30/07/2024
Disimpan saja! SATB
🎼 The 4 Conventional Voices and their Compasses
Musical practice for the past few centuries has recognized 6 basic voice types: soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto (alto), tenor, baritone, and bass.
But on this lesson, we are going to focus on soprano, alto, tenor, and bass since they're the voices used in four-part harmony. Four-part harmony is a system of arranging chords for 4 voices: soprano, alto, tenor and bass, which are often abbreviated as SATB.
In music, "compass" is the range of notes of a musical instrument or voice. It is synonymous with "range" and related to "tessitura". Hence, voice range and voice compass mean the same thing.
▪️ Soprano
Soprano (C4-C6) is the highest voice in a standard or mixed choir. A good number of soprano singers are females. Only males with “exceptional built ups” sometimes join this part using falsetto (false voice, head voice).
▪️ Alto
Alto (E3-E5) is the low female voice in a standard or mixed choir. Men with exceptionally high voices can join.
▪️Tenor
In a standard or mixed choir, Tenor (C3-C5) is the male high voice.
▪️Bass
Bass is the lowest voice in a standard or mixed choir. It is exclusively meant for males since their voices can go as low as E2 - E4.
Note that when writing for these voices, it not mandatory that you get to the top of the compasses. For instance, Soprano is cool at G5. Alto is cool at C5, Tenor is cool at E4. Even as you are still in the compasses of the voices, ensure that there's no voice crossing unless it's necessary. Voice crossing rarely occurs in four-part harmony.
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