoire is F6 in Mozart's aria "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" (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, mein lieber Sohn"). Also the opera Esclarmonde by composer Massenet called for high F, and even high G. 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)

Males

• Greatest range: Six octaves, Tim Storms, USA
• Highest vocal note: C#8 Adam Lopez, Australia
• 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, Leonard Bernstein composed an optional low B (a minor third below the low D) in a bass aria in the opera house version of Candide. In a Russian piece combining solo and choral singing, Pavel Chesnokov directs the bass soloist in "Do not deny me in my old age" to descend even lower, to G1, depending on the arrangement. Composers have sometimes called upon the bass voice to sing extremely low pitches in choral arrangements. 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. In Rachmaninoff's Vespers the composer actually requires the B♭1.

References

1. ^ Titze, I.R. (1994). Principles of Voice Production, Prentice Hall (currently published by NCVS.org), ISBN 978-0137178933.
2. ^ http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1123487/20000828/elastica.jhtml
3. ^ Mythbusters Episode 76: "Voice Flame Extinguisher"

See also

External links

• A history of vocal definition
• Accurate average vocal ranges
• Singing Voice
• National Center for Voice and Speech's official website
• The Voice Foundation's official website