The Truth About Voice Types (And Why You Might Be Misclassified)

One of the most common questions that comes up in voice lessons (more often than I expected) is this:

“What’s my voice type?”

You might’ve heard terms like soprano, alto, or tenor thrown around—maybe someone labeled you as one years ago (hi fellow choir kids 😉)… but is that label accurate? And does it actually matter?

Let’s break this down the way I do with my students.

**Prefer listening to/watching the full episode on voice types? Scroll to the bottom of the page to listen on Spotify, Apple Podcast or YouTube!**

What Even Is a Voice Type?

When people say "voice type," they’re usually talking about traditional vocal classifications:

• For testosterone-dominant voices (aka “male” voice types):

  ➤ Bass (lowest) E2 - E4

  ➤ Baritone A2 - A4

  ➤ Tenor (highest) C3 - C5

• For estrogen-dominant voices (aka “female” voice types):

  ➤ Alto (lowest) E3 - E5

  ➤ Mezzo-soprano A3 - A5

  ➤ Soprano (highest) C4 - C6

Sometimes you’ll hear terms like “soprano 1” or “soprano 2,” especially in choir or classical spaces. But in contemporary singing, we typically just stick with these six.

Now, here’s where the confusion comes in…

Why Range Alone Isn’t Enough

A lot of singers try to figure out their voice type just by looking at their range. Like: "I can hit this high note and that low note, so I guess I’m a soprano?"

But what if your vocal range spans across multiple voice types? If I just looked at my range on paper, I could be a soprano, a mezzo and an alto. But that doesn’t make sense, right? So what gives?

You can’t be three voice types at once—no matter how wide your range is.

What Actually Determines Your Voice Type

There are two things that help determine your voice type:

1. Your comfortable vocal range – the notes you can sing comfortably and consistently

2. Your Prima Voce – the sweet spot of your voice, where you naturally sound and feel the best

Your range might stretch up to C6 and down to C3, but where in that range do you feel the strongest? Where does your voice sound the most effortless and natural? Also, how does your voice move through different registers? Does it get heavier as you go low, or stay light? Are you chest-dominant, mixy, heady?

These are the real indicators of voice type—not just what notes you can scrape out on a good day.

How To Find Your Prima Voce

Most people think their prima voce is one thing when it’s in fact something completely different… For the longest time I thought that I was a natural belter - just because I WANTED that to be the case, doesn’t make it true…

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help identify your prima voce:

1. What could you naturally do well BEFORE you had any sort of vocal training?

2. Where does singing FEEL the easiest in your range?

3. What other singers have a similar TONE to you?

4. What have OTHER PEOPLE told you they really like about your voice?

Here are my answers to those questions: Low notes, low notes, Lady Gaga, low notes. I think it’s fair to say I’m not a soprano, even though I can sing just as high.

Does It Even Matter?

Now this is the kicker: In contemporary singing, voice type doesn’t matter nearly as much as people think. It’s helpful to know what your natural tendencies are so that you can figure out what kind of songs tend to fit you best. But unlike classical or choral music, where you get placed into a category and sing specific roles, modern singing gives you so much more freedom.

Don’t let these vocal classifications put you in a box. I’ve seen countless of singers say something like “I’m an alto, I can’t sing high”. As you just learned your vocal range and voice type are not the same thing! Any voice type can learn to do anything. It just means that some things come more naturally to you than others. Don’t be afraid to explore your full range. Use different textures, lean into different registers, and build the kind of voice you want to have.

So don’t stress if you’re not sure whether you’re a true soprano or a mezzo. Instead, ask yourself:

• Where does my voice feel the strongest?

• What part of my range feels effortless?

• Am I training in a way that supports my natural voice?

Those questions will take you much further than any textbook definition of voice type.

😮‍💨 Want to dig deeper into this topic? Check out the full episode on Voice Types for our podcast From Singer To Artist below.

Prefer Listening To The Podcast On Your Favorite Platform? Listen Below.