© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
FIGURE 2-3: Tenor range.
He’s so low: Bass
Bass is the lowest of the voice types. The bass is the guy who sings all the cool low notes in the barbershop quartet. Here are some characteristics:
Range: His range is usually F (below the bass clef staff) to E (first line treble clef) but can be as wide as E-flat to F (see Figure 2-4).
Register transitions: The bass changes from chest voice into middle voice around A or A-flat just below Middle C and changes into head voice around D or D-flat just above Middle C.
Strength: His chest voice is his strength.
Voice tone: His voice is the deepest, darkest, and heaviest of the male voices.
Weakness: His head voice is his weakness.
Subdivisions: Filling in the middle between tenor and bass is the baritone. Baritones are very common. Young bass singers often start out as a baritone and then the voice changes. The baritone can usually sing from an A (first space bass clef) to F (first space treble clef) below the male High C. The bass-baritone has some height of the baritone and some depth of the bass; his range is usually A-flat (first space bass clef) to F (first space treble clef) and sometimes as high as G below the male High C. The baritone’s register transitions usually occur at the B or B-flat just below Middle C and the E or E-flat above Middle C.
Bass subdivisions include the comic bass (funny guy in the show), as well as lyric and dramatic bass. His subdivision buddy, the baritone, also comes in different shapes and sizes: light lyric baritone, full lyric baritone, and bass baritone.
Common performance roles: The bass or baritone is often the villain, father, or older man. Examples include Ramfis in Aïda, the Mikado in The Mikado, and Jud Fry in Oklahoma! Some exceptions to this villain image are King Arthur in Camelot, Porgy in Porgy and Bess, and the Toreador in Carmen.
Naming names: Famous basses you may know include Kurt Moll, René Pape, and Samuel Ramey. Famous bass-baritones include Trace Adkins, José van Dam, Simon Estes, William Warfield, and Barry White. Baritones include Brian Stokes Mitchell, John Raitt, and Tom Wopat.
© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
FIGURE 2-4: Bass range.
VOCAL SUBDIVISIONS
In classical music or the opera world, voice types can be further divided into categories based on the size and agility of the voice. The first four terms are in order like the soda sizes at the fast-food joint. Light is the small, lightweight cup, and dramatic is the cup so large that it won’t fit in the cup holder in your car.
Light: A bright, youthful, agile voice.
Lyric: A medium-sized voice with a warm color that’s comfortable singing long, even phrases. Lyric is appropriate for a romantic character.
Full: A louder, stronger voice that doesn’t necessarily sing fast lines as easily as a light voice.
Dramatic: A voice that’s even louder than a full voice and sings a heavier repertoire, such as Wagner. Dramatic voices can peel the paint off the wall from 50 paces. These voices are big and heavier than full lyric voices; they aren’t known for subtlety — they’re all about power and strength.
Coloratura: A flexible voice that moves easily through fast lines in the music.
A singer can be a mix of the terms in the preceding list. For example, a light lyric coloratura refers to a medium-sized light voice that moves easily. Seeing the words combined to describe a voice type isn’t so confusing if you understand the definition of each descriptive word. However, only in the classical world is it important for you to know how your voice fits within this list. Don’t worry about the specific kind of category you’re in until you get some training.
Comparing voice types
To get a better idea of voice types, check out these singers and songs to compare sounds of different voice types. If you’re a classical music fan, the info ahead is just for you. Not a classical music fan? Skip ahead to the section, “Not at the opera,” or jump back to the list of Naming Names under each voice type for some singers you hear on the radio. Or keep reading to figure out what those classical music nuts are going on about.
At the opera
The classical music world goes all out for voice types. The types of voices you may have read about in the previous sections seems complicated. To uncomplicate things, type in these names and pieces in your favorite search engine to hear the sounds that go with the names. This is the list I wanted when I was first figuring out voice types.
Soprano: To get the hang of the sopranos, search online for recordings of lighter soprano, Kathleen Battle singing “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi by Puccini and then listen to dramatic soprano Jessye Norman singing “Dich, theure Halle” from Tannhäuser by Wagner. Note that Kathleen’s voice is light and Jessye’s voice is much heavier. Look for recordings of them individually singing “Ave Maria” by Schubert to hear them singing the same song.
Mezzo: Compare light mezzo, Frederica von Stade singing “Non so più” from Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart with Denyce Graves singing “Ave Maria” by Caccini. Both are mezzos, but there is a big difference in the timbre and depth of the voices.
Coloratura ladies: Look for soprano Natalie Dessay singing “Der Hölle Rache” from Die Zauberflöte by Mozart and compare with mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli singing “Non più mesta” from La Cenerentola by Rossini. Both are spectacular at agility, but note the range where they’re comfortable singing.
Tenor: Compare lyric tenor George Shirley singing “Un’aura amorosa” from Così fan tutte by Mozart with heldentenor Jonas Kaufmann singing “Nessun dorma” from Turandot by Puccini. Listen to the difference in the weight of Kaufman’s voice compared to the lyrical tone from Shirley.
Baritone/bass: The baritone and bass voice have some similarities, but one difference is the depth on the low notes. Compare baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky singing “Toreador Song” from Carmen by Bizet with bass René Pape singing “O Isis und Osiris” from Die Zauberflöte by Mozart. When comparing these two singers, you hear the difference between the height of the tone of the baritone with the depth of the bass.
Coloratura dudes: Guys can have agile voices as you can hear comparing tenor Juan Diego Flórez singing “Ah, il più lieto” from Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini with baritone Emiliano Géant singing “Se bramate d’amar” from Serse by Händel. These guys really move their voices with ease but note the range where they’re comfortable singing.
Not at the opera
Because these fabulous performers ahead aren’t vying for roles in the opera, the comparison is on the weight and comfort zone of the voice instead of trying to determine an exact subdivision of the voice type:
Higher female voice: Compare the light sounds from soprano Olivia Newton-John