The Keyboard
The black keys always appear in groups of two or three. The note C is often the starting note for relating all other notes to. The C note is a white key. It is always on the left hand side of a group of two black keys.
The C note in the middle of the keyboard is called middle C. This note is in the range of all of the voice types, although it will be towards the top of some male voice ranges and towards the bottom of some female voice ranges.
The Bass Clef
This symbol is called a bass clef. Vocal music for tenor, baritone and bass voices usually uses a bass clef instead of a treble clef.
The Bass Staff
A staff with a bass clef written on it is called a bass staff.
The Grand Staff
When the treble and bass staves are joined together by a line and a bracket, they are called a grand staff.
Piano music is written on the grand staff. Four part vocal music can also be written on the grand staff.
Middle C is written just below the treble staff or just above the bass staff on a short line called a ledger line. Any other notes above or below a staff are also written on ledger lines.
The following keyboard diagrams show typical ranges of the six basic voice types. Remember that everyone’s voice range is individual and that your own voice may fall between any of the traditional categories.
Also keep in mind that these are voice ranges of fully developed singing voices, so when you start learning to sing, you may have a smaller range than the ones shown here. Many tenors have larger ranges than the one shown here. Listen to the examples to hear the highest and lowest notes of each range.
