tessitura
Singer's sweet spot
Tessitura is the range of pitches where a vocal or instrumental part sits most comfortably and frequently—not the extreme highs and lows a voice can hit, but where it spends most of its time.
A song might be within a singer's range but still exhausting if its tessitura lies at the upper edge: The aria's tessitura is too high for most baritones.
Highest female voice range
- mezzo-sopranoMedium female singing voice
- tenorEssential meaning or import
- baritoneMid-range male voice
- contraltoLowest female vocal range
bass · coloratura · passaggio · register · aria · recitative · legato · vibrato
Device showing cardinal directions
- registerRecord officially; vocal range
- octaveEight-note interval
- intervalDuration between two points
- passaggioVocal register transition zone
high · low · comfortable · optimal · natural · extension · limit · placement
Earning points in competition
- arrangementOrdered configuration or agreement
- instrumentationDesign of measuring devices
- woodwindsInstruments played by blowing
- brassCopper-zinc metal mixture
strings · percussion · ensemble · timbre · voicing · doubling · blend · balance
soprano
Highest female voice range
- mezzo-sopranoMedium female singing voice
- tenorEssential meaning or import
- baritoneMid-range male voice
contralto · bass · coloratura · passaggio · register · aria · recitative · legato · vibrato · belting
compass
Device showing cardinal directions
passaggio · high · low · comfortable · optimal · natural · extension · limit · placement · singable
scoring
Earning points in competition
- arrangementOrdered configuration or agreement
- instrumentationDesign of measuring devices
- woodwindsInstruments played by blowing
brass · strings · percussion · ensemble · timbre · voicing · doubling · blend · balance · orchestral
tessituravocal range
Singer's pitch span
range · outer limits · compass · extension · high notes
text, texture, textile, textural, texturize, texturized, texturally, texturizing