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I just received a question from one of our users. They asked, ‘I did the vocal range test and got results. I read an article about which vocal range belongs to which voice type and I still do not understand. What is my voice type?’
This is a concern I will try to address here. When we think about voice type, it’s important to consider why we are asking this question and what we want to know. One common reason might be that we want to sing a particular part in a song or prepare for an audition. Each voice type has a lowest and highest note. If your lowest note is lower than that range and your highest note is higher, you can sing the part for that voice type in a choir or ensemble. This does not necessarily mean your natural voice type is this. For example, your natural voice may be a bass, but you can sing baritone parts if those notes are within your range.
Identifying your natural voice type is a bit more complicated. It involves understanding the capabilities of your body, which may not yet be fully explored or practiced. A good way to start determining your natural voice type is by practicing and recording what you can do, noting the range of notes you achieve and how you feel when singing particular notes.
On our website, we have tracking tools that show which notes you hit or miss. Here’s an example from one of our users. I can see from this chart that they sing within a range between F sharp two and D5, but start losing control around A sharp four. This suggests their effective range is probably between E3 and A sharp four, which they should consider when choosing songs. They can learn to sing lower or higher with practice.
From observing the lower tones, it’s apparent that this person can produce low sounds down to F sharp two. This indicates a good ability to reach lower notes, suggesting a lower boundary of their natural voice type. If someone feels comfortable producing low sounds, even if out of tune, this indicates their lower boundary naturally.
For the highest part, you might not know yet how to use that high part, but as you go higher, you’ll discover your voice break where you get out of your lower register. At some point, it will start feeling unnatural, indicating the upper boundary of what your body can handle comfortably.
If you want to learn more about voice types, vocal breaks, and other related terminology, you can access a link to one of our lessons in our free course for beginners. This should help structure the material better in your head.
I encourage you to take vocal range tests to have a clear idea of where you are right now and what you can currently sing. Practicing pitch training is also helpful if you need assistance with tonality. Over time, as you collect more data, you will see how your voice changes and develop the parts of your voice you currently cannot use. Enjoy your day and keep practicing!