vocal range

Vocal range refers to how high and low a performer can comfortably sing. It's the distance between the highest and lowest notes a singer can produce without straining their voice. There are six main vocal ranges: soprano , mezzo-soprano , contralto , tenor , baritone , and bass .

Vocal Ranges according to The New Harvard Dictionary of Music

The range of a voice or instrument is the set of pitches, from lowest to highest, that it can sing or play. A range can be described using the appropriate octave identification, for example, "from one-line c to two-line g".

The four main vocal ranges are:

• Soprano – A high female (or boy's) voice.
• Alto – A low female (or boy's) voice.
• Tenor – A high (adult) male voice.
• Bass – A low (adult) male voice.

Knowing your vocal range is important because it allows you to judge which songs you can comfortably and confidently sing. Choosing songs fit for your voice and singing range will prevent you from straining or injuring your voice.

Your range is usually listed in two parts:

1. A description of your voice (Lyric Baritone, Mezzo-Soprano/Belter, High Rock Tenor, etc). These descriptions should be short, sweet, and clear: no more than 2–3 words max.
2. Your exact range, listed from your lowest to highest notes, in parenthesis.

2 octaves is the normal vocal range. 3 octaves is great. 4 octaves is phenomenal. 5 is not natural and you are a musical prodigy.

The pitch range of a musical instrument describes the distance between the lowest to the highest tones it can accurately reproduce. A piano and its 88 keys, for example, has the broadest pitch range of all instruments. Its highest note vibrates at 4,186Hz (4.1KHz) and its lowest at 27.5Hz.

An octave is the interval between 2 pitches where one has a frequency, or rate of vibration, that is twice as fast as the other. This relationship is expressed in the ratio 2:1. Because of this relationship, pitches separated by an octave sound similar and have the same letter name.

Based on the findings, Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose has demonstrated the greatest vocal range in studio. Mariah Carey comes in second, followed by Prince, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Christina Aguilera and David Bowie.

And while many may forget that the voice is indeed an instrument, most will agree it's significance in defining periods of music history. Unique to each singer, the qualities and characteristics of each individual singer's voice can define the person, and by extension, the music that person sings.

Vocal variety is key to expressiveness, and expressiveness is essential for a speaker. A significant component of vocal variety is how you emphasize what you say. You have various tools to affect this, including volume, pitch, pace, pause, and emotion.