When learning music, you may come across terms like alto. Alto refers to a voice part in choir, but it can be easy to think it's also a classical voice type.
Keep reading to learn more about the origins of the term and what it means today.
In music, alto is the part just above the tenor part and just below the soprano part. You can talk about alto voices and alto instruments.
The term alto was first used in the 1400s. At the time, choirs didn't have any women, but composers wanted to start writing more parts than the tenor line. They started writing two countertenor parts, one of which was higher.
This higher part got the name "contratenor altus" since "altus" means high. Over time, the term changed to be simply alto. Since women have been allowed to join choirs, the part has typically been assigned to women.
The alto part is technically not a classical voice type like soprano, tenor, or bass. Instead, it's primarily used in choral music to refer to the second-highest part. Alto singers are between the soprano and tenor voices.
Since there's no classical alto voice type, women with contralto and mezzo-soprano voices will sing this part. As a mezzo-soprano who's more comfortable in the low register, I sang alto when I participated in a choir.
Typical alto choir parts require a range of G3 (a perfect fourth below middle C) to E5 almost two octaves higher.
Some people use the terms alto and contralto interchangeably, but that's not correct. As mentioned, the alto voice is a choir part. Meanwhile, the contralto voice is the lowest female voice type in classical music.
Most contralto singers will perform the alto part when in a choir. However, some mezzo-sopranos with lower tessituras may also sing the alto line. Be sure to consider whether you're talking about choral music or classical music to use the correct terminology.
Alto and soprano refer to the two choir parts that women typically sing. The soprano part is the highest part and often has the melody. Alto parts in choir often support the soprano melody, and they may not be as interesting.
However, they don't require as many high notes. That makes them a good alternative for women with lower singing voices or who aren't as comfortable up high.
Like contralto, soprano is also a classical voice type. It's the highest voice type of all, so many sopranos will sing the soprano part in choir, but so can mezzo-sopranos with clear high notes.
In choral music, the alto line sits above the tenor line. Women will almost always sing alto, while men will almost always sing tenor. Now, in this range, there can be a quite a lot of overlap with women singing as low as men or men singing as high as women.
However, one's gender is the defining factor when assigning parts between alto and tenor. And like soprano voices, tenor is a classical voice type as well as a choir part.
That means men with the tenor voice will typically sing the tenor line. Men with a baritone voice can also take the tenor part if they have a good high register, similar to how mezzo-soprano singers might sing soprano.
Alto is also commonly used in instrumental music. In some cases, the term alto refers to a type of instrument as it relates to the main instrument of its family. For example, the alto flute and alto clarinet sit a perfect fourth and fifth below the flute and clarinet, respectively.
However, there's also the alto trombone, which plays higher than the standard tenor trombone. The alto trombone can also play a bit lower than the alto voice. Meanwhile, the alto flute plays higher than the alto voice.
The alto saxophone is another popular alto instrument. Its range closely overlaps that of the contralto voice, playing as low as a sounding Db3.
Other alto instruments, such as the alto recorder, are even more extreme. The alto recorder is well within the soprano vocal range. In this case, the term alto refers to the instrument's position between the soprano and tenor recorders.
Alto is a female voice part in choir music. It's the lower of the two female parts and often sings harmony. In SSAA choirs, it may sing the bass line as the lowest part.
Women can also play a variety of alto instruments, from the flute to the trombone to the saxophone.
If you're an alto, that means you most likely have a middle or low female singing voice. You'll sing the second-highest part in four-part choral music.
However, no one is an alto in terms of classical voice type classification. Women who sing alto in a choir will either be mezzo-soprano or contralto singers.
Alto is not the highest voice. In a choir, it's second to the soprano voice. However, in choirs that split into eight parts, alto will cover the third and fourth-highest lines.
Historically, alto was the highest voice in counterpoint music. But today, the prominence of women in music has allowed for voices to go even higher than the alto range.
Outside of music, there's a ride-hailing service called Alto. It's a smaller company, and they hire drivers as traditional employees rather than independent contractors.
Since the company is smaller, they aren't available in as many cities as Uber. In the future, the company may expand, but it's unclear when and where.
Alto is a standard voice type in choral music, but it's not a classical voice type. Women with mezzo-soprano or contralto voices may sing the alto part.
There are also alto instruments, including woodwinds and brass. Keep this in mind when choosing to learn to sing or play another instrument.