Singing Styles: 7 Singing Styles and Genres to Know

Whether you’re taking voice lessons or singing along to your favorite track in the shower, knowing your vocal range allows you to sound your best while protecting your voice. Working with vocal teachers will help you determine your tessitura—an Italian term describing the vocal register that feels most natural. Before you do that, familiarize yourself with the voice classifications. The different voice types depend on the highest and lowest notes you can sing comfortably from your chest, starting at middle C.

1. 1. Soprano: The highest singer’s voice type, a soprano’s range typically begins at B3 (the B below middle C) and extends to A5 (an A that is an octave plus a major sixth above middle C). Many professional sopranos can sing an even broader range when asked. The soprano range has multiple subcategories, including a coloratura soprano (who specializes in operatic singing) and sopranino (who sings extremely high, sometimes up to F6, which is more than two octaves above middle C). Sopranos famously sing the lead melody in traditional choral music.
2. 2. Mezzo-soprano: Another high-range voice type, a mezzo-soprano’s range runs from A3 to G5. However, many mezzo-sopranos can push those boundaries in either direction with the right training.
3. 3. Alto: Most trained altos can comfortably sing from G3 in their lower range to F5 in their upper range. A contralto goes even lower than a traditional alto singer.
4. 4. Tenor: A tenor ranges from C3 on the low end to C5 on the high end, although many tenor singers can hit higher notes. The highest singing voice in this range is called countertenor.
5. 5. Baritone: The second-to-lowest vocal range, a baritone voice goes somewhat lower than a tenor, typically sitting between A2 and A5. Many baritones can comfortably hit a C5, which gives them a similar range to a low tenor.
6. 6. Bass: A bass voice is the lowest standard voice type, and a bass singer can typically hit notes from E2 to E4. Some basses can hit even lower notes on sustained vowel sounds.
7. 7. Treble: The treble vocal range usually applies to pre-pubescent children. Most treble singers have a comfortable range between A3 and A5, which puts them in a similar range to a mezzo-soprano.
8. 8. Falsetto: Falsetto isn’t technically a vocal range, but the term (meaning “false voice”) refers to high notes a person will sing above their natural chest voice. Some people use the term as a synonym for “head voice,” but the two are slightly different as head voices can blend with chest voices. A true falsetto cannot do this.

Here’s a rundown of some different genres of music as they relate to singing styles

1. 1. Country: This musical style from the United States incorporates elements of folk, bluegrass, blues, and rural dance music. The defining characteristic of the country singing style is twangy vocals, but it’s important to let your vocal twang come through naturally instead of forcing it. From its inception, country music also emphasized group singing. Early acts like the Carter Family featured family members singing together. In recent years, country singers like Miranda Lambert found pop success by teaming up with other vocalists. If you’re pursuing a career in country music, consider finding a duet partner to go on the journey with you.
2. 2. Hip-hop: Hip-hop is a genre of music often characterized by a strong, rhythmic beat and a rapping vocal track. There are dozens of hip-hop subgenres, including trap, grime, gangsta rap, rap-rock, crunk, chillhop, bounce, Latin hip-hop, and more. Many hip-hop artists use rapping—a rhythmic, usually rhymed type of chant that interplays with the beat—as their main vocal style. However, some hip-hop artists will sing choruses or bridges in pop or R&B-style.
3. 3. Jazz: Jazz music is a broad style characterized by complex harmony, syncopated rhythms, call and response vocals, and a heavy emphasis on improvisation. Due to the genre’s complex harmonies and rhythms, it’s vital for singers within the genre to have impeccable musical timing. It’s also important to develop your ad-libbing skills to sing jazz successfully, since the music is highly improvisational. Improvising is also key to creating a signature vocal style in this genre. Additionally, jazz singers traditionally have a lower register voice range. Learn more about jazz improvisation with tips from Herbie Hancock.
4. 4. Musical theater: This singing style runs the gamut from pop to rock and occasionally incorporates operatic elements. If you have Broadway dreams, start by familiarizing yourself with conventional musical theater singing styles through the eras. Older musicals emphasize clear enunciation and rounded vowels, while modern musicals often mix speech-level singing and belting (a form of vocal projection on the cusp of your chest and head voice). Singers performing in this style must act and sing simultaneously. In addition to practicing your vocals, work on channeling your character’s emotions as you sing.
5. 5. Opera: Opera singing or classical singing is an art form that combines theater (both comedic and dramatic) and classical music. Operatic women’s voices typically fall among contralto, mezzo-soprano, and soprano, while men’s often range among bass, baritone, tenor, and countertenor. There are two types of operatic singing: recitative (nearly spoken yet sung to pitch) and arias (formal songs interspersed throughout the piece). Opera singers will also use vibrato, the subtle oscillation between two different pitches. Training your voice to master opera techniques typically requires working with a vocal coach.
6. 6. Pop: Pop music is short for “popular music,” which refers to music with broad appeal trending high on the current music industry charts. Pop music is often energetic, danceable, and always catchy. Borrowing from several musical genres, pop singing requires mastery of numerous vocal techniques and styles, from quiet, breathy singing to full belting within the same song. Seek out vocal exercises that develop your head voice (the highest part of a singer’s vocal range) when you’re learning to sing in this genre. Pop music should also be fun to watch, so work on developing an engaging stage presence. Emote with your facial expressions as you sing, and use your body language to emphasize the lyrics.
7. 7. Rock: Rock music has origins in blues, but this music category contains almost infinite subgenres of rock music, including alternative rock, punk rock, hard rock, soft rock, indie rock, pop rock, and more. Though this eclectic genre comprises many singing styles, rock singers, in general, are energetic, raucous, and comfortable with various singing techniques. A well-rounded rock singing voice can both belt and use vibrato. You can also practice vocal fry to achieve that classic gravelly hard-rock voice, but try to be as gentle as possible. Singing in this genre can strain your vocal cords when done improperly.

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