The sequence of the main steps in the scale is repeated, which allows you to assign names to all of its steps:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| before | re | mi | F | salt | la | si | before | re | mi | F | salt | la | si | before | etc. |
To distinguish the steps that are the same in name, but different in pitch, help octaves... In Latin, the octave ( octava) means eighth, which can be interpreted as the eighth sound. Let us take the key as the initial step. before green (Fig. 1) and assign it a serial number 1. We count from it eight keys to the left (down) and get the adjacent key before blue with a serial number 8. Now count from the green key eight keys to the right (up) and get the key before yellow with serial number 8.
Rice. 1. Two full octaves
Octaves are often used in musical compositions and it is important to learn how to find them quickly on the keyboard. Black keys will help to do this. How, for example, find an octave from a step F? From fig. 1 shows that the key F located in front of the three black keys. We are looking for the nearest adjacent key on the keyboard , which is positioned in the same way in relation to the black keys.
Each octave has its own name and designation:
C3 - infrasounds
C2 - subcontroctave
C1 - counter octave
C - large octave
c - small octave
c1 - first octave
c2 - second octave
c3 - third octave
c4 - fourth octave
c5 - fifth octave
c6 - sixth octave
c7 - ultrasounds
Thus, 12 octaves are defined for the scale. For comparison, the piano scale consists of seven and a half octaves, in which the outermost octaves are incomplete.
Rice. 2. The sound of the piano
In fig. 3 shows a 5 octave synthesizer. Which instrument do you think has a larger scale (wider), a piano or a given synthesizer? In fact, they are practically equal, since this model of the synthesizer has the ability to shift the scale up and down an octave, which expands the scale of the synthesizer to 7 full octaves. Many 5-octave synthesizers have the ability to shift the scale by 2 octaves up and down, which expands their scale to 9 octaves.
The exact name of a degree consists of the name of the degree and the name of the octave in which it is located, for example: before small octave (c), salt third octave (g 3).
So, the musical scale gives us the number and sequence of steps, and what frequencies correspond to them? To determine this, you need to know the reference frequency and pitch. An oscillation with a frequency of 440 Hz was chosen as a reference frequency, to which the step la the first octave (green key in Fig. 3). The sound of a given frequency is a reference due to the fact that the frequencies of all other sounds in the scale are calculated relative to its frequency, as a result of which a tuning is formed - a system that sets the correspondence of the steps of a musical scale to sounds of a certain pitch. Tuning is important in music, since it makes it possible to obtain a consistent and pleasant sound of various musical instruments individually or together.
Range is the main property of the human voice. There are octaves in the range: the more there are, the better the range. The ranges can be measured; if it doesn’t work in your favor, you can argue that you have a working range. If it turns out that your range is 2-3 octaves or more, you should definitely brag.
I will also share my knowledge about this subject.
So some ranges:
1 octave. Used as a curse word.
1.5 octaves. This is the middle range of an undelivered voice. It happens less.
The same range is enough for the performance of many pop and shitty songs. After all, those who sing them themselves usually do not have more.
2 octaves. Considered the standard for the pros.
Here we need to clarify. Two octaves in the understanding of academics is very, very good. It is understood that the bottom note is heard in the theater in the last rows, through the orchestra, while the singer does not choke. The top note should also sound - no rolling, no tremolation, hoarseness, in a natural timbre. And - most importantly - to express something, to convey a certain mood.
These two octaves are enough for almost everything. Even, I will note, in order to pop the range.
In jazz, it is measured differently, and it comes out much more - take the same Mariah Carey.
An analogy can be drawn with watts. For example, a Soviet radio tape recorder (2x3.5W) and a foreign one (380W) - the sound power is almost the same.
3 octaves. Either a lot (if a worker), or a little (if there is a falsetto at the top, and a whisper at the bottom).
Before I forget. Small dictionary.
_Falsett_, or three-phase oscillation - the mode of operation of the larynx. Distinguish between chest / falsetto, voice / falsetto. The male range is NOT INCLUDED.
Female, countertenor and other voices sing ALMOST THE ENTIRE range in this way, so it makes no sense to talk about falsetto here.
Pop, folk, jazz singers sing in a two-phase vibration (that is, with a breast) to the re-fa of the second octave. Then there really is a falsetto.
_Mixt_ - a) dense, supported falsetto; b) THE METHOD OF SINGING, in which the "chest" is facilitated for a smooth transition to falsetto.
_Head_ - a) head resonance. Required on ALL ranges for all voices. b) upper case, usually in women.
I remembered this with my head; anyway. Let's go further.
3.5 octaves. Alexander Gradskiy is an example of how not to measure the range. If he has three and a half, so do I. Yes Yes! C sharp large - second salt. I can take more!
4 octaves. Sergey Penkin, Diamanda Galas. Ima Sumak. Jozek. Another sacramental figure is synonymous with the concept of "unique voice" in the mass consciousness, so all newcomers (including myself) are looking for four octaves.
5 octaves. Mariah Carey.
7 1/4 octaves, for subcontrol - up to 5. THIS really was in the Guinness book. Marita Gunther, student of Alfred Wolfson.
One more touch. Confusion with octaves.
The thing is ... The thing is that laziness. Too lazy, for example, to write two keys for the guitar, the treble and the bass - that's why all guitar notes are written one octave higher.
It's the same with the male voice - if you record notes in real sound, you get a lot of extra lines. Therefore, vocal notes (especially tenor) are also written an octave higher.
In short, remember. Second octave in treble clef = first in real sound. Tuning fork: for the second / for the first. First string: E second / E first. Do you remember?
Well, once you have remembered, I will now write what a full range is.
Full range, friends, is when a (academic) singer has all the notes he needs for his voice. There are usually two octaves of such notes, hence the sacramental figure.
Tenor: to minor - to second. Tenor altino - E second.
Baritone: A-flat large - A-flat first. Baritone martin - all the first.
Bass Cantante: fa-fa # large - fa-fa # first.
Bass-profundo: re-mi big - mi first.
Bass octavist: the lower the better. The controctave fa is just right.
Women's voices are almost the same an octave higher.
Coloratura sopranos - fa third,
the countertenor is sung in the mezzo-soprano range.
Castrates covered any female range. Farinelli had three and a half octaves; Moreschi took E in third at the end of his career.
I have often met expressions like “I have a 4 octave range”, or “a singer of this group has an 8 octave range !! 11”. To understand if this is delirium, it is enough to know what it is octave.
From a physical point of view octave is an increase in the frequency of sound vibrations by half. For example, 440 Hz is for the first octave (standard tuning fork), 880 Hz is for the second octave. The interval between them is an octave. (Such a musical system has been the main one for Europeans for 2 centuries already).
The entire band of voice frequencies in people of both sexes lies between about 80 Hz and 1100 Hz. From large octave D (73 Hz) to third octave # (1108 Hz).
Calculated in octaves, we get:
80 * 2 ^ x = 1100;
2 ^ x = 1100/80;
x = ln (110/8) / ln (2) = 3.78 octaves;
Let's round up to 4 octaves. This is the entire (FULL) range of normal human voices from bass to soprano. A person (no matter what gender) who can sing in the 4 octave range, has outstanding vocal talent (and most likely years of training). There are few such people. These four octaves can be shifted above or below the main band, but now I'm talking in general terms about the range. In the Guinness Book of Records the record for men is 6 octaves, for women - 8 octaves. There are only a few such mutants in all of humanity.
The vocal ranges (bass tenor alto soprano) are usually divided into 2 octaves. Let's say we take into account not only the normal register of the voice, but also the falsetto - this is still about 1 octave up for men. For female voices, falsetto gives a slight gain in range. There are 3 octaves in total: this well trained singing voice with falsetto. A confident voice without falsetto from 2 to 3 octaves is already good data + very good training.
For example, Freddie Mercury could sing from large octave F to second octave F (and up to E third in falsetto). This is three octaves of pure voice and almost an octave of falsetto. Eric Adams sings in 4 octaves on the recordings.
It should also be borne in mind that the actual range and musical range are different things. Vocal range is usually understood as a set musically useful sounds that are available to the singer. Useful sounds are those sounds that the singer can give the necessary duration, strength and color. For example, I can squeak in falsetto in the third octave and gurgle in bass in a big one - but musically these sounds are useless, because I can neither control their duration, nor make them loud, nor influence expressiveness. And the very reproduction of them causes such tension that about no execution no question.
The standard piano keyboard is 88 keys. It is 7 octaves with a tail. Twice as much as is available to a very well-developed voice.
Knowing your own voice range is useful for every musician. It's not just about vocalists, but about all people involved in music - composers, guitarists, pianists. Knowing the range helps to write music in comfortable keys (or to choose the minus in the right keys), as well as to process vocals in such a way as not to break the ligaments.
site explains how to determine the range of a voice in order to properly communicate your own vocals.
How do you describe your own voice?
Imagine that a musician responded to an ad from a local band looking for a guitarist with a good voice. The band members ask the musician what his voice is. How do you answer this question?
There are three ways to describe your vocals:
- Compare your voice with another vocalist. The method is obviously a failure, since no one will believe that you sing in the same way as Robert Plant;
- Give a general description of your vocals. For example, say that you are a lyric baritone, rock tenor or rock alto. This description is easier to understand, but does not convey useful information;
- Talk about the range of your voice, noting the lowest and highest note you can sing. This is the most informative and normal way of describing vocals.
Despite the clarity of the third method, musicians often give incomplete information about the vocal range. Many students who come to me say that they can sing all notes from lower C to B flat, but they do not specify which octaves are in question.
How to determine the range of a voice?
To accurately determine the range of your voice, it is enough to turn to music theory and the octave system of grouping notes. All sounds that we can use in music and which are distinguishable by the human ear are divided into 9 octaves. A number is attached to each note C, indicating the octave to which it belongs.
| Number | Octave name |
|---|---|
| 0 | Subcontroctave |
| 1 | Controctava |
| 2 | Big octave |
| 3 | Small octave |
| 4 | First octave |
| 5 | Second octave |
| 6 | Third octave |
| 7 | Fourth octave |
| 8 | Fifth octave |
Thus, Before the subcontact will be denoted as C0, Before the contractave - C1, and so on. All other notes within the octave are also indicated by the corresponding number: F of the controctave - F1, G of the first octave - G4, E of the fifth octave - E8. The C note of the first octave is in the middle of the 88-key keyboard and is often taken as the starting point (also called Middle C in Western musical tradition).
You can determine the range of the voice using the piano or the Piano Roll. Start your search for sounds you can sing from C4. If you can sing this sound cleanly, move down and then up, checking the notes available to your voice. The last sounds from above and below that you were able to sing cleanly and without discomfort for yourself and your vocal cords are the boundaries of the vocal range.
The notes A and B of a small octave (A3, B3) and Do and Re of the first octave (C4-D4) are available to all people. Men and women with any voice sing these notes cleanly.
Despite the tough sound delineation, you can play notes above or below a certain range without difficulty. However, the range of the voice includes only those notes that you can sing with ease and without discomfort in any situation.
| Name | Affiliation | Notation | Decoding notation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | Male | E2-D4 | From Mi of the big octave to D of the first octave |
| Baritone | Male | F2-G4 | From Fa large octave to G first octave |
| Tenor | Male | A2-C5 | From A large octave to up to the second octave |
| Alto | Female | E3-G5 | From E small octave to Sol of the second octave |
| Mezzo-soprano | Female | E3-B ♭ 5 | From E small octave to B flat of the second octave |
| Soprano | Female | G3-C6 | From low octave salt to up to third octave |
Each voice has many subtypes that specify the range of notes available (for example, baritone is subdivided into lyric, dramatic, and tenor-baritone), but such refinements are not practical for ordinary musicians.
