Tech: Please Help Me Define My Voice Range!!

Subject: Tech: Please Help Me Define My Voice Range!!
From: GUEST,Anna
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 12:50 AM

Dear All,
I have been wondering for some time what my voice type is, as no one seems to be able to classify it.
My *comfortable* range is from D3 to F5.
I can sing down to C3 (when I have a cold, I can hit the Bb2) and up to D6 in falsetto.
My chest voice is from C3 to F4.
My major break ranges from F#4 to Bb4.

Please help me out!


Anna

Subject: RE: Tech: Please Help Me Define My Voice Range!!
From: andrew e
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 02:00 AM

Well I think you're alto and/or soprano. They're just names anyway.

I can sing Bass/Tenor/Alto and a few sop notes up to the C on top of middle C. Altos go there sometimes too.
What's the number for that?

Can anyone point me to a website that gives these numbers in normal music notation.
Obviously something I need to brush up on!

Subject: RE: Tech: Please Help Me Define My Voice Range!!
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 03:12 AM

Voice Ranges on Wikipedia

Pull the scroll bar to about the middle of the page for the "definitions."

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Please Help Me Define My Voice Range!!
From: Darowyn
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 04:43 AM

It's also worth pointing out that there is often a big difference between absolute range, and useful range in a specific musical context.
It not a question merely of what notes you sing, but whether you can sing them with a suitable voice quality for the music.
It is very likely that your range for singing Schubert Lieder would be different from the range for singing a sea shanty, because of the different singing style needed.
You are very lucky if all the pitches you can sing sound good!
Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: Tech: Please Help Me Define My Voice Range!!
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 05:38 AM

Mezzo-soprano, if you need a word. A true alto will never reach "D6 in falsetto" by legal means. To cope with your register breaks, see a voice trainer. If in the course of training you turned out to be a soprano, you wouldn't be the first one.

Subject: RE: Tech: Please Help Me Define My Voice Range!!
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 10:19 AM

Yes, to Darowyn- and I would add, your range is the notes you can sing comfortably without strain, NOT the notes you can "hit".

.... you don't want to know how long it took me to learn that little fact..

Allison-the-mezzo

Subject: RE: Tech: Please Help Me Define My Voice Range!!
From: Crowhugger
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 10:53 AM

Anna,
Categories are only a convenience for those wish to use them. Some stuff, like your voice and formerly mine (I lost G5-C6 when I quit smoking, go figure!), go beyond the narrow confines of a single category. With this range we are free to sing 1st soprano to tenor. It's obvious from your opening post that it's important for you to get this answer. However I'd suggest there's no harm to rethink the importance of that: You likely won't find a fitting category until someone invents one that means "wider-ranging than contralto." So, while you keep an eye open for the answer just enjoy singing throughout your whole range.

I sing a lower part in one a cappella quartet and higher part in another. What my voice "is" depends what I'm singing at a given moment. Works for me.

Subject: RE: Tech: Please Help Me Define My Voice Range!!
From: GUEST,Anna
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 01:02 AM

Hi guys,
Your responses have been very helpful so far, especially Crowhugger's.

Thank you all!