#9 MUSICAL TERMS - VOCAL RANGES

1.   Coloratura – The highest of all the sopranos.  This singer sings fast, light acrobatic passages

2.   Soprano – The highest female voice.

3.   Mezzo-soprano – Literally means “middle soprano”.  She sings between an alto and soprano.

4.   Alto – The lowest female voice. (Usually this term is used in a choral setting)

5.   Contralto – The lowest female voice. (Usually this term is used in a solo setting or a more formal piece of music)

6.   Cambiata – The boy’s voice that is going through a voice change.  Usually he can only sing a range of about 5 notes (g below to middle c)

7.   Castrato -  A male singer who was castrated before puberty to retain the treble quality of his voice.  This method is no longer practiced.

8.      Countertenor -  The highest male voice sung in ‘falsetto’ in the treble octave to sound like a young boy.

9.   Tenor – The highest male voice not sung in falsetto.

10. Baritone – The male ‘middle’ ranged voice.

11. Bass – The lowest male voice.

12. Basso Profundo – The lowest bass voice known for singing exceptionally low.

Schirmer Pocket Manual of Musical Terms, Edited by Theodore Baker, Macmillan Publishing Co., 1978