What Voice Part Are You?

One of the questions I seem to be answering for choir members constantly is this: What voice part am I?

Well, if that’s a question you want answered, here’s your guide to finding out.

 

Choir Voice Parts: Overview

 

The first thing we need to cover is what the voice parts are in a choir, then we’ll discover which category you best fit into.

 

In a choir, there are two ways voices of men and women are generally categorized: high and low. The high voice types, Sopranos and Tenors, generally sing and supply melody lines. The low voice types, Altos and Basses, generally sing and supply harmony or foundational tones.

 

In choral music, the women’s voices, Soprano and Alto, are usually grouped together on the top staff, while the men’s voices, Tenor and Bass, are usually on the bottom staff. As a general rule, the high voices almost always appear above the low voices in both staffs.

 

So that is two ways that you’ll see voices grouped together: Highs vs Lows OR Women and Men.

 

Now let’s get into some specifics about those voice types.

 

Sopranos

 

Soprano is the highest voice part in the choir. Women sopranos have voices that are often described as “soaring” and “agile”. Whether lyric or coloratura, Sopranos sit atop the choir with their high melodies add height to the overall choral sound.

 

In standard hymn settings, Sopranos almost exclusively have the melody.

 

Altos

 

Alto is the other women’s voice part in the standard mixed choir. Mezzo-sopranos and contraltos generally participate in this section in an ensemble setting.

 

Alto is considered an inner voice in a choir, because it stays between the really high (Soprano) and the really low (Bass) parts. Altos have voices that could be described as “strong, pleasant, easy,” although nothing can be more difficult than singing alto sometimes.

Some songs have them sing one or two notes repeatedly! It’s a real challenge making a part like that sound interesting, but somehow, they manage.

 

Tenors

 

Tenor is the other inner voice part in choir music.

This high men’s voice is often used to double the melody or supply extra harmony tones alongside the Alto voice. The tenor voice is usually described as “heroic, awesome, the BEST…” (full disclosure, I am a very proud tenor).

 

Tenors sometimes have to sing super low AND super high in programs featuring both three and four part arrangements.

 

Basses

 

Basses are the lowest choral voice part. Men who sing bass generally have voices described as deep, sturdy, resonant. The bass part is usually charged with adding the foundation to the rest of the choir, the “root” of the chord. Because the mark the low end of sound spectrum, they are considered an “outer voice” along with Sopranos.

 

Other voice parts rely on the bass to supply the ground-level that they can then build upon with other notes in the chord. So, Bass is a VERY important voice in a choir.

 

 

How do I know what my voice part actually is?

One of the easiest ways to know what voice part you are is to ask a pro. Ask your director or local voice teacher to range test you. Any real vocal professional will be able to test you and let you know what category you fall into.

 

Well, what if you don’t have access to a pro?- or you just want to do it yourself?

 

Here’s what you need:

1. A piano (digital or physical)
2. A pen or pencil
3. A piece of paper

 

That’s it!

 

Go to the center of the piano, play a note, match the played pitch. Next, play the pitch above it, and do the same thing. Continue up the piano until you reach the highest note you can sing while maintaining the same quality of voice.

 

If your voice makes a switch to a different quality sound, you know you’ve gone beyond your middle voice. Write down your highest note on the piece of paper.

 

Make sure to include the octave number as well as the pitch “name” (A, G, F…). This will be important later on. If you are using a digital piano, your program might have the octave number listed. If you are using a physical piano, remember that middle C is C4 and every C marks a new numerical octave.

 

The lower the number, the lower the octave.

 

Do the same thing going down. Stop when the quality of the sound changes, and you know you’ve made a switch in your voice.

 

Write down your lowest note on the piece of paper.

 

Next, refer to this handy chart:

 

Soprano	Alto	Tenor	Bass
C4 to C6	G3 to G5	B2 to A4	D2 to D4

 

 

These ranges are my approximations for the standard two octave ranges of these four voice parts. This also reflects the approximate ranges composers write for the voice types. Both things are equally important when considering which voice group to be a part of in a choir setting.

 

Note that the tenor voice part is more precise than the others. This is because it’s my voice part, and this is the range I look for when picking solo and choral rep for myself.

 

Find the voice that best fits the range you wrote down on the paper. Next, refer back to the description of that voice part. Now you know what your voice type resembles, but also how its used in a choir.

 

But, I’ve been singing something else for a long time?! What do I do?

 

If you’ve been singing a different voice part for a long time, go back and re-read the description of what you most align with and what you currently sing. Next, take a hard look at yourself and the group you sing with. Answer these questions…

• When you started singing that part, was your voice different than it is now?
• When you started singing that part, was there a need for more people to fill that section?
• When you started singing that voice part, did you or your leader just choose that part for you without considering your singing voice?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’re likely singing the wrong part. You need to seriously consider making the change over to your actual voice part.

 

Directors, while they mean well, sometimes have other things to consider when placing people into voice sections.

Sometimes you are placed because you have a voice that could sing more than one part, so whatever one needs more help is where you end up.

Sometimes you are placed because that WAS the best part for you, but life changed your voice!

Sometimes you are placed because that’s what everyone thinks you should be, even yourself, despite what voice part you actually are.

 

I myself have been guilty of this, and I try to go back periodically and correct any misplacement. This is especially important for young voices, which change constantly! I try and reevaluate youth at least once a quarter, more if they’re experiencing dramatic physical changes.

 

Remember, the voice is a living instrument, and it is often a direct reflection of your physiology.

Singing the right part for your voice will ultimately help you sing longer without fatigue, sing easier without straining or pushing the voice, and empower you through self-revelation.

 

I hope that my experience and the lessons I learned in 2017 will inspire you in some way.

 

Did you learn something new about your voice? What type do you think you are? Share it in the Youtube video comments above, it would really mean a lot to me!

Go in peace.