HUMAN VOICE

Specifically a part of
human sound production
in which the vocal cords
(vocal folds) are the
primary source of sound
 VOCAL
REGISTRATIONS
Is a range of tones in the
human voice produced by a
particular vibratory pattern
of the vocal folds.

These registers include:

• modal voice • head

• vocal fry • falsetto
• chest • whistle
 MECHANISM FOR GENERATING HUMAN VOICE

Articulators
(tongue, palate, cheeks, lips)

Articulate and filter the sound

emanating from the larynx.

Vocal Cords
Vibrate to use airflow from
the lungs to create audible
pulses that form the laryngeal
sound source
Lungs
The “pump” that produce
adequate airflow and air
pressure to vibrate vocal folds
VOICE
TYPES
 SOPRANO
• highest female voice range
• C4 - C6
• comes from the word “sopra”
means “above”
• Sopranist is called to men who
can sing soprano range

Coloratura Soprano
Lyric Soprano
Dramatic Soprano
Spinto Soprano
Soubrette
Diana Damrau, Soprano
MEZZO-SOPRANO
• middle-range voice type for females
• Mezzo-Soprano means”half-soprano”
• A3 - A5
• lies between soprano and contralto

Coloratura Mezzo-Soprano
Lyric Mezzo-Soprano
Dramatic Mezzo-Soprano

Cecilia Bartoli, Mezzo-Soprano

 CONTRALTO
• the lowest female voice
• one of the rare voice type

Coloratura Contralto
Lyric Contralto
Dramatic Contralto

Adele, Contralto
 COUNTERTENOR
• the highest male voice range
• also known as “contra tenor”
• type of classical male singing
voice whose vocal range is
equivalent to that of the female
voice types
• E3 - E5
• In British choral tradition,
they are called “male sopranos”
• They primarily rely on falsetto

Vitas, Countertenor
 TENOR
• highest male voice range
within modal register
• C3 - C5
• some tenors can sing
up to F5

Leggero Tenor
Lyric Tenor
Dramatic Tenor
Spinto Tenor
Bel Canto Tenor
Luciano Pavarotti, Tenor
 BARITONE
• middle-range voice type
for males
• A2 - A4
• most common vocal types
for men

Lyric Baritone
Dramatic Baritone
Bass-Baritone
baryton-Martin
Coloratura Baritone
Elvis Presley, Baritone
 BASS
• lowest singing voice
• lowest tessitura of all the voices
• E2 - E4
• extreme basses are reffered as
Basso Profundo & Oktavists

Bass-Baritone
Basso Buffo
Lyric Bass/Basso Cantante
Dramatic Bass/Hoher Bass
Basso Profundo
Avi Kaplan, Bass
MODAL/NORMAL
VOICE
• the usual register for speaking
and singing, and the vast
majority of both are done in
this register.
• term "modal" refers to the
resonant mode of vocal folds
 VOCAL FRY
• is the lowest vocal register
and is produced through a
loose glottal closure which
will permit air to bubble
through with a popping or
rattling sound of a very
low frequency
• This register is not used
often in singing, but male
quartet pieces
 CHEST VOICE
• the lowest register of the
voice in singing or speaking.
• you should feel more vibration
around your lower neck, and
sternum when you sing in
chest voice
• dark and powerful, lower pitch
 HEAD VOICE
• the lowest register of the
voice in singing or speaking.
• you should feel vibration around
the upper half of your face
• higher and rounder sound
• brighter and higer pitch
 WHISTLE
REGISTER
• is the highest register of the
human voice
• the timber of the notes of this
register is like a whistle or upper
notes of flute
• whistle register is used
primarily by coloratura sopranos
 VOICE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
1. German Fach System
• Fach literally means “compartment” or “subject to study”
• is a method of classifying singers, primarily opera singers, according to
the range, weight, and color of their voices
• used worldwide, but primarily in Europe, especially in German-speaking
countries and by repertory opera houses

2. Italian Music System

3. Choral Music System

• is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform
• Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire
• Singers can be classied into SATB, TTBB, SSAA, etc.
 VOICE TYPES

O
R

N
O

A
N

PR
O
E
RT

O
LT
E

O
N

-S
A
TE

N
TO

ZO
TR
R

A
N
O

PR
SS

RI

N
U

EZ
N

CO

CO

SO
BA

BA

TE

M
C2 D2 E2 F2 G2 A2 Bb2 C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 A3 Bb3 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 A4 Bb4 C5 D5 E5 F5 G5 A5 Bb5 C6 D6 E6 F6 G6 A6 Bb6 C7
 ALTO
• describes the lowest part
commonly sung by women in SATB
• comes from the word “sopra”
means “above”
• was originally intended to
describe a part within a
homophonic or polyphonic texture,
rather than an individual voice type
B.T.S
Behind Those Singers
 FALSETTO
• lies above the modal voice
register and overlaps the modal
register by approximately one
octave.
• both men and women can
phonate falsetto
• higher and rounder sound
• brighter and higer pitch
 SINGING
• is the act of producing musical
sounds with the voice and
augments regular speech by
the use of sustained tonality,
rhythm, and a variety of
vocal techniques.
• person who sings is called a
singer or vocalist
• Singers perform music
(arias, recitatives, songs, etc.)
that can be sung with or without
accompaniment by musical
instruments
Thank You!