Do you know what the real definition of a lazy tenor is?
A very rich baritone!
–Thomas Hampson
Last Spring, I switched from baritone to tenor. Since I wrote about it, a lot of people have found this blog by asking the question via Google: Am I a tenor or a baritone?
The answer: it depends.
Fach Identity
There is a lot of identity that goes with singing within a certain fach (voice type). One person’s personality may be attracted to one kind of character over another, but their voice may point them in a different direction.
Baritones, alas, tend to play more villains (Scarpia, Jago, Jud Fry, Javert) or ‘dudes of questionable integrity’ (Count Almaviva, Oppenheimer) than tenors.
At best, tenors tend to be lovers (Nemorino, Fenton, Rinuccio, Rodolfo, Alfredo, Faust) and heroes (Siegfried, Jean Valjean), and, at their worst, they can be jerks (Pinkerton) or creeps (Hermann), but they are rarely murderers (Don José).
If you are a baritone who wants to play heroes all the time, your options may be limited in opera (both Figaros, Valentin) and more plentiful in musical theater (Curly, Lancelot, Marius).
In my situation, I was looking at a handful of baritone roles that I could credibly play. I was hoping that I could be the next Thomas Hampson and get some of the rarely performed baritone versions of popular tenor roles tenor roles transposed (Werther
Questions to Ask Yourself
None of these questions are fool-proof. Some baritones have high passaggi and some tenors have a hard time with high C’s, but these can get you thinking more clearly about who you are:
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Are you uncomfortable or in pain?
If you feel sore when you sing, whether it’s high or low, then you may want to try something else. If A2 on the bass clef feels bad to you, then you may be a higher voice. But if E4 feels bad to you even after regular practice, then you may have a low voice.
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Where is your passaggio?
Where is the most unstable area of your voice? That’s your passaggio. Usually, it is a good guide to help you decide whether you are a high or low voiced person. While I was singing baritone, I could never sing G’s very loudly and was worried about that. Well, I couldn’t sing them loudly because they are within my passaggio.
Normally, we speak of having two passaggio breaks: the first break (primo passaggio) and the second break (secondo passaggio) with a zone in between (zona di passaggio).
For me, the zona di passaggio feels similar to singing on a tight rope where one wrong move will cause me voice to flip in and out of falsetto in a fluttery kind of way. It is also difficult to hear my own voice properly there.
Here is the chart from Richard Miler’s The Structure of Singing
laying out men’s passaggio points (with those in parentheses being alternates):
Voice Type primo passaggio secondo passaggio tenorino F4 Bb4 tenore leggiero E4 (Eb4) A4 (Ab4) tenore lirico D4 G4 tenore spinto D4 (C#4) G (F#4) tenore robusto (tenore drammatico) C4 (C#4) F4 (F#4) baritono lirico B3 E4 baritono drammatico Bb3 Eb4 basso cantante A3 D4 basso profondo Ab3 (G3) Db4 (C4) Test out your voice by singing a truly pure “Ah” vowel beginning in your speaking voice area. As you ascend, you will reach a point where you have to tilt your jaw up if you continue to sing in the exact same manner as you began. That’s your primo passaggio. A fourth above is your secondo passaggio. This doesn’t work in 100% of cases, but it usually is helpful.
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What are the extremes of your range?
I knew that I could sing C5 about 5 years ago when I listened to some tenors and concluded, “I can do that”. I would sing it, but for years I didn’t trust those high notes.
Trust yours. If you have extremes on either side of your voice like extreme low notes or extreme high notes, then admit that they might be telling you something. They may not be developed and strong. But a tenor will not be able to sing B1. If you can, then perhaps you should avoid singing tenor rep. Baritones can’t sing Eb5 outside of falsetto. If you can…
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What is your reaction to other singers?
If you listen to a singer and think “Yes, we can!”, then give it a shot and see. Try what they do. Don’t get attached because it might be wrong for you right now, but there’s nothing wrong in trying something out once. Your gut may be telling you something.
If you feel inadequate after listening to a singer or a sense that it is totally beyond you, then maybe that repertoire is not right for you.
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Are you faking it?
You may not feel any discomfort or pain when you sing, but you may be faking it. Examples of baritone “fakery” include a tongue shoved into your throat or an overly lengthened vocal tract by shoving your lips outward. You may be pulling your top lip down to darken your sound. You may be modifying your vowels too early to create an artificially low passaggio. You may sound incredibly loud to your own ears but small voiced to everyone else.
Fake tenors may have a larynx that is pulled up into the backs of their throats. Or they may be shouting their high notes just to force them out. To give the appearance of a high passaggio, they may keep their voices spread instead of modifying their vowels appropriately. This sound may not sound like singing at all and may be highly unpleasant to listen to (though even the prettiest voice can sound unpleasant if it’s loud and in a small room).
Try singing as simply as you can for awhile and forget all of your technique. Just intone some “Ah”s and try to avoid creating any tension in your throat. Record yourself. What do you hear?
Do I have a choice?
For most people, the answer is ‘no’. For most people, they are clearly in one camp or the other, and there is very little they can do to alter that. The question becomes “What kind of (bass,baritone,tenor,alto,mezzo,soprano) am I?” That takes time to learn as well.
But for some others, they may have a choice. Lauritz Melchior sang as professional baritone before he switched up, and he must have been credible to audiences at the time. Thomas Hampson could probably have made a credible tenor, but he’s done ok for himself.
The choice to remain or change is a highly personal one. If you are toying with the idea then talk to your teacher (and maybe several; I got a second opinion with my teacher’s blessing) and take some time to play with it. There’s no harm in play.
[Have you made a change in your fach? What was the experience like? Was it easy, hard, in between?]
{“Si se puede” frog by artfulblogger.}
btw i forgot to mention my age is 26 if that helps any
I am almost 20 years old, and I am still trying to decide whether I would be classified as a low tenor or baritone. On my low extreme I can go to the 2nd F below middle C (though very faintly) yet on the high extreme, I can hit an f sharp above high C in full voice when I am fully warmed up (as in the song “Communication Breakdown”). I don’t feel like I have a very tenorish timbre yet I can easily hit high Bs, Cs, and even Es on an average vocal day. How can I know for sure what type I am?
Being able to “hit” notes is not the same as being able to sustain a high tessitura. A song like “Communication Breakdown” is awesome, but it doesn’t fall into the classical mould of consistent timbre through the vocal range. If you have to distort your face or raise your larynx to sing those notes, then they’re not really part of your usable range in the classical sense.
If you were to work on classical singing, it would probably become apparent quickly what you should sing because singing outside of your safest tessitura will quickly fatigue you. Finding a teacher is probably your best bet if you really want to know what vocal type you are.
Hi Ian,
I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article you wrote up, it is very informative. However, after reading it I am still uncertain as to which vocal fach I would and should be placed in.
I am only 14 years old (turning 15 soon) but my voice is relatively stable (no voice cracks or noticeable changes recently whatsoever). My current primo passaggio is about D or E4, and my secondo passagio is around G4. I can comfortably sing down to an F2 on any day, E2 fairly reliably, and D2 with strain and vocal fry kicking in. To the other extreme, my head voice extends up to E or F5 very consistently and G5 fairly consistently, but rarely A5 (when I do hit it, the sound is strained). I am certain that this is my head voice and not falsetto as I can feel the closure and the quality is light put pure, not airy like falsetto.
So that is my predicament, my range I feel could go either way to baritone or tenor, I am not sure. I apologize for not providing a sound clip, I don’t have a decent mic on hand. Any clarifications would be much appreciated.
I’m glad you enjoyed reading it, Mark. Thank you.
It’s really hard to tell from this description what you are. Those are some wild extremes, so it’s best to focus on what feels comfortable. At your age – and even without big vocal cracks – you’re going through some intense vocal changes, and it’s really worth it to get to know what range feels best and sing music that consistently lies in that part of your voice. It is likely that your voice will reveal itself much more in the next 5-6 years.
Yeah, I feel like it could go either way given my passaggios. If it indicates anything, I feel most comfortable between A2 and B4. Thank you for replying so quickly, I wasn’t expecting a response so soon after I posted.
I don’t mean to get into another “head voice vs. falsetto” war by asking this, but what do you consider to be “full voice”? I have seen varying definitions online and I don’t know which to consider valid.
You’re welcome.
I haven’t waded into the head voice/falsetto difference before (if I’m remembering correctly), but I’ll try to sum it up as I see it.
“Head voice” is a convenient term that covers a variety of phenomena that happen more or less concurrently. One event is the change from first formant (F1) tracking of the second harmonic (H2) to second formant (F2) tracking of the third (H3) or fourth (H4) harmonic. This takes the shout-like edge out of the voice as it ascends, and since the second formant is determined primarily in the upper areas of the vocal tract, it shifts a person’s perception of their own voice to the head. Likewise, the sub-glottal resonance of the chest that we feel when we speak also vanishes, enhancing the sense that resonance is happening higher. This shift is often called the “secondo passaggio”.
The second event is the gradual relaxing of the thyroarytenoid muscle (TA) and the greater reliance on the cricothyroid muscle (CT) as the voice gets higher. The TA shortens and thickens the folds while the CT lengthens and thins the folds. Both muscles work at the same time normally, the only difference is in what proportion.
“Falsetto” is the somewhat derogatory name for what happens when the CT completely takes over from the TA. The fold becomes elongated and stiff and only the outer edges come into contact, thus creating a simpler tonal spectrum. “Falsetto” is most perceivable in men because men’s vocal folds are disproportionately longer and thicker than women’s and children’s while the vocal tract itself is generally proportional. Presumably, it does exist in some form with women and children, but it’s not nearly as obvious. With children especially, the TA muscle is so small as to render falsetto the near normal mode of speaking. It’s in adolescence that boys experience shifts between their new “chest” voice and their old child voice, now called “falsetto”, because the TA muscle grows and changes the shape of the glottis.
I would consider “full” voice to be whatever is most appropriate to the style of music you’re making. If you’re a modern opera singer, then full most likely means balance between chest and head voice and rare use of falsetto. However, if you’re a countertenor, then falsetto is perfectly acceptable. If you’re singing modern musical theatre, then “belting” is an acceptable alternative. Healthy belting lets the folds get thinner – like in head voice – but keeps the lower style of resonance – like in chest voice. The result sounds like very high speaking on pitch and natural.
In popular music, normally chest voice going into belt voice is the way to go, but all variations are used.
If none of this makes much sense right now, then that’s ok. You can see however why it’s hard to discuss this subject.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank you for the detailed description
I appreciate your explanation but I am not sure I understood all of it, I’m fairly new to the technical aspect of singing since I’m only 14. I normally don’t use falsetto, so I guess that’s a good thing given that I am not a countertenor. However, I do have a couple of questions for you.
I know this is an extremely common question for beginning singers, but I am having MASSIVE problems singing in my zona di passaggio and bringing chest resonances up into my upper register. I can sing in chest, and I can sing in head; however, my upper register feels restrained somehow. My “head voice” is such a different sound compared to my chest, and I don’t know how to blend it with my chest, so I just don’t sing in that register.
So here is my question; how would you go about developing your middle voice or zona di passaggio? I can pull my chest voice up and my head voice down, but I don’t know how to produce both resonances at the same time. Are there any exercises that you know of that could help me discover or develop this section of my voice? If you have a solution to this problem that would be fantastic.
Hi Mark,
Yes, it’s a complicated process re: head voice/falsetto.
Two things you need to keep in mind while developing your voice.
1) You’re 14, and that’s going to limit you. Even if you aren’t “breaking”, you’re still going through changes that will feel limiting. Only time can work that out.
2) Your best bet is to work with a teacher (I’m making the assumption that you don’t have a teacher). I know that you’re probably not totally in charge of what activities you do, but the best way to grow is to work with someone who’s better than you one on one.
Barring that, to extend your range, you really want to take it slowly. Stick to the comfortable area of your voice and slowly add notes. Be careful of your larynx rising or any discomfort. I don’t use really complicated scales in my own practice. Normally, I’ll do simple major scales but move very carefully from one note to the next. What you’re training first is awareness and concentration. Even if your voice drops, by becoming aware of your voice you can adjust much more quickly.
I think it’s great that you’re so interested in singing at your age. I can’t emphasize having a voice teacher enough if you want to improve. They will hear things that you can’t hear and help you develop much more quickly. Even a choir teacher at school can help, but the best is that one on one experience.
I read your article, I found it very informative!
I was just curious about my vocal type, but I was told I was a baritone once before.
I can comfortably sing down to a low G1, and I break at the F3. On a good day, I can comfortably
sing up to a C4 ( and higher, reaching an E4) on the tenor scale and sustain the note.
My talking voice is deep, I’m usually talking on an F1 on the baritone scale, and I’m 21 of that helps. I’m usually not in pain when I sing higher notes; in fact when sing a high C on a bad day, it sounds like a squealing pig. I sound like I’m wailing. But I know that’s where the note is, it’s just not coming out! And this happens often! I also seem to be trapped in my speaking voice, and I suppose that’s why I don’t get the range I want most of the time.
Im just a little confused, because I don’t feel I’m a full baritone. Would this be classified as a baritone-tenor?
Thank you, Aaron.
I’m a little confused by your pitch labeling. If you spoke around F1, you would be a super bass. Can you recheck your pitches here (using the Scientific label type):
http://cnx.org/content/m10862/latest/
And get back to me?
I apologize.
I’m not a bass at all.
What I meant was, I speak around the low C2 area.
I break at the F3, and sometimes when I sing pass the high C, I sound like a squealing pig.
It doesnt hurt when I try to sing higher; I feel that’s where the note(s) is supposed to be, but they don’t come out half the time.
I think you mean, C3, F4 and the high C is C5.
Still, it’s hard to tell. High C’s can sound like a squealing pig without much training, and it says something that you can even produce a full tone up there at all.
But the F break, sounds like a baritone. At the same time, 21 is still fairly young, and your passaggi will probably shift in the next ten years or so.
So … I’m not sure. Sorry I can’t be anymore clear than that.
If you have time; what is your timbre like? Dark or bright? Make sure your larynx isn’t going up and that your tongue isn’t yanked into your throat. Also what part of your voice is most comfortable? That will tell you a lot.
Thanks for all the tips and advice
I’m actually not even a part of our school choir, I’m pretty focused on band (I’m going for principal clarinetist in our best band next year) and I take clarinet lessons that are somewhat expensive so getting my parents to allow me to take lessons would take a lot of work. Plus I don’t really know where to find a reliable teacher; I live about an hour away from Chicago in Lake Zurich if you by chance know of any good teachers in my area.
I’m really not concerned about expanding my range, more just strengthening my zona di passaggio and head voice as those are the parts of my voice that really need a lot of work. I think I’ve been rushing through exercises a bit, if I slow them down I hope I’ll become more aware of my voice.
Thanks again for the help,
Mark
I’m confused. I’m 14, 15 in November and my voice has deepened (my larynx has grown, is visible and sticks out) but I do get the odd voice crack from time to time.
My vocal range is from G2 to Eb5.
My passaggio’s are at C4/ C#4 and around F4 – G4. It sounds really heady after the zona di passaggio and anything inbetween it is weak. I could pull up in chest but it wouldn’t be comfortable.
I can connect to a Tenor High C but it’s not comfortable for me or pleasent to hear (I can get B4 comfortably inconsistently). Anything after C5 is head voice or falsetto (I don’t really know the difference).
So my question is, would I be a tenor or baritone; I doubt I’m a dramatic tenor because I’m young but don’t know if I’m a baritone because my range covers baritone and tenor.
Should I just wait till I’m 15 and my voice doesn’t oddly crack or do what ever you suggest because I do like singing (I’m not interested in classical music but would like to know my voice). Thanks,
I should also add that I can connect to D5, Eb5, sometimes to E5, but is very heady and if it isn’t heady it isn’t comfortable. However some days I can get higher than that.
Yes. Since you’re young, it’s just so hard to determine your voice type. It sounds like you could go either way, so just stick with what’s comfortable, and your voice will slowly reveal itself over the next few years.
I’m confused as well. I’m about 16 and a half. My own passagios are at D4 and G4- after that I get into head voice, can climb up to E5 in a vocal slide fairly comfortably, F5 is uneasy, and G5 is rare. Past Db5/E5 my tone sounds squeezed. I normally talk in the G3 range, but my lowest note is A2- and I’m comfortable starting there, but going down from high is a challenge- it’s much easier for me to go up to the high notes then down to the low notes. Though when I go down to chest voice from head voice, I still have that annoying “clunk” unless I’m singing very soft and light.
It sounds like your voice still has maturing to do. From this it’s hard for me to gauge your voice type since you’re displaying access to both high and low parts of your voice.
And yes, it’s easy for me as well to move into falsetto from below rather than moving into chest voice from falsetto while descending. It’s a fun exercise (if you’re a vocal masochist) to really practice trying to smooth this transition.
I think that I’m a high bass. I say that because I was singing along to Barry White and If I’m not mistaken, he is a baritone. His voice is heavier than mine but I begin to struggle a bit as he went up the scale. I can get up to a solid E4 without feeling any straining. F4 is pushing it but I can “hit it” sometimes. I was thinking about taking lessons but I’m 29 and think its a bit late to start singing.
Question: I was wondering you could tell me the voice type of singer Brian McKnight. I can tell that he is a tenor but if he were a classical tenor what kind would he be? Here is a video of him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdRKikxwNv4
Barry White was a bass. I can sing along with him as well, but I don’t sound like him. If you sing along with him and also sound like him, then you are potentially a real bass.
A high bass could mean basso cantante or a bass baritone. Your description makes me think that you’re closer to the low baritone side of things. It sounds like you may have an E/F split, which falls into the baritone realm. A teacher could work with you on that.
29 isn’t too late to start taking lessons. You might not want to pursue a career unless you get a lot of positive feedback, but there are plenty of other ways to sing publicly if that’s important to you. YOLO, so why not give it a shot?
Brian McKnight sounds like a tenor to me.
Hello I’m sorry to bother but I’m 15 years old and I’m a young tenor I’m not sure specifically but perhaps you can help if I describe well enough, I have a light timbre and my range is between A2-G#4 I was put a tenor 1 my first year in my high school choir (the only in my grade
) and well I’d like to know more or less about development of the tenor voice and even though it’s very early if I can categorize as a Leggiero, lyric, dramatic, spinto or Heldentenor. I am pretty good at singin runs and can do well on leaps but trills don’t come to naturally. Thank you very much for your time 
Big question.
I’ll say this: don’t categorize yourself as any type of tenor yet. Just sing what feels good, and in your twenties it will become clear what kind of rep you should sing within the broader tenor category.
Also, trills take practice. Though they’re usually less necessary for men to have than women who sing primarily lyric repertoire.
I’d also like to add that my first passagio is at C# or D4 and my second at F# or G4
Hi there Ian,
I sing tenor in a chapel choir at university (tenor one), but I’ve been relatively insecure about whether my voice should reasonably be considered tenor or light baritone… As a 20 year old, I’d imagine morphological and physiological fluctuations with regards to vocal anatomy have since ceased (I’m noooo expert)? I’ve got a voice clip (just me poorly ascending a scale) and would appreciate it if you’d care to listen. Things get veryyy wobblyish around a G. Get in touch to facilitate the necessary file transfer,
All Best
J
Sure.
ian@iansidden.com
Could someone perhaps answer my question? I’m sorry if I seem impatient but it has been 10 days now
Sorry for the slow response. It’s only me here answering questions, and I often take my time. That’s especially true when I’m traveling, which is what I’ve been doing this summer.
I am 21 years old and i was wondering how to mask my passagi. I don’t have a vocal teacher currently but I know for a fact that for now I am a lyric baritone. Do you know of any type of vocalises to help with resonance. i have an opera singer that is at my church and she said take a song an just take it phrase by phrase and sing on the vowels a e i o u. When I tried to sing for her i got so nervous that my voice cracked. I’ve been doing what she says and singing caro mio ben phrase by phrase on a e i o u while cresendoing and the decrescendoing on the last note, I go up by half steps all the way to E flat4. What i am asking is would that help at all.
Thanks for writing, James.
I’m going to write a post of this issue. I’ll send you an email when it’s done. I can’t explain myself fully in a single comment. Sound ok?
Here’s the first post regarding the passaggio:
Passaggio Tips: Part I
I guess you could say that im a little confused as well. Some say im baritone while others say im a tenor. i can get to c5 but people say its too shouty/yawnish.i would say b3-e4 is my trouble zone.i can go down to c2 but full voice doesnt start till g2 but A2-A4 is most comfortable. I can sing Bb4-C5 but i’ll have a sore throat in the morning but if I keep to A2-A4 i’ll be fine. im 31, voice teachers have said my voice is done maturing now so high b’s and c’s while i have them will never sound good. what do you think?
Your voice never really stops maturing. Your body will continue to change as will your voice. And with increased practice comes – ideally – an improvement. Technical breakthroughs can feel like maturing even if the capability was always there in a dormant state.
So don’t think you’re stuck.
I write the following with the complete admission that I’ve never heard you and might change my mind if I did:
A shouty C is still a C. It’s just not elegant. I’m not sure what “yawny” means for a high C. And an A4 is nothing to sneer at if you sing it well.
To me, it sounds like your technique needs to improve. If you’re getting sore throats then you’re putting to much weight in the sound. You’ll have to learn to ascend with a thinner feeling. That doesn’t mean soft, mind you. Try singing on an “ng” sound and through straws to help find a safer feeling in your top range.
Now, you might still best function as a baritone with a solid top. That’s up to you and what tessitura feels best to you. Even with the high notes, if you have a really hard time lingering around F and G, then stick with baritone. But if you can manage a higher tessitura, then improve your technique with the goal of singing tenor rep.
Wow fast reply. I guess to me when a bass singer goes up to f’s g’s it sounds like yawning. But because of that yawning persay my voice teacher said thats what bass’s/baritones use to get high notes. I did sing bass in high school i was one of the few that could go lower than f2. but c2-f2 would be drowned out in the opera scene. I do have that e/f split where f seems an arm away from e. without forte-double forte e is all i can go. but with forte i can go to A4 but Bb4-C5 feels like my eyes are going to pop out lol.
“I do have that e/f split where f seems an arm away from e.”
That sounds like a baritone split to me. And the low notes you describe sound like a lower voice.
“but with forte i can go to A4 but Bb4-C5 feels like my eyes are going to pop out lol.”
That sounds like vocal weight. Perhaps A4 is your safest top, in which case baritone is your best bet.
Hi, I think my voice will throw you for a loop. Well Im 18 And I think I’m A Baritone, my chest voice is really my biggest issue, my lowest note is Ab2 i can sing that comfortably and my highest chest is E4 (THATS KINDA PUSHED) my chest voice is heavy to me and not that lending to register changes.,i Hear other male singer sing up to a C5 in what sounds like chest and i know i can sing it just not that way or can i With Training?… that leads me into my mixed voice which extends to a G5 and its very bright and metallic… its usable for the style of music i sing but my biggest issue is getting it to blend with my lower registers since they are so different sounding, i try to add as much chest coloring to it as i can but it still sounds young too me therefore i cant use it that much in live performing… But after that i get into a weird place in my voice which is what i call a true head voice that carries me into my whistle extending up to Eb6 but ive hit a Bb6, these notes aren’t straining of course they take effort but im not killing myself to sing them either… My Thinking Is If I can even touch those notes let alone sustain them and make it musical i cant be a Baritone it makes me think im just a impaired tenor with heavy chest voice! so my ulitmate goal is to stop pushing chest and get into higher ranges seamlessly or should i not sing anything above a E4?
Hi gz,
Hmm. Any voice type can push any note that they can conceivably sing, so you pushing E4 tells me that you need technical work. If the pushing begins there, then that suggests an inelegant passaggio transition, which suggests baritone to me.
As your your extreme upper range, it doesn’t suggest much to me since you admit it sounds so different in tone (“young” to be exact). That change sounds like your larynx rising. And there are ways to make ones voice extend to extreme heights regardless of voice type.
Being 18, your voice may also not be done changing. You may still have some top notes that will vanish over time.
For classical singing, a goal is to sound consistent throughout ones range. Even if you can make higher or lower notes, if you can’t make them sound consistent, then they’re musically useless to a classical singer.
If you’re interested in classical singing, begin in your natural voice area and work around it. It will become clear what feels best.
I had a few questions, first I will start letting you know that I don’t quite understand the notes.,G4-Eb# nor do I read music.However I have lately been interested in singing classical music,I sing gospel,rnb,soul.I have learned to belt,and can sing in a chest voice, similar to power-singers like whitney houston,Andrea Borcelli, when it comes sound, high,and chesty,
my head voice is loud, I hate to say this” feminine”though I am comfortable singing low. Which would you think I might be?
Really don’t know. I aimed this towards classical singers who have a very specific set of priorities, which don’t often match up with other styles. And without the pitch descriptions it makes my making a guess totally speculative.
If you’re interested in singing classical music, you’re first step should be to find a voice teacher you trust. Barring that, take any kind of music lessons (piano is useful) to learn how to read notation.
Hi there, so i am a little confused about what type of voice i have, i can hit a G#2 comfortably and on a good day i can hit down to a C2, on the upper register i can hit a G4 (full voice) and sustain it, and i start mixing up to a E5, and with my head voice i can go up comfortably to a F6 and on a good day a B6, no strain…i tend to strain more on the lows than on the high notes….my vocal teacher says that im a tenor but im not sure, i dont know if this is enough info. i appreciate the help
I don’t know. Really. What does your timbre sound like? What are you most comfortable singing? How old are you? Since you have a teacher, what rep are you currently singing?
well i am more comfortably singing in the third octave up to E4, my timbre is sort of high without being too high, and i am 19 years old i mostly sing songs from singers like Bruno Mars and Mariah Carey…i hope that helps
Mariah’s songs one octave down
i forgot to add, i think my passagio is around F4 F#4
keep at it pass f6 is whistle register and it was hard to find but if u have a high head voice you can find it
hi there im glade i found this site i know that most men are baritones and tenor’s are rare unlike all the other comments i have a very solid mixed voice with a range of F#2- F#5 3 octaves the difference is when i sing below C#3 i darken my tone on the lower notes then pass C#3 my voice lightens. If i don’t darken my tone i can’t sing lower then that. When I’m in the belting range i can mix and have a light tone from C5 to E5 but pass that when i hit the higher notes my voice becomes like a rock and roll singer really course and edgier then my mix but i dont stain only pass G#5 my head voice is very wide and for a guy im able to keep up with females in that voice i even have a whistle register believe it or not im just trying to learn how to fully type into it and run with it so my question is what type im i
I’m also confused. I am almost 20 and have been taking lessons for just over a year now. My teacher tells me that I will easily have an A4 and maybe even a B4 someday. My issue isn’t that I don’t believe her, but it lies in the fact I have absolutely no idea where my passaggio is. I started taking lessons very early on in my history of singing (I only was singing for a year before starting lessons) so I soaked up technique like a sponge. What this means is that my transition from chest to voice is so even;y connected, I honestly have no idea where my passaggio is because there isn’t a sound difference. I can tell you that an E4 is DEFINITELY in my head voice. I believe that I am a bass-baritone, but if that is the case than I currently have my full usable range of singing, (I have good tone from F#2 – G4) but my teacher tells me I have more in my upper range. (I completely trust her, she has heard thousands of voices and performs all over the world. The reason I haven’t gone to her about this question is that she doesn’t have much time on her hands and I don’t want to waste precious lesson time.) Any thoughts?
Hi everybody!
I found this article really explanatory but I’m still a little confused about things I’ve read.
- My chest voice goes from A2 to A4.
- My passagio is between (depending the day) D4/E4 and G4#/A4
For what I read it’s like everybody is able to sing above their secondo passagio but I didnt find the way to did it without strain or faking. Why?
My second doubt is about that thing some people talked here called mixed voice. What’s that? How can I found it?
Also, I know it’s really hard with the info I give you but… Any Idea of what am I?
I’ve been taking vocal lessons for a year but still didn’t know what Iam yet.
I forgot to say, I’m recently 20.
Lots of thanks!
hello,
my passagio is at g4 and b4. i think i might be a haute contre/tenorino/contraltino whatever. my range is from a bb2-b5 in full voice with no voix mixte/ falsettone(mixed voice) or pure falsetto. I can belt up to a b5 comfortably and my highest note in headvoice is also b5. although i have occasionally hit a full voice c6. but this is rare and im still a bit skeptical on that one. I can sing b5 comfortably in piano or forte. I struggle with anything lower than an e3 or d3. f3 is where i start to kind of get uncomfortable. my speaking pitch is an a3 and my middle voice can go up to e5. i normally sing in the range of f3-a5. with most of my singing pitch at a range of b3-g5. Do you think i would qualify as a haute contre? btw, some of the ranges of the people posting here don’t make much sense to me. for example how can jamarcus be able to hit an f#2 and yet be able to get a g#5 which im pretty sure is higher than a leggiero tenors top note (g5)? sounds like falsettone to me…but then again robert plant could get a g5 and an f2/e2
Hi Ian my name is Dawon. I would love to get your opinion. I am in my thirties now and recently discovered through taking lesson, that I am what seems to be a tenor. I am not sure of what kind of tenor as of yet but I do have a high C in my range and can vocalise up to a high D but I also have a low bass C in my range and I am comfortable singing in the high baritone range for example empty chairs at empty tables and since I have discovered my head voice. I was carrying a heavy chest voice all the way to the top and after a few lesson involving placement change more in the mask, and lifting of the soft palate. I broke into head tones not falsetto but my head voice and my head tones are getting very strong and it is so much easier to sing. I don’t feel like I am straining at a high G or G sharp. I simply turn the voice over and it is so much easier. I am having some problem in the secondary passegio which is for me between f and G there is a big break. I am now working on learning Una furtiva lagrima, which is pretty comfortable range wise, also working on Vainement ma bien aimee which feels very comfortable. Because strength in my middle range I would love your opinion on what you feel my voice type and what type of tenor I possibly may be if you feel I am a tenor at all. Perhaps I am a high baritone with an extension but I would love to get your opinion as soon as possible. Thank you for you time and your consideration.
P.S. I have a freak falsetto being that when I break into falsetto which happens at tenor high D I can sing a high F above a Soprano high C like in the queen of the night aria from the Magic Flute and just like a soprano and is really loud and strong. Again thank you for your opinion
Please excuse my misspelling of any word and my poor grammar from my current post. Again thank you
Hello i am 18 years old. I was a sophomore when i started singing in choir as a bass. The next year when i continued singing, i was classified as a baritone and i remain so with a range from E2 to G4 (A4 on a good day). Is it possible that i could be a tenor?
Sorry… wrong email… the email of this one is the correct..
——
My voice seems to like the “tenorino” points… (i can crack at f4 if i’m not careful) b4 is very comfortable but c5 isn’t (i don’t have any training). My timbre is clear, and some years ago i sent you a file with my voice and you said that it had a “pure” and childish sound attached to it… (no more falsetto by the way).
Well, the question is this… if i choose a classical tenor training, according to the timbre of high tenors, how would i sound?… (I’m measuring the pros and cons here, to know if it worth it)
Can you give me some examples (something fast and agile — rossini maybe–)?
i’m 25 BTW
Hi I was wondering if you could help me finding my voice type.
I’m 16 and my vocal range is F2-A4(I have hitted B4 and C5 sometimes but those notes just don’t sound good ) , I think my first passagio is either Eb4 or F4 and my second is A4.
In my head voice I can easilly sustain A5 and D6 was the highest note I’ve hitted ( my head voice goes from F3 to D6 and I can sing the female parts of most Nightwish songs easilly ) so I have considered myself to be a countertenor but now I’m not so sure. So what I really wanted to know is if I’m a baritone , a tenor or a countertenor.
( oh and when I sing Starlight by Muse after a while the ” hold ” parts , wich are F4′s start to hurt a bit. The tone for my head voice can either be bright or very dramatic )
PS: I know its very hard to tell my voice type by just reading what I wrote , but I don’t have a decent enough mic to do voice recordings. so just help me if you can .
Hi.
Thank you for taking the time the post all this information.
As a true vocal beginner it is really interesting.
Do you have any advice re vocal lessons? I would love to see how far I could go with training as a tenor/baritone then try out for a part in an amateur production.
Like most training I would assume finding a good teacher can be a hit or a miss, but any advice would be welcome. I’m inthe Edinburgh/ Glasgow area.
Kind regards
Steve Murray
Hello Ian,
Thanks for your very helpful article. I am pretty frustrated with myself right now vocally. When i was in college I was classified and classically trained as a dramatic tenor. I am now and have been for 20 years a worship leader in the local church and have been very comfortable singing in the tenor range. Recently, however, our church has transitioned to two services, a traditional and a contemporary service and I am learning and teaching many more modern worship songs which are consistently higher range. Long story short, I am now doubting my range and have another team member who is a vocal coach suggesting that my singing voice has possibly lowered (i am now 40) as i have grown older and she thinks maybe i am now a baritone. I really need to know because i don’t want to continue to push very hard on my higher range if i am really a baritone (and risk damaging my singing voice). If am am still a tenor, i just need to get in better shape vocally
All of our worship services and music are on our website. If its not too much trouble, would you give a short listen and let me know your thoughts? The web address is fccga.org. Here is a direct link to the media page:http://www.fccga.org/media.php?pageID=6 Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Dan
My range is. F1-G#AB4
Cool post. Good explanation of the difference between head voice and falsetto in the comments, as well! I am 28 yo and have studied as a lyric baritone for the past 7 years… but have always heard the question, “are you sure you’re not a tenor?” Lately the top is getting crazy easy when I vocalize, but I’m not sure if it’s legit tenor or if I’m hiking the larynx up by keeping everything artificially open (since I am trying not to artificially impose the passaggio too low). Difficult to tell. But it’s exciting!
I know this is a faux pas, but I have an article on my blog that some of you may find interesting. Recently wrote a research paper on just this topic. Check it out: http://belcantochronicle.blogspot.com/
-Ben
This i wierd to me, because my speaking voice sound lower than voices of first 3 tenors on the list,but my first passaggio is d4,e4 second was before i start to sing was Ab4,but i alwas can sing A but was hard in that time,now i can easily go higher..also i can hit lower notes E2,D2,C#2.need help
I happened upon this post by chance, and I must say, I am relieved to see some intelligent and well-explained content on the internet regarding vocal classification. Since everyone else is pulling their’s out, I’m a 19-year-old lyric baritone, A/Ab2 to Ab/A4, commonly, with some classical training. I must say, the passagio settings seem spot-on. I had one curiosity I was wondering if you had any idea about: Could a lyric baritone safely hope to be able to sing a Bb4 with any fullness after some time? This is mainly for music theater, mind you, rather than classical music. Songs like “Till I Hear You Sing” and such. If it helps, the range in which I most commonly sing is from A2 to G4.
Thanks,
Tim Seymour
I’m 12 and my teacher said by 2 months my voice should have changed to a baritone.