Dwayne's Singing Page Home Articles: Vocal Ranges/Exercises 50 Great Singing Tips Notso Frequently Asked Questions Why You Shouldn't Use Vibrato For Our Listening Pleasure Singing, The Full-Body Exercise How To Sell Yourself in an Audition Resources: Find a Vocal Coach or Voice Teacher Tessitura Links Tell A Friend About Dwayne's Singing Page! Recommended Reading: Awards I've Won Join "Tessitura", my vocal discussion group! Click to subscribe to tessitura Dwayne's Pages! Be Kind: Let me know what you think of this Page

Ranges/Exercises Vocal Ranges Soprano -High female voice Mezzo-Soprano -Middle female voice Alto or Contralto -Low Female Voice Tenor -High Male Voice Baritone -Middle Male Voice Bass-Low Male Voice Bass-Baritone- A male voice that sound more like a bass than a baritone, without the low bass notes Basso Cantante - A high bass voice suitable for solo singing Basso Profundo- A deep bass voice having a compass of about two octaves above C below the bass staff Coloratura- A singer, usually soprano, who sings ornamental passages in music Countertenor- The highest male voice, also called alto, which is often falsetto Heldentenor- A tenor with a poweful dramatic voice well suited to heroic roles How Do I Know My Vocal Range? You don't. Well, at least not at first. The problem is that most first-time singers are used to speaking in a different range than they sing at. Americans usually speak lower than they sing, and Europeans usually speak higher than they sing. Your voice is determined by where your strongest tones, or notes lie. For some people, this is the middle, and for some it is higher or lower. It may take a few years before you actually determine what your voice is. In addition to this, every voice type reaches its prime at a different age, staying at that prime for a number of years (the last estimate I heard was 35-40 years.) Sopranos usually reach their peak at 21-24 years of age, and the lowest bass usually begins his prime at about 30-32. In the meantime, your voice may go through a lot of changes. If you are a 21-year-old tenor, you may be a bass by the time you are 25. Only constant practice will help you through these changes. Why I Didn't Put Vocal Exercises On This Page It is a simple thing, really. I didn't put vocal exercies on this page for two reasons: If I decide to put a vocal exercise on this page, I would like it to be one that I can explain to those who may not have musical education, as well as those who do, and would benefit both. The only one I have found thus far is The Great Scale. There are a great many vocal exercises, many of which do the same thing for your voice, if done correctly. One good place to check is my links page. However, if I do come across one, or a few exercises that are worth it, and can be explained to musicians and non-musicians alike, I will definitely put them up in the best fashion I can. Please place suggestions here.