Alto vs. Countertenor — What's the Difference?

The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: altus), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second highest part, sung in choruses by either low women's or high men's voices.

A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a specific kind of countertenor) may match the soprano's range of around C4 to C6. Countertenors often are baritones or tenors at core, but only on rare occasions they use their lower vocal range, instead preferring their falsetto or high head voice.

A low female singing voice; a contralto.

An adult male voice with a range above that of tenor.

A countertenor.

A singer having a voice within this range.

The range between soprano and tenor.

Adult male singer who uses head tone or falsetto to sing far higher than the typical male vocal range

A singer whose voice lies within this range.

Male singing voice far higher than the typical male vocal range

An instrument that sounds within this range.

(Older) a part or section performing a countermelody against the tenor or main part

A vocal or instrumental part written in this range.

A male singer with a voice above that of a tenor

A musical part or section higher than tenor and lower than soprano, formerly the part that performed a countermelody above the tenor or main melody.

The highest adult male singing voice

A person or musical instrument that performs the alto part.

Of or being the highest male voice; having a range above that of tenor

An alto saxophone

Formerly the part sung by the highest male, or counter-tenor, voices; now the part sung by the lowest female, or contralto, voices, between in tenor and soprano. In instrumental music it now signifies the tenor.

An alto singer.

A singer whose voice lies in the alto clef

The lowest female singing voice

The highest adult male singing voice

The pitch range of the lowest female voice

Of or being the lowest female voice

Of or being the highest male voice; having a range above that of tenor

(of a musical instrument) second highest member of a group;