Vocal Range Chart — All 6 Voice Types Compared

A vocal range chart lists each voice type’s lowest and highest note, from soprano down to bass. The eight types below split into a female vocal range chart (soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto) and a male vocal range chart (countertenor, tenor, baritone, bass-baritone, bass), each with notes, Hz and tessitura. Already know your own two notes? Jump to the lookup further down for ranges like B2 or D3 to A4.

Related Tools

Female Vocal Range Chart

The three core female voice types, highest to lowest. Span counts semitones between the two end notes — 12 make one octave — and tessitura is where the voice sits most comfortably, not the outer limit.

Voice type	Range	Hz	Span	Tessitura
Soprano	C4–C6	261.6–1,046.5 Hz	24 (2 oct.)	C5–A5
Mezzo-soprano	G3–B5	196–987.8 Hz	28 (2.33 oct.)	A3–G5
Contralto	E3–G5	164.8–784 Hz	27 (2.25 oct.)	F3–E5

Choir sheet music usually labels this middle female part alto rather than mezzo-soprano or contralto. See the alto vocal range page for how the choral term lines up with this chart.

Male Vocal Range Chart

The five male voice types on this chart, from the highest (countertenor) to the lowest (bass).

Voice type	Range	Hz	Span	Tessitura
Countertenor	G3–E6	196–1,318.5 Hz	33 (2.75 oct.)	C4–C6
Tenor	C3–C5	130.8–523.3 Hz	24 (2 oct.)	D3–B4
Baritone	A2–A4	110–440 Hz	24 (2 oct.)	B2–G4
Bass-baritone	F2–F4	87.3–349.2 Hz	24 (2 oct.)	G2–D4
Bass	E2–E4	82.4–329.6 Hz	24 (2 oct.)	F2–D4

Classical Sub-Types: Coloratura, Lyric, Dramatic and More

Classical teaching splits each core type further by weight and agility. These sit inside, or just beyond, the ranges above.

Sub-type	Range
Coloratura soprano	C4–F7+
Lyric soprano	C4–C6
Spinto soprano	B3–C6
Dramatic soprano	B3–B5
Lyric mezzo	Bb3–B5
Dramatic mezzo	G3–Bb5
Lyric contralto	F3–G5
Dramatic contralto	E3–F5
Lyric tenor	C3–D5
Dramatic tenor	B2–C5
Spinto tenor	B2–C5
Lyric baritone	A2–A4
Dramatic baritone	G2–Bb4
Verdi baritone	G2–A4
Basso cantante	F2–E4
Basso profundo	C2–D4

Vocal Notes Chart: Which Voice Types Reach Each Note

Every octave doubles the frequency: A3 is 220 Hz, A4 is 440 Hz, A5 is 880 Hz. The table below lists the notes people search most and which chart rows include them. For the complete note-by-note list, see vocal range notes.

Note	Hz	Inside these chart ranges
B1	61.7 Hz	None of the eight
E2 (bass floor)	82.4 Hz	Bass
B2	123.5 Hz	Baritone, bass-baritone, bass
B3	246.9 Hz	Countertenor, mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone, bass-baritone, bass
C4 (middle C)	261.6 Hz	All eight rows
A4 (tuning pitch)	440 Hz	Soprano, countertenor, mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone
B4	493.9 Hz	Soprano, countertenor, mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor
C5 (tenor high C)	523.3 Hz	Soprano, countertenor, mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor
Eb5	622.3 Hz	Soprano, countertenor, mezzo-soprano, contralto
B5	987.8 Hz	Soprano, countertenor, mezzo-soprano
C6 (soprano high C)	1,046.5 Hz	Soprano, countertenor
D6	1,174.7 Hz	Countertenor

Decode Your Range: What B2, D3–A4 or F3–B4 Mean

A search like “D3 to A4 vocal range” is really asking two things: how wide is it, and which voice type does it match? Count the semitones, divide by 12 for octaves, then check which rows above hold both notes. The table below decodes the ranges searched most.

Your range	Span	Chart rows that hold the whole range	Closest type
D3–A4	19 (1.58 oct.)	Tenor, baritone	Tenor or baritone
E3–B4	19 (1.58 oct.)	Tenor, contralto	Tenor
F3–C5	19 (1.58 oct.)	Tenor, contralto	Alto or tenor
F3–B4	18 (1.5 oct.)	Tenor, contralto	Tenor or alto
D3–B4	21 (1.75 oct.)	Tenor	Tenor
B2–A4	22 (1.83 oct.)	Baritone	Baritone
B2–B4	24 (2 oct.)	None (wider)	Tenor
A2–B4	26 (2.17 oct.)	None (wider)	Baritone
G3–D5	19 (1.58 oct.)	Contralto, mezzo-soprano, countertenor	Alto
D3–A5	31 (2.58 oct.)	None (wider)	Alto or mezzo-soprano

For any other pair of notes, the Vocal Range Calculator above gives the exact semitones, octaves, Hz and closest textbook voice type — it does the same math for whatever two notes you enter.

Vocal Range Chart: Passaggio Positions

The passaggio is the register break between chest and head voice; most voice types have two. See vocal breaks and passaggio explained and the full vocal registers chart for how these transitions work.

Voice type	First passaggio	Hz	Second passaggio	Hz
Soprano	E4–F4	329.6–349.2 Hz	F5–G5	698.5–784 Hz
Mezzo-soprano	C4–D4	261.6–293.7 Hz	E5–F5	659.3–698.5 Hz
Contralto	Bb3–C4	233.1–261.6 Hz	D5–Eb5	587.3–622.3 Hz
Countertenor	C4–D4	261.6–293.7 Hz	—	—
Tenor	D4–F4	293.7–349.2 Hz	F5–G5	698.5–784 Hz
Baritone	Bb3–C4	233.1–261.6 Hz	D5–Eb5	587.3–622.3 Hz
Bass-baritone	Ab3–Bb3	207.7–233.1 Hz	C5–D5	523.3–587.3 Hz
Bass	F#3–Ab3	185–207.7 Hz	B4–C5	493.9–523.3 Hz

Beyond the Chart: Average, Age and the Limits of Range

The chart above describes voice types, not any one person. Five pages dig into what that means for an individual voice:

• Is a two-octave range average? See average vocal range by age, gender and training level.
• Ranges shift over a lifetime. Does vocal range change with age covers puberty, adulthood and later years.
• The outer limits of any human voice. Human vocal range covers the lowest and highest notes on record.
• How many octaves is normal. How many octaves compares average, trained and world-record spans.
• What actually separates two neighbouring types. The voice types guide explains tone and passaggio, not just range.

How to Use This Chart

1. Find your lowest and highest comfortable note with the Vocal Range Test above (microphone, no sign-up).
2. Check the female or male table for the row that holds both your notes. If two rows fit, compare tessitura.
3. Enter the same two notes in the Vocal Range Calculator for the exact octave and Hz, or compare them with real singers in the Singer Comparison Tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a vocal range chart?

It lists each voice type with its usual lowest and highest note. This chart covers eight types split into a female vocal range chart and a male vocal range chart, each with Hz, span and tessitura.

Is there a difference between a male and a female vocal range chart?

Yes. The three female types (soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto) run roughly E3 to C6. The five male types (countertenor, tenor, baritone, bass-baritone, bass) run roughly E2 to E6, with countertenor — a male voice — sitting above soprano. The two charts overlap from about E3 to C5.

What are the vocal ranges from highest to lowest?

The six core types, highest to lowest, are soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone and bass. Countertenor (above soprano) and bass-baritone (between baritone and bass) extend the chart further at each end.

What is each voice type’s range in Hz?

Soprano runs 261.6–1,046.5 Hz, mezzo-soprano 196–987.8 Hz, contralto 164.8–784 Hz, countertenor 196–1,318.5 Hz, tenor 130.8–523.3 Hz, baritone 110–440 Hz, bass-baritone 87.3–349.2 Hz and bass 82.4–329.6 Hz. Values are equal-temperament frequencies tuned to A4 = 440 Hz.

What does a range like D3 to A4 or B2 mean?

Count the semitones between your two notes, then check the Decode Your Range table above, or enter the notes directly into the Vocal Range Calculator for the exact octave count and closest voice type.

What is the full human vocal range?

On this chart, the rows run from C2 (65.4 Hz, basso profundo) to F7 (2,793.8 Hz, coloratura soprano). The human vocal range page above covers the documented extremes beyond textbook voice types.

Method and Author