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How can Audacity help me determine vocal range and voice type?

rated 0 times [ 3] [ 0] / answers: 1 / hits: 27282 / 3 Years ago, thu, august 5, 2021, 1:29:48

Is there a way to use Audacity to record someone sing a song and then have a look at what musical notes a person has hit?

Here is a list of what type of singers exist:
Soprano: C4 – C6
Mezzo-soprano: A3 – A5
Contralto: F3 – F5
Tenor: C3 – C5
Baritone: F2 – F4
Bass: E2 – E4

This is why I'd like to use Audacity to tell me what notes the person hit...so that I could determine what type of singer a person is, but I really don't know if there is an application that analyzes singing in terms of notes.

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ndaavi

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3 Years ago

answered 3 Years ago calronze · Accepted Answer

Audacity has a pitch view. This screenshot is a little buggy, but you should be able to see that you click on the "Audio Track" menu then the "Pitch (EAC)" option.

audacity screenshot

That's my technical answer.

However, as a musician, I would say that this is a very inefficient and probably ineffective way to determine someone's range. I can croak out a low D that software might register as on pitch. Likewise I can sing notes in an alto's range but their timber and mine will be completely different (I'm a tenor). Likewise their dynamics at different areas of their vocal ranges will be completely different.

I would highly recommend using a piano or any other musical instrument (heck you could even have the computer generate tones if you don't have access to an instrument) to check pitch (or provide pitches for the vocalist to match) and then use your own ear to make a subjective judgement about the vocalist's range.