SATB
If you’re not sure what part you are in a choir, here’s how to start:
The Basics of SATB (or Soprano/Alto/Tenor/Bass)
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Soprano: The highest female voice part.
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Alto: The lower female voice part.
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Tenor: The highest male voice part. (There are often female voices in this range as well)
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Bass: The lowest male voice part.
While there are many YouTube videos out there with picking your highest and lowest notes and your middle ranges, here’s a simplified version on how to decide what part is best for you.
Here’s the note range that’s typical for each part. This is a visual aid, if you can’t read music, the audio files below will help you.
Below is an audio file for the range of notes from lowest to highest for each part, holding the first note for a bit to see if you can start on that note. These are standard ranges, not necessarily what our parts are. While these are the top and bottom notes for a standard part, you don’t need to be able to sing the entire range in the examples.
Pay close attention to how your voice feels. Don't push yourself beyond your comfortable range. Remember Soprano and Alto are typically female voices and Tenor and Bass are typically male voices, however you can have female Tenors or male Altos etc.
Hope this helps you decide on the range best for you! Remember, if you still don’t know, we can help you figure it out during one of our rehearsals.