Vocal range chart
Every voice type on a single pitch axis, read against a piano keyboard. Any line drawn across the chart meets the same note in every band, so you can see at a glance which types share a note and how far they overlap. Most range charts leave you to work that out for yourself.
The same ranges on a grand stave – scroll sideways
How to read it
Find a note on the keyboard and follow its line through the chart: every voice type whose bar it crosses can sing it comfortably. Read a bar end to end and you have that type's working range. On a wider screen the chart also carries a grand stave, so you can see where the same note sits in written notation.
The ranges shown are where each voice works comfortably, not the furthest it can reach. Almost every singer can produce notes beyond their bar; the question a chart answers is where you can stay for a whole rehearsal without tiring.
The six voice types
| Voice type | Typical range | |
|---|---|---|
| Soprano | C4 – C6 | The top line: bright, exposed, and the first thing an audience hears. |
| Mezzo-soprano | A3 – A5 | The most common female voice, and the most often mislabelled. |
| Alto | F3 – F5 | Lower female voice, richest in the middle. Sung by men too, as countertenors. |
| Tenor | C3 – C5 | Higher male voice, often carrying the melody, often near the top of its comfort. |
| Baritone | A2 – A4 | The most common male voice. Most self-described basses are baritones. |
| Bass | E2 – E4 | The lowest line, and the rarest voice. Choirs are permanently short of them. |
Why the bars overlap so much
Look at how far the bars slide over one another. A tenor and an alto share nearly two octaves; a mezzo could sing most soprano lines and most alto lines without leaving her comfortable range. That overlap is not sloppiness in the chart – it is the honest picture.
Range alone does not decide voice type. A teacher also listens for where your voice changes gear, where the tone opens out without effort, and how long you last up high. Two singers with the same range can be different voice types, and both be right. A chart tells you where the lines sit; it cannot tell you which one is yours.
Where do you sit on it?
That is a two-minute question. Sing your lowest comfortable note and your highest, and you can put your own bar on this chart – measured, rather than guessed from how you sound to yourself in the car.
Measure your own range
The free test uses your microphone in the browser, locks each note when you hold it steady, and shows you the two notes on a stave plus the voice type closest to your span. Nothing is recorded and nothing is uploaded.
Take the vocal range testPrint or share the chart
The same chart as a single image, at 1800px, for pinning to a rehearsal noticeboard or dropping into a handout.
Download the PNG · free to print and share with credit to Cadence · terms
Common questions
What are the ranges for each voice type?
Bass E2–E4, baritone A2–A4, tenor C3–C5, alto F3–F5, mezzo-soprano A3–A5, soprano C4–C6. Typical working ranges, not limits.
Why do the types overlap so much?
Because range alone doesn't decide voice type – tone, register changes and where the voice feels effortless all matter. Two singers with the same range can be different types.
What does C4 mean?
C4 is middle C, in scientific pitch notation. The number is the octave counting from C, so C3 is an octave below middle C and C5 an octave above.
Can I use this chart to pick my choir part?
As a starting point. Where you're comfortable matters more than your extremes, and a director's ear beats any chart – but the chart tells you which conversation to have.
Can I use this chart on my own site?
Yes – there's a downloadable PNG above, free to print and share with credit to Cadence. A link back to this page is appreciated and means your copy stays correct if we revise the chart.