- SopranoC4 – C6 · 262–1047 Hz
- Mezzo-sopranoA3 – A5 · 220–880 Hz
- AltoF3 – F5 · 175–698 Hz
- TenorC3 – C5 · 131–523 Hz
- BaritoneA2 – A4 · 110–440 Hz
- BassE2 – E4 · 82–330 Hz
Where does your voice sit? The vocal range test listens for your lowest and highest notes and draws your range on this same keyboard.
Take the vocal range testReading the chart
Notes are written in scientific pitch notation: the letter is the note and the number is the octave, with C4 as middle C and A4 as the 440 Hz the tuner is built around. Each range above is exactly two octaves, and each voice type starts three to five semitones above the one below it.
| Voice type | Typical range | Lowest note | Highest note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soprano | C4 – C6 | 261.6 Hz | 1046.5 Hz |
| Mezzo-soprano | A3 – A5 | 220.0 Hz | 880.0 Hz |
| Alto | F3 – F5 | 174.6 Hz | 698.5 Hz |
| Tenor | C3 – C5 | 130.8 Hz | 523.3 Hz |
| Baritone | A2 – A4 | 110.0 Hz | 440.0 Hz |
| Bass | E2 – E4 | 82.4 Hz | 329.6 Hz |
Why the ranges overlap
Lay the six ranges over each other and the first thing you notice is how much they share. A baritone and a tenor have all but three semitones in common; so do a mezzo-soprano and a soprano. The note A3 belongs to five of the six. That is not sloppiness in the chart — it is what voices are like, and it is why a range on its own cannot tell you which type you are.
What the types really describe is where a voice is at home. Tessitura is the part of the range where a singer can stay for a whole piece without tiring; timbre is the weight and colour of the sound; and every voice has points where it changes register, which fall in different places for different types. A tenor and a baritone may share a top note and still be unmistakably different voices, because one of them is comfortable up there and the other is visiting.
The six voice types
Bass (E2 – E4). The bass is the lowest voice type, and the foundation every other part in a choir is tuned against.
Baritone (A2 – A4). The baritone sits between the bass and the tenor, and it is the most common male voice.
Tenor (C3 – C5). The tenor is the highest of the ordinary male voices, a third above the baritone.
Alto (F3 – F5). The alto is the lowest female voice. “Alto” is the name of the choir part; the solo voice type is the contralto.
Mezzo-soprano (A3 – A5). The mezzo-soprano is the middle female voice, between alto and soprano, and the most common one.
Soprano (C4 – C6). The soprano is the highest voice type, and in most music it carries the melody.
Frequently asked questions
What are the six voice types?
From lowest to highest: bass, baritone and tenor for men’s voices, and alto (contralto), mezzo-soprano and soprano for women’s. Choirs use four of them as part names — soprano, alto, tenor, bass — which is where “SATB” comes from; baritones and mezzo-sopranos sing whichever neighbouring part suits them.
How many octaves is a normal vocal range?
Each typical range on this chart is two octaves, and that is a fair description of a trained voice. Most untrained adults have between an octave and a half and two octaves of usable notes. Ranges of three octaves or more exist and are unusual.
Does my range decide my voice type?
No. The ranges overlap so heavily that most people’s notes fit two or three types. Voice type is a matter of timbre, of tessitura — where the voice is strongest and most comfortable — and of where it changes register. Range narrows the options; it does not choose between them.
What is the most common voice type?
Baritone for men and mezzo-soprano for women: most voices sit in the middle rather than at either extreme. True basses, tenors with an easy top, and above all contraltos are the less common ones.