Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high", that has several possible interpretations.

When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. ^[1] Hence, for example, the term "alto saxophone". The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind In other "families", such as the trombone, there is no soprano, the alto having been the highest, although it is absent from the standard modern symphony orchestra. The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s

In choral music, "alto" describes the second highest voice part in a four-part chorus. As well as being the modern Italian world for "high", in the present context it is an Italian abbreviation derived from the Latin phrase contratenor altus, used in medieval polyphony, usually to describe the highest of three parts, the line of which was in counterpoint (in other words, against = contra) with the tenor (which "held" the main melody; this word itself originates in the Latin verb tenere, meaning "to hold").

The alto range in choral music is approximately from G3 to F5. In common usage, alto is used to describe the voice type that typically sings this part, though this is not strictly correct: alto, like the other three standard modern choral voice classifications (soprano, tenor and bass) was originally intended to describe a part within a homophonic or polyphonic texture, rather than an individual voice type^[2]; neither are the terms alto and contralto interchangeable or synonymous, though they are often treated as such. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice A voice type is a particular kind of human Singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. Although some women who sing alto in a choir are contraltos, many would be more accurately called mezzo-sopranos (a voice of somewhat higher range and different timbre), and many men countertenors (this latter term is a source of considerable controversy, some authorities preferring the usage of the term "male alto" for those countertenors who use a predominantly falsetto voice production). This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. The term falsetto (Italian diminutive of falso, false refers to the Vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the Modal voice register and The contralto voice is a matter of vocal timbre and vocal tessitura as well as range, and a classically-trained solo contralto would usually have a range greater than that of a normal choral alto part in both the upper and lower ranges. In Music, the term tessitura ( Italian for texture) generally describes the most musically acceptable and comfortable Timbre for a given However, the vocal tessitura of a classically trained contralto would still make these singers more comfortable singing in the lower part of the voice. A choral non-solo contralto may also have a low range down to D3 (thus perhaps finding it easier to sing the choral tenor part), but some would have difficulty singing above E5. In a choral context mezzo-sopranos and contraltos might sing the same part, together with countertenors, thus having three vocal timbres (and two means of vocal production) singing the same notes. ^[3]

Alto is rarely used to describe a solo voice, though there is a plethora of terms in common usage for solo singers in this range. Examples include contralto, contraltista, countertenor, and haute-contre. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. The haute-contre is a rare type of high Tenor voice predominant in French Baroque and Classical opera until the latter part of the eighteenth century For adult males singing in the soprano register, designations include male soprano, sopranist and sopranista. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. A sopranist (also sopranista or male soprano) is a male classical singer who is able to sing in the vocal Tessitura of a Soprano usually through

The term alto is also used to designate a specific kind of musical clef. See alto clef. A clef (from the French for "key" is a musical symbol used to indicate the pitch of written notes.

References

Further reading

• Appelman, D. Ralph (1986). The Science of Vocal Pedagogy: Theory and Application. Indiana University Press. ISBN 13: 978-0253203786.  

• Boldrey, Richard (1994). Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias. Caldwell Publishing Company. ISBN 13: 9781877761645.  

• Coffin, Berton (1960). Coloratura, Lyric and Dramatic Soprano, Vol. 1. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. . ISBN 13: 9780810801882.  

• Peckham, Anne (2005). Vocal Workouts for the Contemporary Singer. Berklee Press Publications. ISBN 13: 978-0876390474.  

• Smith, Brenda (2005). Choral Pedagogy. Plural Publishing, Inc. ISBN 13: 978-1597560436.  

• Stark, James (2003). Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 13: 978-0802086143.  

See also

• Contralto
• Countertenor
• Fach, the German system for classifying voices
• Voice classification in non-classical music
• Voice type