Classification of Voice

Voice Type

A voice type is a singing voice identified as having certain qualities or characteristics of

vocal range, vocal weight, tessitura, vocal timbre, and vocal transition points, such as
breaks and lifts within the voice. Voice classification is a tool for singers, composers,
venues, and listeners to categorize vocal properties and to associate roles with voices.

Women are typically divided into three groups: soprano, mezzo-soprano, and contralto.
Men are usually divided into four groups: countertenor, tenor, baritone, and bass. Some
women fall into the tenor or baritone groups, while men identified as countertenors can
be grouped as contralto, mezzo-soprano, or soprano. When considering the pre-
pubescent voice, an eighth term, treble, is applied. Within each of these major
categories, subcategories identify specific vocal qualities such as coloratura facility
and vocal weight to differentiate between voices. The vocal range of classical
performance covers about five octaves, from a low G1 (in scientific pitch notation) to a
high G6. Any individual’s voice can perform over a range of one and a half to more than
two octaves. Vocal ranges are grouped into overlapping types that each span about two
octaves. Many singers fall between groups and can perform some parts in either type.

Vocal Ranges

A typical choral arrangement divides women into higher and lower voices and men into
higher or lower voices. Most voices can be assigned one of these four ranges, and this
gives the composer four vocal lines to work with, which is usually enough. The four
main vocal ranges are:

 Soprano – A high female (or boy’s) voice

 Alto – A low female (or boy’s) voice
 Tenor – A high (adult) male voice
 Bass – A low (adult) male voice

Arrangements for these four voices are labeled SATB (for Soprano Alto Tenor Bass).
The ranges of the four voices overlap, but singers may find themselves straining or
getting an unpleasant sound at the top or a weak sound at the bottom of their ranges.
So although the full ranges of an alto and a soprano may look quite similar, the soprano
gets a strong, clear sound on the higher notes, and the alto a strong, clear sound in the
lower part of the range. But there are vocalists whose strong, best-sounding range falls
in a distinctly different place from any of these four voices. The names for some of these
ranges are:
  Coloratura Soprano – This is not really a different range from the soprano, but a
coloratura soprano has a voice that is unusually high, light, and agile, even for a soprano.
 Mezzo-soprano – In between soprano and alto
 Contralto – Contralto and alto originally referred to the same voice. But some people
today use “contralto” to refer to a female voice that is even lower than a typical alto
 Countertenor – A male voice that is unusually high, light, and agile, even for a tenor
 Baritone – A male voice that falls in between tenor and bass
Voices are as individual as faces; some altos will have a narrower or wider range, or the
sweetest and most powerful part of their range in a different place than other altos. These are
approximate, average ranges for each voice category.

Classifications of Songs

A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared
tradition or set of conventions. Music can be divided into different genres in many different ways. The
artistic nature of music means that these classifications are often subjective and controversial, and some
genres may overlap. Below are some of the genres in the music industry:

1. Electronic Dance Music Generally referred as EDM, this form of music is produced by DJs who add
dozens of tones to a piece to create unique music. You can hear them in clubs or even live, depending
upon your accessibility for the same. In the early twenties, electronic dance music was known in the
form of Jamaican dub music, the electronic music of Kraftwerk, the disco music of Giorgio Moroder, the
Yellow Magic Orchestra and many more.

2. Rock Music Originated as “Rock & Roll” in the United States, Rock music has been rocking the world
since the 1950s. It is a form of music that started actually around string instruments, but now uses other
modern instruments too making it a little difficult to give it an accurate definition. Its loud and strong
beats make it popular among the youths. Some of the rock stars who have popularized the culture
include Little Richard, Bill Haley and Chuck Berry while rock bands like Pink Floyd, The Doors, Metallica,
Nirvana and Megadeth are the modern bands who have taken the culture by storm

3. Jazz Identified with swing and blue notes, Jazz has its roots both in the West African and European
culture. It is said that Jazz is “One of America’s original art forms” and boasts a unique combination of
creativity, coactions and interactivity. Originating in the late 19th to early 20th century, Jazz has also
played an important role in introducing the world to a number of women performers like Ella Fitzgerald,
Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln and Ethel Waters.

4. Dubstep
The use of instruments attracting music lovers for its bass and rhythm, this falls in the electronic music
genre. People consider it to be a darker form of music, but since its birth in the late 1990s, this genre has
successfully made its place in the industry.

5. Rhythm and Blues

Vocalists like Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Usher and the legendary Michael Jackson have all made
it huge in the music industry with their love for this form of music. Originated in the 1940s, this African-
American music is a combination of hip hop, funk, dance, pop and soul focusing on themes like
relationships, sex and freedom.

6. Techno

You may have listened to a number of techno music while clubbing, but it is Detroit techno that is
considered to be the foundation of this form of music. Unlike the days of its emergence, the use of
technology today has greatly enhanced the quality of techno style music and popularizing it among
people day by day.

7. Country Music

Another popular genre of American music which originated in the 1920s, Country music has its roots
from American folk and western music. It is formed using simple forms of instruments ranging from
electric and steel guitars to drums and mandolin or mouth organ. Some very popular country music
singers include Shania Twain, Johnny Cash Taylor Swift and Kenny Rogers.

8. Electro

A perfect blend of hip hop and electronic music, electro or electro-funk uses drum machine, vocoder
and talkbox helping it to distinguish itself from another similar form of music, Disco. Notable artists who
have been into this form of music include Arthur Baker, Freeez, Man Parrish and Midnight Star.

9. Indie Rock

Falling in the genre of alternative rock music, Indie Rock originated in the 1980s and has gradually
changed the music industry. After a decade, it also gave birth to a couple of sun-genres in related styles
such as math rock, emo, noise pop, post rock and lo-fi

10. Pop Music

“Pop” is a term derived from “Popular” and thus Pop Music is known to be a genre of popular music.
With its roots in the rock & roll style, this form can include any form of music ranging from urban and
dance to rock, country and Latin. Instruments highly used are electric guitars, synthesizer drums as well
as bass and one can listen to this form of music by listening to songs by Britney Spears, Madonna,
Beyonce Lady Gaga and of course the “King of Pop”, Michael Jackson.

11. Rap

Rap describes a style of vocal delivery. However, it can be rightly regarded as a musical genre due to its
massive popularity. Developing alongside hip-hop in the United States, rap evolved from MCs toasting
and deejaying in Jamaican dancehall music. It has grown to incorporate increasingly complex rhyme
schemes and has been appreciated in the same regard as poetry.

12. Reggae

Originating in Jamaica in the 1960s and taking the world by storm through the work of Bob Marley,
reggae is a fusion of traditional Jamaican folk music with jazz and R&B. Offbeat rhythms and staccato
chords are common musical themes, and Reggae is closely linked to Rastafarianism and Afrocentric
religion.

7 What are the main genres of music?

The most recognized genres are pop music, which is simply because of the mass media proliferation.
Pop music can take cues from any other genre. Over the years, lots of different styles have become pop
music. Everything from R&B, soul, funk, rock and folk has been popularized and played on mainstream
radio.

What is the number one genre of music?

While hip-hop and rap music have taken over the charts recently, Pop music is still the ‘most heard’ of
all music genres. What’s incredibly interesting about music is that both geography and culture play a
huge role in the popularity of music. Your own home town probably has its own music scene where one
type of music is more prevalent.

How many different genres of music are there?

There are literally thousands of different genres. Music in the modern age is incredibly diverse and every
genre borrows something from another, then evolves. Take heavy-metal for instance. Within it, there
are tons of offshoots; power metal, nu-metal, folk metal, death metal, thrash metal, Christian metal,
glam metal – to name a few.