JPF Home Page Forums Musician Gear and Techniques Microphone and Vocalist Forum A question about octaves??

Just wanted to mention that range, in and of itself, does not determine voice type (bass, baritone, tenor), but, generally speaking,

the high note for a bass is E above middle C,

the high note for a baritone is A above middle C,

the high note for a tenor is C above middle C.

voice type is actually determined by 'tessitura' which is, 'where the voice sits'.

How I explain it to my students is... the house of 'range' has 4 stories. The Basses live in the basement, the Baritones live on the main floor, the Tenors live on the second floor... and the CounterTenors are in the attic. The Bass can visit the Baritones often, but finds it hard to get up to see the Tenors. The Tenors can visit the Baritones but finds it hard to get down to the Basses. The Baritones may visit with some of the 'higher' Basses or some of the 'lower' Tenors. But each of them is "at home" on their floor.

When the song you're singing gets too high, you go back to your floor and sing it an octave lower.

Range can be strengthened and lengthened through training. Through training, one finds one's true tessitura. Many women come to me thinking they are altos because they can't sing above the C-above-middle-C. After working for some months they are surprised to find their tessitura is higher and they are mezzos and sometimes even sopranos.

Thus ends today's lesson, lol