How To Find Your Vocal Register

Everyone's natural voice falls into one of several registers, however when we are just starting out with singing it can be difficult to work out which vocal register your voice falls into. In this article we break down some methods you can use to identify your best vocal register and start playing to your vocal strengths. Read on below to check out the tips.

Exploring The Different Registers

One of the main things that affect your vocal register is your gender, with Male voices generally being of a deeper overall pitch than Female. We can separate both female and male voices into different types depending on the natural range of one’s voice. Let's explore the different registers for both genders below:

Female

Contralto - Typically the lowest female vocal register with a range between F3 and F5.

Mezzo-Soprano - The mezzo soprano voice is the middle register for female singers and typically spans from A5 to A5.

Soprano - The soprano register is commonly the highest vocal register for the female voice and ranges from C4 to C6.

Male

Bass - The bass voice register is the lowest male register and can range from D2 to E4.

Baritone - A baritone voice is the middle vocal register for the male voice. It has a typical range between G2 to G4.

Tenor - The tenor vocal range is occupies the upper range of the middle voice and will commonly range from C3 to B4 Using the information above you should be able to get a general sense of which register your voice falls into. It's important to remember that every voice is unique, and for some singers their range will go beyond the typical ranges expected, it just depends on the individual.

Finding Your Range

Once you have a general idea of your vocal register, we can use a piano to get more precise and find our ideal range. Sitting at the piano/keyboard, start from the lowest note you can comfortably, this will be the first note in your vocal range. Play each subsequent note while singing along. This helps you identify how far up your voice can comfortably go. Do the same for descending, starting from the highest note you can sing and moving downward. Pay attention to where your voice starts to feel strained or uncomfortable, either at the top or bottom of your range. These notes will give you the boundaries of your range. Once you feel like you have hit the limits of your range then you can move down by 2 octaves and this should form the base of your vocal range (Most voices have a span of around 2 octaves). From here you can reference the range span you have reached on the piano against the commonly accepted range for each vocal type, baritone, tenor, soprano etc.

Practicing In Your Register

Once you have worked out what register and range your voice falls into you can then further refine things by practicing different songs within that register and seeing where you are most comfortable. Perhaps you are a high tenor but struggle to hit the lower notes expected of a tenor voice for example. By practicing different songs you will gain a sense of the exact range where your singing voice is at its strongest. You can also emulate your favourite singers in this process by looking up famous tenors, baritones etc and practice singing their songs. 

Moving Beyond Register

With careful practice it is possible to develop your singing range beyond just one register. Targeted vocal exercises are commonly used in this process such as lip trills, octave slides and breath control exercises. 

Lip trills - Can help stretch both the lower and higher parts of your voice.

Octave slides - (gliding smoothly from your lowest to highest note) Glides can help you connect your registers together and make transitions easier.

Breath control exercises - Helps to boost support and control for higher or lower notes. Working with a vocal coach can also help you to move beyond your natural register, as they will have the knowledge to help you safely extend your vocal range without straining your voice too hard. 

Thanks for checking out this article on how to find your vocal register. Hopefully the techniques in this article will help you to identify your vocal register and singing range. Have fun practising and further developing your singing skills!