Find your vocal range and what it tells you

How notes are named

Notes repeat in octaves and are named A to G, with sharps and flats in between. To show which octave a note sits in, most voice teachers and apps add a number. Middle C, the C near the center of a piano keyboard, is C4. The C an octave higher is C5, the one an octave lower is C3, and the notes from middle C upward are D4, E4, F4 and so on up to B4.

Test your range

1. Warm up first with the ten-minute routine. A cold voice gives a smaller range.
2. Use a keyboard, a piano app or a tuner app that shows the note you sing.
3. Start on a comfortable note in the middle of your speaking voice and sing "ah" or "ee". Note its name.
4. Go down one note at a time. Stop at the lowest note you can sing with a clear tone, without growling or pressing your chin down.
5. Go back to the middle and move up one note at a time. Stop at the highest note you can sing without straining, squeezing or shouting. A light, soft note counts.
6. Write down both notes and the date, then test again in a month or two.

The notes you can only just reach make up your full range. The notes you can sing easily, again and again, through a whole song, are your comfortable range. Choose songs that stay mostly inside the comfortable part.

Voice types at a glance

These ranges come from classical and choral tradition, and different sources give slightly different notes. Many people sit between two types, and pop, rock and musical theater singers often use other labels or none at all.

Should you pick a voice type?

For most beginners, not yet. Range is only one clue. Teachers also listen to the color of the tone, where the voice changes gear, and which notes feel easiest over long stretches. Ranges also tend to grow with practice in the first months. Use your comfortable range to choose songs, and leave the label until a teacher or choir director has heard you sing.

Registers and the break

Most voices have a lower register that feels close to the speaking voice, often called chest voice, and a higher, lighter one, often called head voice or, in lower voices, falsetto. Many beginners hear a crack or flip where one turns into the other. Gentle slides on lip trills, a straw or "ng" help smooth the change over time. Avoid forcing chest voice higher to dodge the break, since that is a common cause of strain.

Change the key to fit your voice

If a song sits too high or too low, sing it in another key. Many karaoke and backing track apps can shift the key up or down, and printed songbooks often come in high, medium and low editions. Moving a song down two or three half steps can turn a strained chorus into an easy one, and nobody listening will mind.

More guides