A vocal range chart shows the usual notes each voice type sings, from the lowest male voice to the highest female voice. The seven classical voice types, from highest to lowest, are soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto, countertenor, tenor, baritone and bass.
Together they cover about E2 to C6, roughly four octaves. The chart below puts them on a piano keyboard. Press Play to hear any range, or add your own notes to see which voice types you fit:
Vocal Range Chart
Typical ranges of the seven classical voice types on a piano keyboard, highest to lowest. Add your own range to see which voice types it fits.
- Soprano C4–C6 · 262 Hz–1,047 HzHighest female voice; bright and light
- Mezzo-soprano A3–A5 · 220 Hz–880 HzMiddle female voice; warm and full
- Contralto F3–F5 · 175 Hz–698 HzLowest female voice; dark and rich
- Countertenor E3–E5 · 165 Hz–659 HzMale voice singing mainly in head voice or falsetto
- Tenor C3–C5 · 131 Hz–523 HzHighest common male voice; bright and ringing
- Baritone A2–A4 · 110 Hz–440 HzMiddle male voice; warm and full
- Bass E2–E4 · 82 Hz–330 HzLowest male voice; deep and resonant
Typical classical ranges; many voices go beyond them. Range is one part of voice type: tone colour, tessitura and where your voice changes register matter too.
Related Tools
- Voice Range Test
Find your own lowest and highest notes with your microphone.
- Voice Type Test
See which voice type your range matches.
- Vocal Range Calculator
Turn two notes into octaves and semitones.
- Note Identifier
Name each note you sing.
- Tone Generator
Play any note on the chart.
- Vocal Scale Finder
Find scales for your voice type.
Vocal Range Chart: All Voice Types
| Voice type | Usual range | Frequency | Group | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soprano | C4–C6 | 262–1,047 Hz | Female | Bright, light, easy high notes |
| Mezzo-soprano | A3–A5 | 220–880 Hz | Female | Warm, full middle |
| Contralto | F3–F5 | 175–698 Hz | Female | Dark, rich, strong low notes |
| Countertenor | E3–E5 | 165–659 Hz | Male | Mainly head voice or falsetto |
| Tenor | C3–C5 | 131–523 Hz | Male | Bright, ringing |
| Baritone | A2–A4 | 110–440 Hz | Male | Warm, full |
| Bass | E2–E4 | 82–330 Hz | Male | Deep, resonant |
Each voice type spans about two octaves. The notes use scientific pitch notation, where C4 is middle C and A4 is 440 Hz.
Vocal Ranges From Highest to Lowest
- Soprano: the highest common voice, up to C6 (the “soprano high C”) and beyond.
- Mezzo-soprano: the middle female voice and the most common one.
- Contralto: the lowest and rarest female voice. See alto vs contralto.
- Countertenor: the highest male voice, singing mostly in head voice, in the female alto range.
- Tenor: the highest common male voice. See tenor vs baritone.
- Baritone: the middle male voice and the most common one.
- Bass: the lowest voice. See baritone vs bass.
Female Vocal Range Chart
Female voices run from about F3 (contralto) to C6 (soprano), and higher in the whistle register. Soprano and mezzo-soprano share most of their notes, from C4 to A5. Mezzo and contralto share A3–F5. For the full comparison, see female vocal ranges and alto vs mezzo-soprano.
Male Vocal Range Chart
Male voices run from about E2 (bass) to C5 (tenor), and to about E5 for countertenors. Tenor and baritone share C3–A4, and baritone and bass share A2–E4, so most men can sing a large part of the neighbouring type’s range. See male vocal ranges and tenor vs bass for more.
How to Read a Vocal Range Chart
- Letters are note names (C, D, E, F, G, A, B). Numbers are the octave: C4 is middle C, C3 is an octave below and C5 an octave above.
- Each bar shows a voice type’s usual comfortable range, not the extreme notes a trained singer can reach.
- Overlaps show notes that two voice types both sing, which is why range alone can’t tell them apart.
- Frequency doubles every octave: A3 is 220 Hz, A4 is 440 Hz and A5 is 880 Hz. The vocal range notes guide explains the notation in detail.
Vocal Range Chart on a Piano
On an 88-key piano, the singing voice covers only the middle: roughly from the E two octaves below middle C (E2) to the C two octaves above it (C6). Middle C (C4) is the note where the male and female ranges meet. It’s near the top of the bass and baritone ranges, in the middle for tenors, and near the bottom for sopranos.
| Piano note | Frequency | What it marks |
|---|---|---|
| E2 | 82 Hz | Usual bottom of the bass range |
| A2 | 110 Hz | Usual bottom of the baritone range |
| C3 | 131 Hz | Usual bottom of the tenor range |
| F3 | 175 Hz | Usual bottom of the contralto range |
| C4 | 262 Hz | Middle C; usual bottom of the soprano range |
| A4 | 440 Hz | Tuning note; top of the baritone range |
| C5 | 523 Hz | “Tenor high C”; top of the tenor range |
| C6 | 1,047 Hz | “Soprano high C”; top of the soprano range |
Why Vocal Ranges Overlap
Neighbouring voice types share more than an octave of notes, because what really separates them is where the voice is comfortable (tessitura), tone colour and where the voice changes register. A baritone and a tenor can both sing G4, but only for the tenor is it an easy, ringing note. Read more in what is tessitura?
Voice Types vs Choir Parts
Choirs use four parts, soprano, alto, tenor and bass (SATB), rather than seven voice types. Mezzo-sopranos and contraltos usually sing alto, and baritones sing bass or tenor 2. The SATB vocal ranges guide shows the written range of each part.
How to Find Your Place on the Chart
- Warm up for five minutes.
- Find your lowest and highest comfortable notes with the voice range test, or with a piano.
- Enter them in the chart above, under “Add your range”.
- Look at the best matches, but also at which part of your range feels easiest.
If you land between two types, that’s normal. Many voices sit between neighbouring types, and training can shift where you’re most comfortable.
Extreme Vocal Ranges
Some singers go far beyond the chart: basso profondos sing below C2, and whistle-register sopranos go above C7. See the highest vocal range and the lowest vocal range for record-breaking voices. A typical untrained adult has about 1.5–2 octaves of comfortable range.
Children’s Voices and Changing Voices
The chart shows adult voices. Before puberty, boys and girls have similar voices, usually singing comfortably around A3–D5, which is why children’s songs sit in that zone. During puberty a boy’s voice drops by roughly an octave, often with a period of cracking and an unstable range, and it can take several years to settle into tenor, baritone or bass. Girls’ voices change less, usually gaining depth and a richer lower range. Don’t decide a teenager’s voice type too early.
How Voices Change Over a Lifetime
Adult voices keep changing slowly. Training usually adds notes at both ends and makes the middle stronger. With age, women’s voices often get slightly lower and men’s sometimes slightly higher, and the top of the range can shrink without regular singing. Regular, gentle practice is the best way to keep your range. Your voice type can shift too, especially in your twenties.
What a Vocal Range Chart Can’t Tell You
- Your tone colour. Two singers with identical ranges can sound completely different.
- Your comfortable zone. The chart shows ranges, not where each voice is happiest.
- Pop and musical theatre voices. These use mix, belt and falsetto and don’t follow the classical labels strictly.
- Subtypes. Lyric, dramatic and coloratura voices are covered by the Fach system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the voice types in order from highest to lowest?
Soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto, countertenor, tenor, baritone and bass.
What is the most common vocal range?
For men, baritone (about A2–A4); for women, mezzo-soprano (about A3–A5). Most untrained adults sing comfortably across about 1.5–2 octaves.
Is C3 a low note?
For women, yes: C3 is below the usual female range. For men, it’s a low-to-middle note: the bottom of the tenor range and comfortably inside the baritone and bass ranges.
What is the widest voice type range?
Each classical voice type spans about two octaves. Individual singers can have far wider ranges, sometimes four octaves or more, including falsetto and whistle notes.
Is alto a voice type?
Alto is mainly a choir part. The equivalent voice type is contralto, though many altos are mezzo-sopranos. See what is an alto?