Singers may be classified according to their vocal range — the highest and lowest pitches they can sing.

Vocal Ranges

according to the New Harvard Dictionary of Music

High voice	Medium voice	Low voice
These ranges correspond to the following:
Soprano: C4-A5	Mezzo soprano: A3-F5	Alto: F3-D5
Tenor: B2-G4	Baritone: G2-E4	Bass: E2-C4

Typical ranges

Rather than saying low or high, the following range classifications are typically used (from highest to lowest):

• Soprano (240 - 1170 Hz)
• Mezzo-soprano (220 - 900 Hz)
• Contralto (130 - 700 Hz)
• Tenor (130 - 440 Hz)
• Baritone (110 - 350 Hz)
• Bass ( 80 - 330 Hz)

The first three ranges are usually sung by women, and the last three are usually sung by men. Occasionally men will sing in the three female registers. When sung by men, they are renamed:

• Sopranist
• Countertenor
• Alto

Complete ranges

The following ranges for French voices come from a plate in Diderot's Encyclopédie from the 1750s (descending from high to low.)

• Haut-dessus
• Bas-dessus
• Soprano
• Mezzo
• Haute-contre
• Haute-taille
• Taille
• Tenor
• Basse-taille
• Barytone
• Basse-contre
• Bass

Induced vocal range

Where the above are largely achieved through practice, and natural aptitude; vocal ranges can be achieved by means of physiological modification. Only a single significant example of this is notable: castrato.

See also

• Vocal and instrumental pitch ranges

External links

• A history of vocal definition (http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/misc/voices.html)
• Accurate average vocal ranges (http://www.library.yale.edu/cataloging/music/vocalrg.htm)