# Average Ranges of Singers



## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Before getting to the main topic, it's important to disclaim that range is not the primary determinant of voice type; however, it often feels faux pas to even bring it up, like talking about salaries or some other bit of information which is considered rude in modern western culture. Sure, the people who obsess over it can be annoying and histrionic, but those exceptions aside, it's still quite a relevant aspect of singing (dictating the kinds of roles you can sing for example), so I believe we should be able to discuss it a bit more candidly. 

To start off, Seth Riggs, the founder of Speech Level Singing, believes the average range of trained singers will look something like this:

soprano: G3-F6
mezzo: G3-Eb6
contralto: C3-C6
tenor: C3-E5
baritone: G2-B4
bass: E2-G4


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

my (admittedly unprofessional) take on his assessment would be something like

*soprano: G3-F6*
sounds about right. it goes without saying there is going to be lots of variation here depending on if we're talking about a coloratura or a Wagnerian voice, but overall, this seems like a reasonable average

*mezzo: G3-Eb6*
I think most mezzos can go lower than this. I would have said something more along the lines of Eb3-Db6 or something

*contralto: C3-C6*
about right

*tenor: C3-E5*
most trained tenors will have a solid, projectable low C, so it stands to reason they'd be able to go a touch lower, maybe down to Bb2.

*baritone: G2-B4*
sounds reasonable

*bass: E2-G4*
I would say low E is about the _minimum_ one needs as a bass, not the average. imo, it's something more like
bass: C#2-G4
bass-baritone: D#2-A4


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

If I were to give a cursory estimate (and I emphasize estimate, I'm not an expert) of different fachs, it might look something like

soprano
lyric coloratura: G3-A6
lyric: G3-F6
dramatic coloratura: F3-G6
spinto: F3-Eb6
dramatic: E3-D6

mezzo
coloratura: F3-Eb6
lyric: E3-Db6
dramatic: D3-C6

contralto: C3-B5

tenor
leggiero: B2-E5
lyric: B2-Eb5
spinto: Bb2-D5
dramatic: A2-C#5

baritone
lyric: G2-B4
Verdi: G2-B4
dramatic: F2-Bb4

bass:
bass-baritone: D#2-A4
cantante: C#2-G4
profondo: Bb1- F4


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I am puzzled. Why is this important?
Take Shirley Verrett for example:
Where would you put her and why? Even her own teachers all disagree with her proper fach.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> I am puzzled. Why is this important?
> Take Shirley Verrett for example:
> Where would you put her and why? Even her own teachers all disagree with her proper fach.


It's important for singers. Taking myself as an example solely because it is that which I know best. I am a dramatic baritone, that means that the highest note that I will have to sing is G#4. In order to have a good G#4 on stage I will need at least a solid Bb4. In fact during this evening's vocalising I sang from D2 to F5. Most of those notes aren't in a condition to be presentable in public because they are just buzz or shriek, but the reason I vocalise out to the extremes of the voice is to work the muscles.

However, if I would like to have a solid dramatic baritone range amidst the pressures of the stage then I need to have a wider range in the calm of the studio and having a presentable F2-Bb4 sounds about right to me, although I'm not there yet.

N.


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

What exactly are we talking about here? Notes that are stage worthy or just notes that can be sung?


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> I am puzzled. Why is this important?
> Take Shirley Verrett for example:
> Where would you put her and why? Even her own teachers all disagree with her proper fach.


well, most people don't have the range of Shirley Verrett, who can sing pretty much anything other than lighter soprano rep and the deepest contralto rep.

for everyone else, it's important in order to avoid sustaining unnecessary long term damage and wear and tear.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Bonetan said:


> What exactly are we talking about here? Notes that are stage worthy or just notes that can be sung?


notes that are solid, but not necessarily notes that are stage worthy.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> notes that are solid, but not necessarily notes that are stage worthy.


This looks like a delightful game of hairsplitting. I would be happy to participate but for the fact that at my age I don't have another hair to spare. Moreover, none of my notes are stage worthy (also due to age).

Carry on, boys.


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## fluteman (Dec 7, 2015)

There are professional singers (and others) who claim to have a seven or even a nine octave range. I could barely manage three at my best. Obviously, it is one thing to reach a note, and another to sing it with the volume, tone, control and intonation needed on the grand opera stage.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> This looks like a delightful game of hairsplitting.


I think you may have missed something here. This topic has far more to it than at first might seem. In the 18th and 19th century a wide range was considered a sign of good technique and I would agree. Today singers can be expected to have no more than the notes necessary to sing this or that role, rather than as a general sign of a good schooling. Therefore range is important and I would say it's necessary to have a wider range than you need, irrespective of the words you use to describe particular notes that lie in parts of a singers range.

N.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

The Conte said:


> I think you may have missed something here. This topic has far more to it than at first might seem. In the 18th and 19th century a wide range was considered a sign of good technique and I would agree. Today singers can be expected to have no more than the notes necessary to sing this or that role, rather than as a general sign of a good schooling. Therefore range is important and I would say it's necessary to have a wider range than you need, irrespective of the words you use to describe particular notes that lie in parts of a singers range.
> 
> N.


That singers need to work on range and practice notes beyond what the music they sing requires should be obvious. Does anyone think otherwise? If high C is your highest reliable note, you're going to be terrified of high Cs, with unpredictable consequences. Of course some singers in this predicament may nevertheless do fine work, and shouldn't be accused of having poor technique.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> That singers need to work on range and practice notes beyond what the music they sing requires should be obvious. Does anyone think otherwise?


Nothing would surprise me on TC! 

N.


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

The Conte said:


> I think you may have missed something here. This topic has far more to it than at first might seem. In the 18th and 19th century a wide range was considered a sign of good technique and I would agree. Today singers can be expected to have no more than the notes necessary to sing this or that role, rather than as a general sign of a good schooling. Therefore range is important and I would say it's necessary to have a wider range than you need, irrespective of the words you use to describe particular notes that lie in parts of a singers range.
> 
> N.


Personally, I think having a huge range is a genetic gift. One can stretch their range, of course, but I think its more of a genetic thing than a technical one. I think the sign of a good technique is when that range is even throughout, among other things...


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Bonetan said:


> Personally, I think having a huge range is a genetic gift. One can stretch their range, of course, but I think its more of a genetic thing than a technical one. I think the sign of a good technique is when that range is even throughout, among other things...


This is an interesting opinion. However, when I started singing I only had one octave (I'm not a natural singer). With a lot of different teachers and some hard work I now have two and a half stage worthy octaves. Of course, there may be some singers who have that range naturally and others who can sing many octaves with ease and intuition, but my own experience shows that a voice can be built (a bit like building an instrument).

N.


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

The Conte said:


> This is an interesting opinion. However, when I started singing I only had one octave (I'm not a natural singer). With a lot of different teachers and some hard work I now have two and a half stage worthy octaves. Of course, there may be some singers who have that range naturally and others who can sing many octaves with ease and intuition, but my own experience shows that a voice can be built (a bit like building an instrument).
> 
> N.


At what age did you start?


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Bonetan said:


> At what age did you start?


18

Too young? Too old?

N.


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

The Conte said:


> 18
> 
> Too young? Too old?
> 
> N.


At 18, the voice certainly requires building & one's range will grow as they go through their 20's, but I think their's a genetic limit to how far they can go. Similar to an athlete I suppose. They can increase speed & strength through training, but to become a world class sprinter or strongman requires certain genetic gifts. I feel the same about singing range. I know tenors than can sing lower than some basses & basses with easy high G's. I think they are just blessed.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> That singers need to work on range and practice notes beyond what the music they sing requires should be obvious. Does anyone think otherwise? If high C is your highest reliable note, you're going to be terrified of high Cs, with unpredictable consequences. Of course some singers in this predicament may nevertheless do fine work, and shouldn't be accused of having poor technique.


Rosa Ponselle comes to mind immediately. Her highest note was a Db6 if I recall correctly.


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