Bass Vocal Range: E2 – E4, Notes & Chart

The typical bass range is E2 to E4 — 2 octaves. The bass is the lowest voice type, and the foundation every other part in a choir is tuned against.

The bass range in notes and hertz

Lowest note	E2 · 82.4 Hz
Highest note	E4 · 329.6 Hz
Span	24 semitones · 2 octaves
Middle C (C4) is	20 semitones above the bottom, 4 below the top

Notes are in scientific pitch notation, where C4 is middle C, and the frequencies are at A4 = 440 Hz. Press the keys above to hear any of them, then check your own pitch against the voice tuner.

Where the bass sits

Above it is the baritone (A2 – A4), 5 semitones higher, with 19 semitones in common. No voice type sits below it. That overlap is the reason a range on its own cannot say which of two neighbouring types a voice is.

Music written for the bass

Opera writes its kings, priests and villains for the bass. Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte is the classic test of the bottom of the range: “O Isis und Osiris” goes down to a sustained low F (F2). Osmin, in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, goes lower still, to a low D (D2) — one of the lowest notes in the standard repertoire.

Basses are usually sorted further by weight and agility rather than by range: the basso cantante sings long lyrical lines, the basso buffo is the comic bass of Rossini and Donizetti, and the basso profondo is the rare voice with real power below the stave. Russian choral music asks for the lowest of all — its oktavists sing an octave below the ordinary bass line.

The bass in a choir

In four-part (SATB) writing the bass sings the lowest line, usually the root of the harmony. Many choirs split it into first bass (often sung by baritones) and second bass, the true low voices.

Is this your range? The vocal range test listens for your lowest and highest notes and shows how they compare with the typical bass range.

Take the vocal range test

Songs in a typical bass range

A voice can sing a tune in any key, so the useful question is which key. These are the keys that put each tune in the middle of the typical bass range, with room to spare above and below — worked out from the melodies in our public-domain song library. Other keys fit too; this is the one with the most headroom at both ends.

Song	Key	Notes
Amazing Grace	E♭ major (3 semitones higher than written)	A♯2 – A♯3
Auld Lang Syne	D major (2 semitones higher than written)	A2 – B3
Happy Birthday	E♭ major (3 semitones higher than written)	A♯2 – A♯3
Ode to Joy	C major (as written)	C3 – G3
Silent Night	G major (5 semitones lower than written)	G2 – C4
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star	B major (1 semitone lower than written)	B2 – G♯3
Joy to the World	B♭ major (2 semitones lower than written)	A♯2 – A♯3
O Holy Night	A♭ major (4 semitones lower than written)	G♯2 – C4

Frequently asked questions

What is the bass vocal range?

The typical bass range runs from E2 to E4 — 2 octaves, or 82.4 Hz to 329.6 Hz at standard concert pitch. It is a description of where most bass voices lie rather than a requirement: individual singers reach notes above and below it.

What is the lowest note a bass can sing?

The typical bass range starts around E2, the lowest string of a guitar. Operatic parts go lower — Sarastro to F2, Osmin to D2 — and a basso profondo or a Russian oktavist can sing below C2. Those are exceptional voices; a bass who is comfortable down to E2 is a bass.

Am I a bass or a baritone?

The typical ranges are only five semitones apart and overlap for most of their length, so the lowest note you can reach does not settle it. What separates them is where the voice is strongest: a bass is at ease and resonant at the bottom of the stave and tires near E4, while a baritone is comfortable a few notes higher and thins out at the very bottom. If your range sits between the two, you are in the company of most men who sing.

How do I know if I am a bass?

Start by measuring your range: if it sits around E2 – E4, bass is a reasonable first guess. But range alone does not decide it — the neighbouring types share most of the same notes. What settles it is where your voice is strongest and most comfortable (its tessitura), its timbre, and where it changes register, and those are judged by a teacher listening, not by a test.