Learn the countertenor vocal range, roughly E3 to E5, how men sing it in head voice or falsetto and which roles are written for it, then sing into your mic to see how much of that range you cover. Free, no sign-up.
Quick reference
A countertenor sings about where a contralto does, but with a man's voice. These are the numbers that define the voice, including the overlap zone where its two registers meet.
| Measure | Notes | Frequency | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical countertenor range | E3 – E5 | 165 – 659 Hz | About the same as a contralto |
| Also printed as | G3 – E5 | 196 – 659 Hz | Leaves out the chest-voice bottom |
| Comfortable tessitura | About A3 – D5 | 220 – 587 Hz | Mostly in head voice or falsetto |
| Register overlap | Around Bb3 | 233 Hz | Notes that work in chest or falsetto |
| Speaking voice | Tenor or baritone | About 85 – 155 Hz | Countertenors talk like most men |
| Sopranist | Up to about C6 | Up to 1,047 Hz | A rarer type with a soprano range |
Most references give the countertenor range as about E3 to D5 or E5; some charts start at G3 because the lowest notes are sung in chest voice and rarely used. The test on this page uses E3 to E5. C4 is middle C and A4 is 440 Hz.
How it works
The test hears pitch, not technique: it measures the notes you hold, whichever register you use. So warm up the voice you would actually sing countertenor repertoire in.
Step 1
Hum for a minute, then slide up on a light 'oo' until your voice flips into falsetto or head voice, and play there for another minute. Countertenor singing lives in that lighter register, so it needs to be warm before you test it.
Step 2
Press Start and begin on a comfortable chest-voice note around E3 to A3. Step up slowly, switch into head voice or falsetto where it feels easiest, often somewhere between Bb3 and D4, and keep climbing. Hold each note for about two seconds.
Step 3
You get your lowest and highest steady notes, your match with the countertenor range of E3 to E5, and your overlap with tenor, baritone and the women's voice types. Choose 'Compare as: Male' to rank only the men's types.
Quick reference
The word covers a few traditions. What they share is a man singing in a range usually given to women's or boys' voices.
| Type | How it is sung | Range | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Countertenor (male alto) | Mostly head voice or falsetto | About E3 – E5 | Bach, Handel, Purcell, Britten |
| Sopranist (male soprano) | Falsetto or head voice, very high | About C4 – C6 | Roles written for soprano castrati |
| Haute-contre | High tenor, mostly full voice | About C3 – D5 | French Baroque opera |
| Choral male alto | Falsetto blended into a choir | About G3 – D5 | Cathedral choirs, early music groups |
Opera houses cast countertenors in roles first written for castrati, such as Handel's Giulio Cesare and Gluck's Orfeo, and in roles written for the voice, such as Oberon in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream and the title role of Philip Glass's Akhnaten.
Highlights
A countertenor shares notes with tenors and with altos, but sounds like neither. Here is what sets the voice apart.
A tenor sings his top notes in full voice, usually up to about C5, and those notes are climaxes. A countertenor switches into falsetto or a strengthened head voice and stays there for most of the music, sitting comfortably around B4 to D5, where a tenor would be at his limit.
A countertenor covers roughly the same notes as a contralto, but the sound is different: often purer, straighter and more focused, with less of the chest-voice warmth of a woman's low notes. That color suits Baroque music and the cool, otherworldly roles composers write for the voice.
Almost every man has a falsetto, but turning it into a strong, even, supported sound takes years of training. Countertenors speak as baritones or tenors, and many first sang in those choir sections before developing the high voice that made them countertenors.
A countertenor is a male classical singer whose range matches a contralto or mezzo-soprano, usually about E3 to E5. Most countertenors sing at least the upper half of that range in falsetto or a reinforced head voice and use chest voice for the lowest notes. The name comes from the contratenor altus, the line written above the tenor in Renaissance music, which also gave us the word 'alto'.
The voice faded from opera when castrati took the high male roles, but it survived in English church choirs. Its modern revival began with Alfred Deller in the mid-20th century; Benjamin Britten wrote Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1960) for him, and Russell Oberlin led the way in the United States. Since then singers such as James Bowman, Andreas Scholl, David Daniels, Philippe Jaroussky, Iestyn Davies, Anthony Roth Costanzo and Jakub Józef Orliński have made countertenors a regular sight in opera houses.
Pop has plenty of high male singing, from the Bee Gees' falsetto hits to soul and R&B ad-libs, but those singers are not countertenors in the classical sense. The term describes a classical voice type and the repertoire that comes with it, not simply a man who sings high.
Training starts with the falsetto most men already have. The aim is to turn a breathy, wobbly sound into a clear, supported one that carries without a microphone. Gentle onsets on 'oo' and 'ee', sirens from the middle voice into the top, and five-note scales between about A4 and D5 are typical early exercises. The breath support and vowel tips in how to sing higher apply here too.
The hardest area is the bottom of the range, around Bb3 to D4, where chest voice and falsetto overlap. Practice sliding down through it on a soft 'ng' until the switch is smooth, and keep chest notes light so they match the color above. Don't chase volume: a countertenor voice grows through resonance and breath support, not force.
Last updated October 21, 2026
Use cases
The voice has a small but busy world of its own, from candlelit chapels to new opera.
Renaissance polyphony and Bach's cantatas and Passions often put countertenors on the alto line.
Handel and Vivaldi roles first sung by castrati now often go to countertenors.
The English choral tradition has used male altos for centuries, alongside boy trebles.
Composers from Britten to Philip Glass have written major roles for the voice, and new ones keep appearing.
FAQ
Straight answers about the countertenor voice, its range and the test.
Still have a question?
The quickest way to find out is to try it yourself. It only takes a minute.
Sing from your lowest chest note up through your falsetto and see how much of the countertenor range, E3 to E5, you cover. Free, no sign-up, nothing uploaded.
