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CONCEPTS OF RANGE |
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soprano, mezzo-soprano and contralto. [Stanley 577, p. 128] Within these common classifications further subdivisions and extensions may occur bearing such spedal designations as basso-prof undo, coloratura soprano, male alto, dramatic tenor, etc.r to describe extraordinary characteristics of quality and range possessed by unusual voices. Male and female voices differ chiefly in pitch and quality, the lowest female tone usually being an octave or more lower than the highest male tone and each male classification having its counterpart in a parallel female classification lying approximately an octave above it. [Passe 443, p. 57]
Authors" opinions vary somewhat regarding the average range of well developed voices. .The following concepts represent 29 statements gathered on this subject.
1. An individual voice rarely has a compass, for singing of more than two octaves. (W)
2. The range of average voices is about an octave and a half; from e' to g/' for soprano; g to c*' for alto; c to g' for tenor; G to d for bass. [Woods 689]
3. "Every vocal reed may be expected to have a compass of two oc-taves.,f [Aikin 4; also Hoflrek 277]
4. "The average compass of the singing voice is from 2 to 214 octaves"; 3 octaves is exceptional and 4 is phenomenal. [Mackenzie 364,
P-5°]
5. "The ordinary adult human voice has a range of 2i/z octaves, seldom extending over 3 octaves." [Pressman 452]
6. Potentially most voices have a compass of at least 3 octaves. [Orion 439, p. 110]
7. Even in its early development, every normal singing voice should be able to span 3 octaves without straining. [Wilcox 669, p. 10; Stanley 579; Nichols 424]
8. Every finished voice has a range of about 3 octaves. [Sigrid Onegin 435; Shaw 523]
Nearly 80% of the energy expended in singing is in the lower frequency band of the male .voice, from 250 to 1000 dv., according to Farns-worth's recent experiments. [169] The applications to vocal pedagogy of these and other reliable but inconclusive observations are not yet clearly established. For instance, Pressman notes the interesting fact that a new-bom infant cries on a pitch level "approximating 435 cycles per second, the vocal range extending to Bi/t tones and reaching an octave at the end of four years/' Just before puberty this compass expands to an octave and |
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