Singing notes are written as a letter and a number, like C4 or A2. The letter is the note name and the number is the octave, where C4 is middle C.
From lowest to highest, a typical singer’s notes run from about E2 (82 Hz) for a bass to C6 (1,047 Hz) for a soprano. Pick any note below to see its frequency, where it is on the piano, and whether it counts as a high note for men and for women:
Vocal Note Finder
Choose any note to see its frequency, where it sits on the piano, and whether it is high or low for men, women and each voice type.
Is C4 a high note?
For most men, C4 is a middle note: in the middle of the baritone range (A2–A4), and in the middle of the tenor range (C3–C5).
For most women, C4 is low: in the low part of the mezzo-soprano range (A3–A5), and in the low part of the soprano range (C4–C6).
Middle C: the C nearest the middle of the piano.
| Voice type | Usual range | This note |
|---|---|---|
| Soprano | C4–C6 | Low part |
| Mezzo-soprano | A3–A5 | Low part |
| Contralto | F3–F5 | Low part |
| Countertenor | E3–E5 | Middle |
| Tenor | C3–C5 | Middle |
| Baritone | A2–A4 | Middle |
| Bass | E2–E4 | High part |
Scientific pitch notation with A4 = 440 Hz. Ranges are typical classical ranges; many voices go beyond them.
Related Tools
- Note Identifier
Sing and see the name of every note, live.
- Pitch Detector
Note, Hz and cents from your microphone.
- Voice Range Test
Find your lowest and highest notes.
- Frequency Finder
Convert any frequency to a note, or a note to Hz.
- Tone Generator
Play any note to sing along with.
- Vocal Range Calculator
Count octaves and semitones between two notes.
Singing Notes Chart: Lowest to Highest
| Note | Frequency | What it is for singers |
|---|---|---|
| C2 | 65.41 Hz | Very low: below most basses; basso profondo territory |
| E2 | 82.41 Hz | Usual lowest note of a bass |
| A2 | 110.00 Hz | Usual lowest note of a baritone |
| C3 | 130.81 Hz | Usual lowest note of a tenor; low for women |
| F3 | 174.61 Hz | Usual lowest note of a contralto |
| A3 | 220.00 Hz | Usual lowest note of a mezzo-soprano |
| C4 | 261.63 Hz | Middle C: middle for men, low for sopranos |
| E4 | 329.63 Hz | Top of the bass range |
| A4 | 440.00 Hz | Tuning note; top of the baritone range |
| C5 | 523.25 Hz | “Tenor high C”; middle for women |
| A5 | 880.00 Hz | Top of the mezzo-soprano range |
| C6 | 1,046.50 Hz | “Soprano high C”; top of the soprano range |
| C7 | 2,093.00 Hz | Whistle register; very few singers |
How Note Names Work
Music uses seven note letters, C D E F G A B, plus five sharps or flats between them (C♯/D♭, D♯/E♭, F♯/G♭, G♯/A♭, A♯/B♭). That makes 12 notes per octave, like the white and black keys on a piano. After B the pattern starts again at C, one octave higher.
The number after the letter is the octave, in scientific pitch notation. The octave number changes at C, not at A: B3 is followed by C4. Middle C is C4, the tuning A above it is A4 (440 Hz), and A3 is an octave lower at 220 Hz.
How Frequency Relates to Notes
Every octave doubles the frequency: A2 is 110 Hz, A3 is 220 Hz, A4 is 440 Hz and A5 is 880 Hz. Each semitone step multiplies it by about 1.06. That’s why the high notes are much further apart in Hz than the low ones. To convert any frequency, use the frequency finder. To measure your own voice in hertz, try the voice Hz test.
What Is Considered a High Note in Singing?
It depends on your voice. As a rough guide:
| Voice | Getting high | Very high |
|---|---|---|
| Bass | C4–E4 | Above E4 |
| Baritone | E4–A4 | Above A4 |
| Tenor | G4–C5 | Above C5 (tenor high C) |
| Contralto | C5–F5 | Above F5 |
| Mezzo-soprano | E5–A5 | Above A5 |
| Soprano | A5–C6 | Above C6 (whistle register) |
So is C5 a high note? For most men, yes: it’s above the baritone range and the top of the tenor range. For most women it’s a middle note. C4 is a middle note for men and low for sopranos, and C6 is very high for almost everyone. Try any note in the tool above. For how to reach higher notes safely, see how to sing higher.
Names of High Notes
- Tenor high C: C5 (523 Hz), the famous top note for tenors in opera.
- Soprano high C: C6 (1,047 Hz), the top of the usual soprano range.
- High F (Queen of the Night): F6 (1,397 Hz), one of the highest notes in standard opera, sung by coloratura sopranos.
- Whistle notes: notes above about C6 in the whistle register, the thinnest and highest register of the voice.
- Head voice and falsetto: not notes but registers, the ways singers produce their higher notes.
The Singing Scale: Do Re Mi
Singers often learn notes with solfège, the do-re-mi syllables. In a C major scale, do is C, re D, mi E, fa F, sol G, la A, ti B, and then do again an octave higher. In “movable do”, do is simply the first note of whatever key you’re in, which makes it easy to sing a scale starting on any comfortable note. Warm-up scales usually start low in your range and move up by semitones, so you cover your whole range from lowest to highest.
What Is the Lowest Note in Music?
The lowest note on a standard piano is A0 (27.5 Hz), and pipe organs go lower still. For singers, E2 is the usual bottom of the bass range, and very deep basses reach C2 or lower. The lowest notes ever recorded by a human voice are far below that, in vocal fry (see the lowest vocal range). To add low notes safely, see how to sing lower.
Vocal Range Notes by Voice Type
Each voice type spans about two octaves: soprano C4–C6, mezzo-soprano A3–A5, contralto F3–F5, countertenor E3–E5, tenor C3–C5, baritone A2–A4 and bass E2–E4. See them side by side on the vocal range chart, or find yours with the voice type test. For the full span from the deepest bass to the highest whistle note, see human vocal range.
How to Read a Range Like E2–C5
A range is written from the lowest note to the highest. E2–C5 means the singer’s lowest note is E2 and the highest is C5. To count octaves, go up from the bottom note by C to C, or E to E. E2 to E3 is one octave, E3 to E4 two, and E4 to C5 adds another 8 semitones, so E2–C5 is about 2.7 octaves (32 semitones).
How Many Octaves Can You Sing?
Most untrained adults sing about 1.5–2 octaves comfortably, trained singers often 2.5–3, and a few exceptional singers 4 or more, counting falsetto and whistle notes. See is a 2-octave range good? and is a 3-octave range good? to see how yours compares.
Total, Usable and Comfortable Range
- Total range: every note you can make, including falsetto, fry and whistle.
- Usable range: the notes you can sing with a controlled, musical tone.
- Comfortable range: the notes you can sing for a whole song without tiring (your tessitura sits inside it). This is the one that decides your voice type and your song keys.
Common Notation Mistakes
- Wrong octave number: the number changes at C, so the B below middle C is B3, not B4.
- Treating sharps and flats as different notes: C♯4 and D♭4 are the same key on a piano.
- Written vs sounding pitch: tenor parts are often written an octave higher than they sound (see SATB vocal ranges).
- Counting falsetto as your normal range: keep it separate when you pick song keys.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the notes in singing, from lowest to highest?
C, D, E, F, G, A and B, with sharps and flats between them, repeating every octave. A typical singing range runs from about E2 for basses to C6 for sopranos.
Is C4 a high note?
No. C4 is middle C: a middle note for men and a low-to-middle note for women.
Is C6 a high note?
Yes. C6 is the “soprano high C”, the top of the usual soprano range, and far above the male range.
What note is C2?
C2 is 65.41 Hz, two octaves below middle C. It’s below the usual bass range, and only very deep basses sing it comfortably.
What is the highest note a human can sing?
Whistle-register singers have reached notes well above C7. In classical singing, notes above C6 are rare and usually written only for coloratura sopranos. See the highest vocal range for records.