by Emmanuel Soto
Have you ever felt amazed by a singer? Have you ever thought about how different the voices are? Singers do recognize the difference. Even though they have different types of voices, all of them sound wonderful and their differences make them great. From women to men, from higher voices to lower voices, the vocal range is so different. I am Emmanuel Soto, an electronic engineer by profession, but an amateur singer as a hobby, and I am going to teach you the differences between the types of voices that singers have.
The vocal range is represented by the musical notes of the piano. So each vocal range will be illustrated by a piano with the vocal range.
From the lowest to the highest, there are differences in vocal ranges for women and men.
Men
- Bass
- Baritone
- Tenor
Women
- Alto
- Mezzo-Soprano
- Soprano
Bass
The lowest of the six vocal ranges can sing notes in the lower registers. Bass singers have a deep voice. This type of voice is more common in blues, jazz, and sometimes rock. Examples of these singers are Warren Thomas “Pete” Moor and Till Lindemann.
Baritone
The baritone range is a little bit higher than the bass ranger, It is the common one for men. This tone is deeper than that of a tenor but not as deep as that of a bass. An example of baritone singers is Elvis Presley.
Tenor
The highest range for men. Tenors can sing notes in higher registers and have a bright, clear tone. Normally tenor sounds like a singer for a special type of music (opera), but there are tenors in other types of music like pop, rock, metal, and so on. Luciano Pavarotti, Bruno Mars, Freddie Mercury, and Michael Jackson are tenor singers.
Alto
Alto is the second-lowest of the six vocal ranges. Altos can sing notes in the lower registers and have a rich, warm tone. Adele and Amy Winehouse are Alto singers.
Mezzo-Soprano
The mezzo-soprano range is just a little bit higher than the alto range. The tone of a mezzo-soprano is stronger and more powerful than that of a soprano. Mezzo-Soprano singers are Dua Lipa and Katy Perry.
Soprano
Sopranos are singers that sing on the highest notes and like their male counterparts. The sopranos have a clear light tone and can hit the highest notes. Soprano singers are for example Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, and Sarah Brightman.
It does matter which vocal range you have, each voice is different, even though, if there are two tenors singing together, the characteristics of their voices make them different, and those differences do not make one singer better than the other. Next time that you listen to music, think about the voice that the singer has and let yourself be blown away by her/his voice.