There are many different forms of music composed for vocal performance.
Here are the main vocal ranges from highest to lowest.
Voice | Description | Famous examples |
---|---|---|
Treble | A boy’s high unbroken voice, sometimes referred to as a boy soprano | Aled Jones singing Walking in the Air |
Soprano | A high female voice | Renee Fleming, Maria Callas, Björk |
Mezzo soprano | A medium high female voice | Cecilia Bartoli, Katherine Jenkins, Beyoncé |
Counter-tenor | Male alto or soprano, sometimes described as falsetto | Andreas Scholl, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness |
Alto (contralto) | A high male or low female voice | Janet Baker, Kathleen Ferrier |
Tenor | A high male voice | Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Jeff Buckley |
Baritone | A medium male voice | Bryn Terfel, Elvis Presley |
Bass | The lowest male voice | Willard White, Paul Robeson, Barry White |