Difference Between Alto and Soprano

Alto vs Soprano

Alto and Soprano are terms related to female vocal. For those who are in to choir and musicals, the voice range greatly matters. It is vital that one knows if they are an alto or a soprano, since this will determine their place in the musicale. It will also greatly affect the parts that they get to sing and if they would be given that much coveted solo part.

Alto

Altos are usually considered as the second highest female singing voice. They can basically hit high notes but is still generally a lower form unless they try to start a very complex type of singing. Technically, alto is a vocal line that is properly designated to work as a bridge to connect contralto and mezzo-soprano. It registers on the F below middle to the C to the second D above.

Sopranos

Sopranos are the highest female singing voice naturally hitting the high notes in their vocal range. They are usually comfortable in reaching an F to F #, and they tend to sound brighter on high notes. It is often believed that soprano is not an actual voice range but rather a vocal line in which a female singer, not only hits the high notes but also was able to display clarity despite of the pitch and range.

Difference between Alto and Soprano

Experts would argue that one cannot be fully categorized as a full alto or soprano, since this is a vocal line, hence it is widely believed that there is no specific range for these vocals. You can have a soprano and an alto on the same vocal range but what would set them apart would be the tone quality. Once a soprano hits a high note it has more ring to it as compared to an alto, however once an alto hits a lower note its tone is darker than the alto. Also the soprano’s voice shift point is higher than that of an alto.

It is often understood that sopranos hits the high notes and altos don’t, but such is not the case in this situation. But more than their range, tone quality is also the main decisive point for a singer to be categorized as such.