What Are the Different Types of Singing Voices? From Bass to Soprano

It’s a common assumption that types of voices in a choir or opera are purely based on vocal range—but it’s actually a little more complex than that! And, if you’ve ever wondered about the different types of singing voices out there (as well as which qualities define them), you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll give you a thorough introduction to the seven main types of voices. We’ll also explain how factors like timbre, vocal weight, and yes, vocal range add up to make each unique category—and give you a few examples of the most famous singing voices and their types.

The 7 Voice Types: Quick Overview

A chart of the main voice types: soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto, countertenor, tenor, baritone, and bass.

Soprano: The highest voice type, ranging from middle C (C4) to high C (C6).
Mezzo-soprano: The middle female voice type, ranging from A3 to A5.
Contralto: The lowest (and rarest) female voice type, ranging from F3 to F5.
Countertenor: The highest and rarest male voice type, with a range of C4 to C6.
Tenor: The second-highest male voice type, with a range from C3 to C5.
Baritone: A versatile and common male voice type with a range from A2 to A4.
Bass: The lowest and deepest voice type of all, ranging from E2 to E4.

Section 1 of 8:

Female Choir Voice Types

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Soprano This is the highest singing voice, characterized by iconic high notes and a bright, shimmering timbre. It’s the most common vocal range among females, and soprano singing roles are also usually the most prominent in an opera. The typical vocal range of a soprano spans from the middle C (C4) to the high C (C6), covering two octaves and an interval of 15 full notes, though low extremes can drop to A3 and high extremes can hit a D6 or F6 (above high C).^{[1]
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- Subtypes: There are 5 subtypes of soprano, differentiated by range, timbre, and vocal weight or dexterity.
  - Coloratura soprano - Agile voice specializing in music with runs, leaps, and trills
  - Soubrette - Light, sweet voice with brighter timbre, often found in comedic operas
  - Lyric soprano - Warm voice with a full timbre, usually plays ingenues in an opera
  - Spinto soprano - Dynamic voice with a darker timbre and larger vocal range
  - Dramatic soprano - Rich, emotional voice with less agility but a fuller sound
- Descriptive terms: Shining, bell-like, metallic, crystal-clear, silky
- Soprano roles in opera: Romantic heroines, younger women, and princesses
- Famous sopranos: Cynthia Erivo, Christina Aguilera, Kristin Chenoweth, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Renée Fleming, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Minnie Riperton
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Mezzo-sopranoThis is the middle-range vocal category for female singers, falling in-between the soprano and contralto ranges. Mezzo-soprano means “half-soprano”; most mezzo voices have a two-octave vocal range between A3 (below middle C) and A5, with a low extreme of F3 and a high extreme of C6. Thus, the mezzo-soprano tessitura overlaps with those of the soprano and contralto. Mezzo-soprano voices are warm, full, and very strong!^{[2]
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- Subtypes: There are 3 subtypes of mezzo.
  - Lyric mezzo-soprano - Smooth, sensitive voice with less agility, but a more expressive sound
  - Coloratura mezzo-soprano - Voice with a warm lower register and agile high register
  - Dramatic mezzo-soprano - Broad, powerful voice with a strong medium register and warm high register
- Descriptive terms: Golden, smooth, velvety, glowing
- Mezzo-soprano roles in opera: Queens, lusty or seductive women, mothers
- Famous mezzo-sopranos: Audra McDonald, Bette Midler, Madonna, Céline Dion, Lady Gaga, Idina Menzel, Beyoncé, Adele, Sara Bareilles, Liza Minnelli, Aretha Franklin
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ContraltoContraltos have the deepest vocal range of the female voice types! The contralto voice is dark, smoky, and rich, with lots of heavy notes sung deep from the chest. That’s not to say contraltos can’t hit higher notes, either—the contralto range falls between F3 (below middle C) and F5 (two octaves higher), or D3 to B♭5 at extremes. Contralto voices tend to take center stage in jazz music or cabaret performances rather than operas.^{[3]
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- Subtypes: There are 4 subtypes of contralto.
  - Lyric contralto - Bright, warm voice capable of singing more lyrical roles
  - Coloratura contralto - Light, agile voice with a very full sound
  - Dramatic contralto - Deep, dark, and powerful voice with lots of resonance
  - Soprano sfogato - A type of contralto whose vocal range extends to high C
- Descriptive terms: Heavy, husky, rich, smoky
- Contralto roles in opera: Mothers and grandmothers, goddesses, witches, high-ranking military figures
- Famous contraltos: Judy Garland, Tracy Chapman, Annie Lennox, Florence Welch, Cher, Gladys Knight, Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner, Brandi Carlile, Shakira
- Note: Contrato and the choral designation “Alto” are actually two different things; you can learn more about Altos in chorus music below!

Section 2 of 8:

Male Choir Voice Types

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CountertenorNow, we come to voice types mainly dominated by male singers, starting with countertenor—the highest of the male vocal ranges. The countertenor vocal range is quite broad, spanning from C4 to C6 (or even F6), or, in other cases, D3 to D5 (which is just above the tenor vocal range). Outside of a few special cases, countertenor singers generally sing in the falsetto register rather than the modal (normal) one, with falsetto being high and breathy.^{[4]
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- Subtypes: There are 2 subtypes of countertenor, broken by range, timbre, and vocal weight.
  - Sopranist - A male singer able to sing in the tessitura (range) of a soprano
  - Haute-contre - The French operatic tenor voice (essentially, the high tenor)
  - Additionally, there was the castrato subtype, referring to a male singer who underwent castration before puberty to preserve their singing voice; there have been no living castrato singers since 1922.
- Descriptive terms: Flute-like, clear, bright, ethereal
- Countertenor roles in opera: Roles originally written for castrati, or roles also sung by a contralto
- Famous countertenors: Jakub Józef Orliński, Barry Gibb, Mitch Grassi, Chris Colfer, Chris Kirkpatrick
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TenorTenors represent the second-highest male voice type. The word tenor is derived from the Latin tenere, meaning “to hold,” which is why tenor voices tend to be responsible for holding the melody in operatic songs. The tenor vocal range spans from C3 (an octave below middle C) to C5 (two octaves higher, and one octave above middle C), with extremes from B♭2 up to F5. Tenor voices are bright, capable of delivering bold and stunning performances!^{[5]
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- Subtypes: There are 7 subtypes of tenor.
  - Tenore contraltino - Specialized tenor with a higher tessitura (comfort range)
  - Leggero tenor - Light, agile tenor voice well-suited for difficult vocal runs
  - Lyric tenor - High, warm voice known for singing romantic roles
  - Spinto tenor - Heavy, powerful tenor voice with a strong middle range
  - Dramatic tenor - Powerful, rich voice capable of more emotion and projection
  - Heldentenor - A type of dramatic tenor with even more weight in the middle to lower registers
  - Baritenor - A voice that falls between a tenor and baritone
- Descriptive terms: Brassy, ringing, sunny, metallic
- Tenor roles in opera: Leading roles, heroes, princes, knights
- Famous tenors: Billie Joe Armstrong, John Denver, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Elton John, Bruno Mars, Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd, Luciano Pavarotti
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BaritoneThe baritone voice type lies between tenor and bass, with a range that generally spans from A2 (the second A below middle C) to A4 (the A note above middle C); at extremes, it can extend down to F2 and up to C5. As the most common type of male voice, you’ve probably heard many a baritone singer belting out music of all kinds! Despite that popularity, the baritone voice type wasn’t made official until the 19th century—but its versatility is absolutely indispensable.^{[6]
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- Subtypes: There are 9 subtypes of baritone.
  - Baryton-Martin - High, light baritone voice with a tenor-like upper range
  - Lyric baritone - Light, sweet baritone voice with lots of agility
  - Coloratura baritone - Specialized baritone capable of singing technically challenging parts
  - Kavalierbariton - German operatic baritone with a noble, elegant voice
  - Heldenbaritone - Heroic, dramatic baritone with a very commanding voice
  - Verdi baritone - Rich, ringing baritone voice capable of singing in higher registers
  - Dramatic baritone - Dark, emotional baritone voice with a powerful sound
  - Baryton-noble - French for “noble baritone,” known for smooth and forceful vocalization
  - Bass-baritone - A vocal range that falls between baritone and bass
- Descriptive terms: Smooth, warm, rich, lush
- Baritone roles in opera: Heroes (older), seductive men, husbands, and fathers
- Famous baritones: Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, Kurt Cobain, Nat King Cole, Josh Groban, Frank Ocean, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Luther Vandross
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BassThe bass voice type is the absolute deepest of all, characterized by powerful, dusky low notes that reverberate when sung. In the opera, bass singers often play otherworldly beings—a perfect use for their commanding, mystical-sounding voices! The bass vocal range extends from E2 (the second E below middle C) up to E4 (above middle C), or, at extremes, from C2 (two octaves below middle C) to G4 (above middle C).^{[7]
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- Subtypes: There are 6 key subtypes of bass.
  - Basso profondo - The deepest of the bass voices, with a rich and resonant sound
  - Basso bufo - Bass specializing in comedic roles and quicker vocal passages
  - Bel canto bass - Style of singing with a smooth, agile sound
  - Basso cantante - Melodic, lyrical voice with a well-developed upper range
  - Dramatic bass - Full-sounding bass voice with lots of volume and intensity
  - Bass-baritone - Again, a cross between bass and baritone
- Descriptive terms: Dark, heavy, dense, espresso-like
- Bass roles in opera: Gods, kings, grandfathers, priests, devils
- Famous basses: Barry White, Boris Christoff, Lance Bass, Avi Kaplan, Johnny Cash, Trace Adkins, George Jones

Section 3 of 8:

Children’s Voices

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Children’s voices change over the course of their childhood. During childhood, a person’s voice doesn’t have the versatile range and timbre of an adult’s; before puberty, children all have an equivalent vocal range, regardless of gender. This is because children all have a similar-sized larynx and vocal cord structure. As puberty takes effect, the vocal cord ligaments become more defined, and the laryngeal cartilages harden, changing the voice permanently.^{[8]
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- Vocal changes are more dramatic in men, as their larynx becomes much longer than the female larynx post-puberty.
- Additionally, the voice doesn’t stop changing post-puberty; there are continual changes throughout adulthood.
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The “treble” voice type refers to young singers of any gender. Treble singers have unchanged voices (meaning they haven’t gone through puberty yet), with a vocal range around that of the mezzo-soprano. In earlier years, the “treble” voice type was only associated with boys, but this changed around the 20th century as girls were allowed into children’s choirs. Now, treble refers to any pre-pubescent voice.
- As mentioned above, the treble vocal range falls around the mezzo-soprano range, from A3 to F5—or, in extreme cases, all the way up to C6 (high C). However, the ability to hit a high C as a treble voice is fairly rare!

Section 4 of 8:

What are voice types?

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Voice types are the categories that differentiate human singing voices. The practice of voice classification is designed to help singers—as well as composers and listeners—categorize vocals by their properties (vocal range, weight, timbre, and so on), and assign them to particular singing roles. It’s most often associated with the world of opera, but it’s used outside of that, too! There are 7 main voice types, each with a number of different subcategories.^{[9]
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- Choral singers tend to be placed within voice type categories based on overall vocal range.
- Solo singers, meanwhile, are typically categorized based on tessitura (which is basically where their voice is most comfortable).

Section 5 of 8:

Is “Alto” a voice type?

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Alto is a designation in choral music, not an official voice type. Choral music is sung in four parts: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. So, when you hear someone talk about the four major voice types (rather than the seven we went over above), they’re actually talking about these designations! Alto parts in choral music tend to have a stronger middle and lower register, so female singers with alto parts typically have a mezzo-soprano or contralto voice type.^{[10]
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- You might also hear famous female singers like Tracy Chapman or Liza Minnelli miscategorized as having “alto” voice types.
- But, again, in reality, they’re mezzo-soprano (Minnelli) or contralto (Chapman); alto is the vocal range they’d occupy in a chorus.

Section 6 of 8:

What are the rarest voice types?

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The rarest voice types are arguably contralto and countertenor. There aren’t exact figures for this statistic, but generally speaking, it’s rarer to find female contraltos (the deepest female voice type) and male countertenors (the highest male voice type) than any other type. The majority of feminine singing voices tend to be higher than the contralto range, and the majority of masculine voices tend to be lower than the countertenor range.
- Bass singers are also considered one of the rarer male voice types (with tenor and baritone being more common).

Section 7 of 8:

How are singers classified by voice type?

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Singing voices are classified using four major factors. Those factors are vocal range, tessitura, timbre, and passaggio. Tessitura refers to the most comfortable vocal range for a singer, whereas vocal range as a whole refers to the absolute highest and lowest notes a singer can hit. Timbre is the tone quality or color of a singing voice, and passaggio is a term that describes vocal transition points; thus, singers have multiple passaggi between different vocal registers.
- That’s why there are subtypes of singing voice in addition to the big 7 above. A group of singing voices could have the same vocal range, for instance, but have a different tessitura or timbre!
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Misclassification of a singer’s voice can damage their vocals. Singers’ voices are classified by their ability to hit certain notes and their tessitura (or their most comfortable vocal range), among other things—so, if a singer is misclassified, they might end up singing in vocal ranges that aren’t actually comfortable. They could develop bad or harmful habits during training, and eventually end up seriously straining their vocal cords.
- A singer’s outer ranges (both high and low) should never be overworked; doing so could lead to permanent vocal damage.
- For instance, singing at too high a pitch can lead to vocal nodules forming, which are benign but can change a singer’s voice (causing hoarseness or breathiness).
- That’s why it’s so important for singers to know their exact vocal range and avoid putting unnecessary strain on their vocal cords, especially over long periods of time.

Section 8 of 8:

Finding Your Voice Type

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Determine your vocal range and tessitura. For this exercise, you’ll need a piano (or even just a digital keyboard app). Warm up your voice first! Then, work your way through the piano keys, locating your lowest and highest comfortable notes. Additionally, find your “tessitura”—the range at which your voice feels most natural and relaxed. Then, compare your vocal range with common ranges for each voice type:^{[11]
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- Soprano: C4 to C6
- Mezzo-soprano: A3 to A5
- Contralto: F3 to F5
- Countertenor: C4 to C6 (male voice)
- Tenor: C3 to C5
- Baritone: G2 to G4
- Bass: E2 to E4
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Identify your tonal qualities and passaggio. Vocal range isn’t everything. As you sing, see if you can identify the “color” and tonal qualities that fit your voice. We’ve included descriptors above for each voice type—like bright, warm, smooth, smoky, rich, heavy, and so on. Additionally, keep an ear out for the spots where your voice transitions between chest, middle, and head voice registers; these are called your passaggio.^{[12]
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Ask a voice teacher for input. A voice coach is probably your most reliable way of learning your voice type. Take all of the information above to a voice teacher, and they’ll help you determine your voice type (as well as the types of music that’s ideal for your voice).^{[13]
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- As you experiment, don’t be afraid to try out different genres of music. Figure out whether you feel more comfortable singing pop, jazz, musical theater, or some other genre!