Vocal Range: How to Find Yours in 1 Minute (Or Less)!

Vocal Range: How to Find Yours in 1 Minute (Or Less)!

Can I tell you something crazy?

Finding your vocal range is one of the most important things you can know about yourself as a singer.

That’s because learning your vocal range will help you understand how low or high you can sing.

But that’s not all!

Knowing your range can also help you…

-Find your voice type (bass, tenor, or soprano, for example)

-Learn where your weak spots are

-Measure your progress in voice training and…

-Choose the perfect songs for your voice

So today, I wanted to take a quick moment to discuss how to measure your vocal range and give you a quick exercise to find it fast.

Bonus Upgrade: I’ve developed a vocal range app that will tell you your vocal range in only 6 seconds. Use the Vocal Range Finder here.

Then we’ll talk about how you can use your vocal range to make smart choices about what songs to perform and what to work on in vocal exercises.

I promise, if you follow these simple steps, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to learn your range and make the most out of it!

Ready to get started? Let’s jump right in.

By the way, if you want to watch a great video that walks you through how to find your vocal range, check this out:

Find Your Vocal Range in 1 Minute (Or Less)!

Vocal Range Definition

Vocal range is a measurement of distance from the lowest note to the highest note that a person can sing. Vocal range is very helpful in defining a singers voice type (Bass, Tenor, Alto, Soprano, for example), measuring vocal progress over time and choosing songs and repertoire that fit a singer’s voice.

Most of the time vocal range is written as two notes: the lowest note and the highest note with a dash between them.

So, what is the average singer’s vocal range? As you might know, vocal ranges of singers can vary quite a bit from person to person.

For example, what is the common vocal range for male singers? A pretty common male range is C3-C5. That’s the vocal range of a Tenor.

A common vocal range for female singers is Soprano. Vocal range for Soprano goes from C4 (middle C) to A5.

The letter is the name of one of the note you’re singing (C in this case).

The number next to that letter tells you which octave you’re singing in (the 3rd and 5th octave in this case).

That means a guy who can sing from C3-C5 can go from a C in the 3rd octave (the one below middle C on the piano) to the C in the 5th octave (the one above middle C on the piano).

Those who like science might ask “is vocal range frequency?”. In other words, since all notes are technically frequencies, is vocal range just a measurement of frequency?

The answer is YES. So if it helps you, just think of vocal range as a measurement of your lowest to your highest frequency.

Fun fact: what is the rarest male voice type? That would be countertenor, the highest male voice type with a vocal range of E3-E5. See my post on voice types for more!

Let’s look at another example:

A pretty common range for girls is from A3-A5.

That means a girl who can sing from A3-A5 can go from an A in the 3rd octave (the one right below Middle C) up to the A in the 5th octave.

That’s all there is to it!

Is vocal range genetic?

There are certainly many aspects of vocal range which are genetic, like the size of the vocal folds and the length of your vocal tract.

A lot of students ask me: what is a good vocal range? Is a 3-octave range good?

Well, as you can see, a 3-octave rage will put you well above average for both female and male vocal ranges!

What does a 4 octave range mean?

It means that you can comfortably sing across 4 octaves of vocal range (for example from C3-C7).

Now, let’s discuss the importance of finding your own, unique vocal range.

Why You Should Find Your Vocal Range

So why do you need to know your vocal range?

Well, let’s say that you’re looking for a song to sing.

The first question to ask yourself is: how many octaves can I sing? What vocal range am I?

If you know your range, it will be pretty easy to see if that song would be good for you or if you should do one that’s a bit lower.

Knowing your vocal range can also give you an idea about what singers to listen to for inspiration.

Bonus Upgrade: I’ve developed an app that will tell you your vocal range in only 6 seconds. Use the Vocal Range Finder here.

If you have a lower range, you might want to listen to Johnny Cash, rather than Freddie Mercury.

Or if you have a higher range, you might want to listen to Beyonce, rather than Tracy Chapman.

If you’re right in the middle, you might like Billie Eilish.

How many octaves can Billie Eilish sing? Looking at her music, Eilish has a 2.5 octave range from D3-A5.

Vocal Range Heroes

Freddie Mercury singing a high note on stage

What is the best vocal range out there? Well, some of these famous singers have ridiculously wide ranges.

What was Freddie Mercury’s vocal range? For Mr. Fahrenheit himself, vocal range was a limit to be pushed wherever possible. Freddie Mercury’s vocal range range exceeded 3 octaves.

Likewise, the great Whitney Houston’s vocal range exceeded 3 octaves, from A2 to C#6.

What is Ariana Grande’s vocal range? Her magnificent voice goes from D3 to E7, exceeding 4 octaves.

How many octaves did Michael Jackson have in his prime? As an adult, he could sing 4 octaves plus a step and a half, from Eb2 to F#6.

What about Beyonce’s vocal range? Also over 4 octaves, from A2 to E6.

What was Chris Cornell’s vocal range? His baritone vocal range spanned nearly 4 octaves, from a grungy C2 to a soaring A5.

What about 5-octave ranges? Well, Brendon Urie’s vocal range spans almost 5 octaves, from D2 to C7!

Then there’s the queen herself: Mariah Carey. For Mariah Carey’s vocal range, even 5 octaves wasn’t enough! Her whistle register is a legend unto itself.

But wait! Is there anyone who can sing 6 octaves?

Yes! Mike Patton’s vocal range spans an astonishing 6 octaves!

You might be wondering: who has the most vocal octaves of all? What is the highest vocal range singers have ever achieved? Is there someone out there who can sing 7 octaves or more?

That would be American singer Tim Storms, with a truly mind-boggling 10 octaves of range!

These singers with wide vocal ranges are our heroes; we all strive to be like them.

And the first step in learning to sing like your heroes is to find your own unique vocal range.

So, without further ado, here’s a simple exercise to find your range fast!

Find Your Vocal Range in 1 Minute (Or Less)!

Man on stage singing into a mike with red lights in background

Here’s my favorite exercise for finding your vocal range. It works for guys and girls. 

Just make sure that you’re singing from the correct note.

Here’s how you do it: 

1. Go to a piano or your guitar and find Middle C.

We’re talking about C4, the C in the middle of the keyboard and the C on the 1st fret of the B string on guitar. Sing the note on an “Ah” vowel.

2. Mark the lowest note you can sing.

Play each note on the instrument moving downward and sing “Ah” on each note until you hit your lowest note. 

3. Mark the highest note you can sing.

Finally, find Middle C again and this time, sing upwards on an “Ah” vowel until you’re at your highest note. 

4. Write out your vocal range.

Now that you have the lowest and highest notes, write it out like this:

Lowest Note (with octave number)Highest Note (with octave number)

Here’s an example of what your vocal range might look like: 

Ex. C3 – C5.

That’s it!

Don’t worry if you don’t have a piano handy, here’s a video to walk you through the exercise:

Find Your Vocal Range in 1 Minute (Or Less)!

Or if you prefer, I have a great vocal range tester app that will help you do this whole process in only 6 seconds:

Bonus Upgrade: I’ve developed an app that will tell you your vocal range in only 6 seconds. Use the Vocal Range Finder here.

How Your Vocal Range Can Help You

Now that you know your vocal range, you can use this information to find your voice type, choose what songs to sing and even what singers to listen to.

So let’s talk about how you can apply info about your range to the rest of your singing.

Find Your Voice Type Using Your Vocal Range

One of the biggest benefits of knowing your vocal range is finding your voice type.

That’s because if you know your voice type, you know what you can expect out of your voice.

But what is a voice type and how do you find yours?

Here’s what you need to know:

Voice type is the Italian classification for the kind of voice that you have. Sometimes they’re called “vocal range names.”

Voice types are divided between men and women and go from lowest to highest.

The main voice types for men from lowest to highest are: Bass, Baritone, Tenor and Countertenor.

The main voice types for women from lowest to highest are: Contralto, Alto, Mezzo Soprano and Soprano.

If you’re trans, just use your gender identity to find the right voice type for you.

I’ve written a complete article on how to find your voice type. Check it out for more great info.

But for now, here’s one simple exercise to find your voice type with your vocal range.

Use Your Vocal Range to Find Your Voice Type

Girl singing in microphone while she plays guitar

Here’s an easy exercise to find your voice type with your vocal range.

Here’s how you do it:

Expand Vocal Range

Want to Nail Those High Notes?

Every singer wants to expand their range. Expand Your Range Fast will show you how to finally hit high notes in your voice without straining. Expand your range by 5 notes or more!

Learn More

1. Find your vocal range by singing down to your lowest note on the “Ah” vowel. Mark your lowest note.

2. Sing up to your highest note on the “Ah” vowel and mark your highest note.

3. Go to this article and compare your range with the most common voice types.

Whichever voice type is closest to your range is probably your voice type.

When you’re comparing your range to the voice types cheat sheet, try to find the range that’s closest to yours.

And of course, if you still haven’t found your range, you can do that here:

Bonus Upgrade: I’ve developed an app that will tell you your vocal range in only 6 seconds. Use the Vocal Range Finder here.

You’ll be amazed at how much better you sing once you know what you can expect out of your voice.

Use Your Vocal Range to Find Trouble Spots in Your Voice

Let’s face it:

Just because your vocal range goes up to a high C doesn’t mean that note sounds good.

You may be yelling your head off to get up to that note. Or you may be in a very breathy falsetto.

So now that you know your vocal range, use that information to find the trouble spots in your voice.

Here’s the bottom line:

Most singers have a trouble spot in their voice.

We call this area the vocal break and you may feel that your voice “cracks” or “flips” when you sing notes in this area.

So as you’re doing the exercise to find your range, take note of where your vocal break is and work on that area a lot.

If you have a vocal break in your voice, Here’s what you need to know:

Vocal breaks tend to happen when you’re singing from the low part of your voice to the high part of your voice.

The vocal crack you hear happens when the vocal cords aren’t vibrating as strongly as you want.

And this happens in some pretty predictable places. So if you’re not sure where your break is, you can make a pretty good guess.

Most men tend to break around an E4.

Most women tend to break around an A4.

Now, I’ve written an article on how to eliminate your vocal break, but for now, here’s a quick exercise you can use to get rid of it.

Eliminate Your Vocal Break With This Exercise

Now that you know what causes your vocal break, here’s a great exercise to help you eliminate it completely.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Say the word “Gee” (as in “Geese”) out loud at a comfortable volume.

2. Next, find a comfortable note at the bottom of your voice (try C3 for guys and G3 for girls) and sing the word “Gee” at a strong volume.

3. Finally, sing an octave and a half scale where you replace each note of the melody with the word “Gee”.

Here’s a cool video where I walk you through the exercise:

How to Hit High Notes: 15 Easy Exercises to Get You There

As you’re singing across this vocal range scale, try to keep an emphasis on the “G” sound on each “Gee”.

You’ll be amazed at how much better you can sing through your vocal break with this simple singing technique.

Measure Your Progress and Test Vocal Range

Here’s the ugly truth:

Sometimes it’s difficult to know if you’re making progress in your vocal training.

That’s because as a singer, your instrument is inside your body.

And unfortunately, it can be really difficult to know if you’re making progress since you can’t hear yourself the same way other people do.

That’s why it’s so important that you work on ear training in your voice lessons.

Not only will a singing teacher hear what’s wrong, but they’ll also be able to help you fix it.

So whether you’re working with a teacher or want to teach yourself to sing, one great way to track your progress is by measuring your range.

Here’s how to do it:

Before you start vocal training, measure your vocal range with the exercise in the first section. Here it is again:

Bonus Upgrade: I’ve developed an app that will tell you your vocal range in only 6 seconds. Check out my Vocal Range Tester here.

Then after you’ve been working with a singing program or voice teacher for a while, test your vocal range again.

Has your range expanded?

What about the trouble notes in the middle of your voice? Are those notes getting better as well?

If you answered “no” to both of these questions, you might want to rethink your approach.

As a voice teacher, I’ve seen students who have done YouTube exercises incorrectly for years and made zero progress.

I have lots of great lessons on YouTube, but I’ll be the first to tell you not to stop there.

Don’t make that mistake!

However, you’ll be more likely to know if you’re making progress if you have a before and after picture of your vocal range.

Use Your Vocal Range to Find Similar Singers

Let’s face it:

What’s the point of knowing your vocal range if you’re just doing vocal exercises?

You’re here to be a better singer!

And one of the best ways to improve as a singer is to take inspiration from other great singers.

So, now that you know your vocal range, you can start comparing your voice to singers with a similar range to yours.

The good news is that there’s lot of information on the vocal range of famous singers.

Here’s a cool vocal range chart showing the ranges for different male and female vocalists:

A chart showing the vocal ranges for famous singers listed in rows.

In addition to their ranges, it’s also good to understand each singer’s voice type.

After all, just because Axl Rose’s vocal range includes a Bb6, that doesn’t mean singing the note is totally comfortable for him.

So how do you compare your range to famous singers?

Here’s how you do it:

Compare Your Range with Famous Singers

1. Identify your vocal range using this vocal range calculator.

2. Next, find your voice type by comparing your your vocal range with the ranges for the most common voice types.

3. Look at the famous singers from each vocal category on the cheat sheet and listen to their singing.

Is the tone and weight of their voice similar to yours?

If so, odds are you’ve got a great singer to listen to and imitate.

You won’t believe how much better you sound once you start singing with vocalists who have a similar range and voice type to yours.

Use Your Vocal Range to Pick the Perfect Songs

Let’s be honest:

The whole reason to expand your range is to sing songs better.

And one of the best ways of picking songs for your voice is knowing your vocal range.

Luckily, the internet has made it easier than ever to find the vocal range for songs immediately.

Here’s how you do it:

Pick the Perfect Song for Your Voice in 3 Easy Steps:

1. Use the vocal range finder to identify singers with similar ranges and voice types to yours.

2. Listen to that singer and find some songs of theirs that you really connect with.

3. Finally, look up the vocal range of the song on a sheet music website like musicnotes.com.

You can find the vocal range of the song under the “Quick Details” section.

Here’s the sheet music for Adele’s “Someone Like You”.

A screenshot of details for Adele's song "Someone Like You" including range and instruments.

You can see that the vocal range for the song is E3-E5.

(Incidentally, what is Adele’s vocal range? It’s B2 to Bb5, just a hair short of 3 octaves.)

So if you think you’re an alto and want to sing this song, you should be able to sing from an E in the 3rd octave up to an E in the 5th octave.

But always remember:

You want those notes to sound comfortable!

There’s no use choosing a song with notes that are outside your comfortable range.

You’ll be amazed at how much your voice improves once you start singing songs that fit your vocal range.

Congratulations

By now, you know your vocal range!

And with that information, you also understand how to use your range to choose songs that fit your voice.

If your range isn’t quite as wide as you want, don’t worry. Almost anyone can expand their vocal range.

Now I want to know what you think!

Leave a comment and let me know your vocal range and any questions you have.

I respond to every message.

If you want a complete singing program to help you expand your vocal range, check out my online singing course Master Your Voice.

And, if you’re even in doubt, don’t forget about the vocal range test app.

38 Comments

  • by abheest shukla Posted July 5, 2020 5:41 am

    but what if i cannot sing some songs because of the higher vocal range , should i transpose it or expand my vocal range?

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted July 6, 2020 4:19 pm

      Great question! I would recommend working on both. Expand your vocal range by a little every day. Then you can work on the song in the original key eventually.

    • by christian dismuke Posted August 28, 2020 12:05 pm

      yes if you have a spacific vocal range and your trying to sing a song that will strain your voice that would not be a very great idea you dont want to risk vocal damage if it was me and it honestly is me i would find a prefesional vocal coach to help you

      • by Matt Ramsey Posted August 29, 2020 7:59 am

        Of course! Individual feedback is always best.

  • by CHristian dismuke Posted August 28, 2020 12:02 pm

    im a baritone,d singer my vocal range spands from G1-G7
    my chest voice is G1-E5 HEAD VOICE IS F5-G7

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted August 29, 2020 8:00 am

      Hey Christian, that’s some range you have. It sounds like it would be quite difficult to get a range that large so I’m worried you may be missing something.

      Could you test your range here and repost? http://rangefinder.ramseyvoice.com/

  • by Spencer Sandlin Posted October 7, 2020 11:24 pm

    Hello, i used your vocal range app and it said d3-c3# is that average for a male voice?

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted October 8, 2020 8:21 am

      Hey Spencer, it sounds like something went wrong in your range test.
      This time, press the low notes button, then sing as low as you can for a few seconds.
      Then sing the highest note you can hold for a few seconds with the high notes button pressed.

  • by Mimi JAMES Posted December 21, 2020 10:32 am

    hello. I used your vocal range app and it said G3-C6. It means I have 2.42 octaves which is average. But I don’t know what type my voice is. Please tell me. (i’m female )

  • by syd Posted January 14, 2021 1:01 pm

    i USED THE RANGE FINDER APP AND IT SAYS MY RANGE IS C3 TO C5, (WHICH IS THE SAME RESULT I FOUND USING A PIANO.) i THINK NORAMLLY THAT WOULD BE A TENOR’S RANGE, BUT I’M A FEMALE, SO IS IT THE SAME?

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted January 26, 2021 8:21 am

      No Syd, you would be the equivalent of a Tenor in the female vocal category.
      So probably a Mezzo or Alto voice.

  • by nandi kalegga Posted January 20, 2021 1:11 pm

    Hi, if my vocal range is F3-D5 then am I an alto? If THAt is what it is then HOW many octaves can I sing

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted January 26, 2021 8:23 am

      Hey Nandi, you can sing just under two octaves.

  • by Michael Koebnick Posted January 22, 2021 9:17 am

    Hi Matt, I was wondering if it’s possible for you to add the following notes to your Vocal Range finder as they seem to be missing: A0 through B1. Just wondering why they’re not available on the Range finder as I’m trying to get down to that level but they never seem to pop up. Thanks.

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted January 26, 2021 8:24 am

      Hey Michael, it’s exceedingly difficult for a human being to sing that low at a dynamic that would be picked up by the range app.

  • by Jarany Gacria Posted January 26, 2021 5:51 pm

    Hello I tried the app and it keeps telling me that my lowest note is E6-Eb6anf Fb it keeps changing through does and I searched it up and e6 counts as a while note and a singer sang it as a high note but I’m kinda confused

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted January 28, 2021 6:19 am

      Hey Jarany, the vocal range app will interpret “vocal fry” as being up in the 6th or 7th octave.
      Make sure that when you’re testing your low notes, you’re singing with a full voice, rather than fry!

  • by Adurite Posted March 1, 2021 3:18 pm

    I am a male With a vocal range of F2-C8 with mY easiest to sIng notes Ranging fRom B♭2-F5 and i am wondering How many oCtaves Both of these are. (My A6-C8 are painFul to do so i dont go in that range much.) also Sorry in advance if there are capitalization Errors the kEyboard Is Acting weird.

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted March 13, 2021 1:10 pm

      Hey Adurite, it’s pretty unlikely that you can sing across all those octaves (which would be around 6 octaves).
      The human voice can typically sing between 1.5 and 4 octaves.
      Consider testing your vocal range again and don’t include vocal fry or whistle register.

  • by Issac Posted December 27, 2021 11:08 pm

    I tried the app and it said I have a vocal range of Ab3 to G3,I Am not really understanding either knowing my actual vocal range.Can u tell me Whats my vocal range ? Thank you so much 😊

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted January 15, 2022 6:00 pm

      Hey Issac, it sounds like you used the app incorrectly. Try again and sing your lowest note, followed by your highest note.

  • by Jaksen Pettit Posted January 5, 2022 6:09 pm

    Hi my range is e2-a5 and i have no ex with sing whatsoever but i am INTERESTED in learNing im a 15 year old boY if matters or Not but if you see this matt could you give me some advIce mayBe hopefully

  • by John Posted March 13, 2022 12:12 pm

    My vocal range is f2 to a flat and 1.5 octaves

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted May 23, 2022 10:17 am

      Nice John!

  • by Ken Posted March 13, 2022 2:31 pm

    My vocal range and voice is just like Johnny cash, and I’m 13 years of age

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted May 23, 2022 10:17 am

      Awesome Ken!

  • by AlAska Harely Posted March 14, 2022 6:40 pm

    My vocal range is a F#3 to G7 and I was just wondering what voice type I would be (I’m a female) And I also wanna know how many octaves that is

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted May 23, 2022 10:17 am

      Hey Alaska, that would be just over 4 octaves. Way to go!

  • by saydee Posted May 12, 2022 5:34 pm

    HI my rang is A3 to B7 I am a girl and 12 I have no Ex with singing and I’d like to know more about my voice do you have any advice for me?

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted May 23, 2022 10:09 am

      Yes, I would find the weakest areas of your fantastic vocal range and work on them.

  • by SCarlette Posted October 7, 2022 7:06 pm

    Hi so idk why this is in all caps I’m sorry but I wanted to ask what my voice type I am if I can hit a D3 but go all the way up to a G6?

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted October 15, 2022 8:39 am

      Hey Scarlette, these vocal ranges are general spans of notes that singers of that voice type can hit. Which of these ranges fits your voice the MOST and sounds the most like your voice?

  • by arousha Posted November 15, 2022 8:11 am

    oh idk my range is c4 to f4

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted January 4, 2023 10:17 am

      Hey Arousha, that’s a pretty small range. It’s possible that you have measured your range incorrectly.

  • by Chelsie Posted January 4, 2023 6:03 pm

    I’m so lost on what voice type I am. I have tried every test and literally anything you could think of. Hopefully I can get help here. My highest note is A5 without warming up for singing high notes, my lowest note is D#3, my Primo Passagio is D#4, and my Secondo Passaggio. HELP!

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted January 5, 2023 2:57 pm

      Hey Chelsie, maybe it’s a good idea to take a lesson…

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