Editing Vocal range (section)

==Vocal range and voice classification==
Vocal range plays such an important role in classifying singing voices into [[voice type]]s that sometimes the two terms are confused with one another. A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics; vocal range being only one of those characteristics. Other factors are [[vocal weight]], vocal [[tessitura]], vocal [[timbre]], [[Passaggio|vocal transition points]], physical characteristics, speech level, scientific testing, and vocal registration. All of these factors combined are used to categorize a singer's voice into a particular kind of singing use or voice type.<ref name=Shewan>{{cite journal
|last=Shewan |first= Robert
|date=January–February 1979
|title= Voice Classification: An Examination of Methodology
|journal= [[The NATS Bulletin]]
|volume= 35
|pages= 17–27
}}</ref>

The discipline of voice classification developed within European [[classical music]] and is not generally applicable to other forms of singing. Voice classification is often used within [[opera]] to associate possible roles with potential voices. There are several systems in use including the [[Fach|German Fach system]], the [[Italian opera]] tradition, and [[French opera]] tradition.<ref name=McKinney /> There are other systems of classification as well, most commonly the [[choral music]] system.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0c21CwAAQBAJ&q=Choral+Pedagogy,+Third+Edition|page=236|title=Choral Pedagogy, Third Edition|first1= Brenda Jo|last1= Smith|first2= Robert Thayer|last2= Sataloff|year= 2013|publisher=Plural Publishing, Incorporated|isbn=9781597566063}}</ref>

No system is universally applied or accepted.<ref name=Stark>{{cite book
|title= Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy
|last= Stark |first= James
|year= 2003
|publisher= University of Toronto Press
|isbn= 978-0-8020-8614-3
}}</ref> Most of the voice types identified by such systems, however, are sub-types that fall under seven different major voice categories that are for the most part acknowledged across all of the major voice classification systems.<ref name=Stark /> Women are typically divided into three main groups: [[soprano]], [[mezzo-soprano]], and [[contralto]]. Men are usually divided into four main groups: [[countertenor]], [[tenor]], [[baritone]], and [[Bass (voice type)|bass]]. When considering the pre-pubescent voices of children an eighth term, [[Boy soprano|treble]], can be applied. Within each of these major categories there are several sub-categories that identify specific vocal qualities like [[coloratura]] facility and [[vocal weight]] to differentiate between voices.<ref name=McKinney />

Vocal range itself does not determine a singer's voice type. While each voice type does have a general vocal range associated with it, human singing voices may possess vocal ranges that encompass more than one voice type or are in between the typical ranges of two voice types. Therefore, voice teachers use vocal range as only one factor among many in classifying a singer's voice.<ref name=Appelman /> More important than range in voice classification is [[tessitura]], or where the voice is most comfortable singing, and vocal timbre, or the characteristic sound of the singing voice.<ref name=McKinney /> For example, a female singer may have a vocal range that encompasses the low notes of a mezzo-soprano and the high notes of a soprano. A voice teacher would therefore look to see whether the singer was more comfortable singing higher, or lower. If she were more comfortable singing higher, then the teacher would probably classify her as a soprano. If the singer were more comfortable singing in the mid to lower part of their voice the teacher would probably classify her as a mezzo-soprano. The teacher would also consider the sound of the voice; sopranos tend to have a lighter and less rich vocal sound than a mezzo-soprano. A voice teacher, however, would never classify a singer in more than one voice type, regardless of the size of the vocal range of the singer.<ref name=Appelman />

=== Operatic six basic voice types ===
Within the operatic systems of classification, there are six basic voice types. The ranges given below are approximations and are not meant to be too rigidly applied.<ref>{{cite book |title= Vocal Workouts for the Contemporary Singer |last= Peckham |first= Anne |year= 2005 |publisher= Berklee Press Publications |isbn= 978-0-87639-047-4 |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/vocalworkoutsfor0000peck}}{{page needed|date=November 2020}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=November 2020|reason=Can't find any mention of six voice types there.}}

* [[Soprano]]: the highest female voice typically between C{{sub|4}} and C{{sub|6}}
* [[Mezzo-soprano]]: the middle female voice typically between A{{sub|3}} and A{{sub|5}}
* [[Contralto]]: the lowest female voice typically between F{{sub|3}} and F{{sub|5}}
* [[Tenor]]: the highest male voice typically between C{{sub|3}} and C{{sub|5}}
* [[Baritone]]: the middle male voice typically between A{{sub|2}} and A{{sub|4}}
* [[Bass (voice type)|Bass]]: the lowest male voice typically between E{{sub|2}} and E{{sub|4}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" width="30px"  |[[Scientific pitch notation|Scientific pitch]] name
! rowspan="2" width="30px" |[[Piano key frequencies|Frequency]] ([[A440_(pitch_standard)|A440]])
! colspan="6" | Voice type's range
|--
!width="5%" {{vert header|Soprano}}
!width="6%" {{vert header|Mezzo-soprano}}
!width="7%" {{vert header|Contralto}}
!width="7%" {{vert header|Tenor}}
!width="9%" {{vert header|Baritone}}
!width="5%" {{vert header|Bass}}
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  C<sub>6</sub> [[Soprano C]] (High C)
|1046.502
| rowspan="25" {{yes C|}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  B<sub>5</sub>
|987.7666
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  A{{music|#}}<sub>5</sub>/B{{music|b}}<sub>5</sub>
|932.3275
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  A<sub>5</sub>
|'''880.0000'''
| rowspan="25" {{yes C|}}
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  G{{music|#}}<sub>5</sub>/A{{music|b}}<sub>5</sub>
|830.6094
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  G<sub>5</sub>
|783.9909
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  F{{music|#}}<sub>5</sub>/G{{music|b}}<sub>5</sub>
|739.9888
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  F<sub>5</sub>
|698.4565
| rowspan="25" {{yes C|}}
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  E<sub>5</sub>
|659.2551
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  D{{music|#}}<sub>5</sub>/E{{music|b}}<sub>5</sub>
|622.2540
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  D<sub>5</sub>
|587.3295
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  C{{music|#}}<sub>5</sub>/D{{music|b}}<sub>5</sub>
|554.3653
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  C<sub>5</sub> [[Tenor C]]
|523.2511
| rowspan="25" {{yes C|}}
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  B<sub>4</sub>
|493.8833
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  A{{music|#}}<sub>4</sub>/B{{music|b}}<sub>4</sub>
|466.1638
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  A<sub>4</sub> [[A440 (pitch standard) | A440]]
|'''440.0000'''
| rowspan="25" {{yes C|}}
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  G{{music|#}}<sub>4</sub>/A{{music|b}}<sub>4</sub>
|415.3047
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  G<sub>4</sub>
|391.9954
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  F{{music|#}}<sub>4</sub>/G{{music|b}}<sub>4</sub>
|369.9944
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  F<sub>4</sub>
|349.2282
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  E<sub>4</sub>
|329.6276
| rowspan="25" {{yes C|}}
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  D{{music|#}}<sub>4</sub>/E{{music|b}}<sub>4</sub>
|311.1270
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  D<sub>4</sub>
|293.6648
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  C{{music|#}}<sub>4</sub>/D{{music|b}}<sub>4</sub>
|277.1826
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  C<sub>4</sub> [[C (musical note)#Middle C|Middle C]]
|261.6256
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  B<sub>3</sub>
|246.9417
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  A{{music|#}}<sub>3</sub>/B{{music|b}}<sub>3</sub>
|233.0819
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  A<sub>3</sub>
|'''220.0000'''
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  G{{music|#}}<sub>3</sub>/A{{music|b}}<sub>3</sub>
|207.6523
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  G<sub>3</sub>
|195.9977
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  F{{music|#}}<sub>3</sub>/G{{music|b}}<sub>3</sub>
|184.9972
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  F<sub>3</sub>
|174.6141
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  E<sub>3</sub>
|164.8138
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  D{{music|#}}<sub>3</sub>/E{{music|b}}<sub>3</sub>
|155.5635
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  D<sub>3</sub>
|146.8324
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  C{{music|#}}<sub>3</sub>/D{{music|b}}<sub>3</sub>
|138.5913
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  C<sub>3</sub>
|130.8128
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  B<sub>2</sub>
|123.4708
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  A{{music|#}}<sub>2</sub>/B{{music|b}}<sub>2</sub>
|116.5409
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  A<sub>2</sub>
|'''110.0000'''
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  G{{music|#}}<sub>2</sub>/A{{music|b}}<sub>2</sub>
|103.8262
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  G<sub>2</sub>
|97.99886
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  F{{music|#}}<sub>2</sub>/G{{music|b}}<sub>2</sub>
|92.49861
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  F<sub>2</sub>
|87.30706
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  E<sub>2</sub>
|82.40689
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  D{{music|#}}<sub>2</sub>/E{{music|b}}<sub>2</sub>
|77.78175
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  D<sub>2</sub>
|73.41619
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="black" style="color:white" |  C{{music|#}}<sub>2</sub>/D{{music|b}}<sub>2</sub>
|69.29566
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="color:black" |  C<sub>2</sub> [[Deep C]]
|65.40639
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}

Some men, in [[falsetto]] voice or as a result of certain rare physiological conditions, can sing in the same range as women. These do not fall into the female categories, instead called [[countertenor|''countertenors'']] within classical music. Within contemporary music, however, the use of the term ''tenor'' for these male voices would be more appropriate.<ref name=Appelman />

Within choral music there are only four categories for adult singers: soprano and [[alto]] for women, tenor and bass for men.<ref>{{cite book |title= Choral Pedagogy |last= Smith |first= Brenda |year= 2005 |publisher= Plural Publishing, Inc |isbn= 978-1-59756-043-6}}</ref>

In the UK, the term "male alto" refers to a man who uses [[falsetto]] vocal production to sing in the alto section of a chorus. This practice is much less common outside the UK where the term [[countertenor]] is more often applied. Countertenors are also widely employed within [[opera]] as solo vocalists, though the term "male alto" is never used to refer to a solo vocalist.

Children's voices, both male and female, are described as ''trebles'', although [[boy soprano]] is widely used as well.<ref name=McKinney />