Mezzo-soprano
<music> \meterOff \cadenzaOn a4 \glissando s f </music> The mezzo range
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The mezzo-soprano is the most common female voice whose tessitura lies between the soprano voice and contralto voice, over-lapping both of them. The typical mezzo-soprano range is between A3 (the A below middle C) to "high A" (A5) and often sings the part of Alto 1. In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the G below middle C (G3) and as high as "high C" (C6). More practical "safe" ranges are a conservative A3 or B3 up to a D5 or F5 at the most.
Mezzo-sopranos are often broken down into three categories: Lyric mezzo-soprano, Coloratura mezzo-soprano and Dramatic mezzo-soprano.
| Instruments and Voices | |
|---|---|
| Woodwinds | Flute (Piccolo/Alto/Bass) • Recorder • Oboe (Cor Anglais/Oboe D'amore/Heckelphone) • Clarinet (E♭/Bass/Contrabass) • |
| Brass | Horn • Cornet • Trumpet • Trombone • Euphonium • Tuba • Saxhorns |
| Keyboards | Piano • Organ • Harmonium • Harpsichord • Clavichord • Celesta • Accordion |
| Percussion | Tuned: Timpani • Glockenspiel • Chimes • Vibraphone • Xylophone • Marimba • Crotales • Musical saw • Hammered Dulcimer
Untuned: Snare drum • Bass drum • Triangle • Cymbals • Gongs • Tom-toms • Shakers • Drumset |
| Electronic | Theremin • Ondes Martenot • Synthesizer • Electronic Wind Instrument |
| Stringed | Bowed: Violin • Viola • Violoncello • Contrabass |
| Voices | Female: Soprano • Mezzo-soprano (often mistaken with Alto) • Contralto (often mistaken with Alto)
Male: Treble • Countertenor • Tenor • Baritone • Bass-baritone • Bass |
