Alto vs. Tenor — 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 tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is one of the highest of the male voice types.

A low female singing voice; a contralto.

A singing voice between baritone and alto or countertenor, the highest of the ordinary adult male range

A countertenor.

An instrument, especially a saxophone, trombone, tuba, or viol, of the second or third lowest pitch in its family

The range between soprano and tenor.

The general meaning, sense, or content of something

A singer whose voice lies within this range.

The actual wording of a document.

An instrument that sounds within this range.

The time that must elapse before a bill of exchange or promissory note becomes due for payment.

A vocal or instrumental part written in this range.

The general course or character of something

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 word, phrase, or subject with which the vehicle of a metaphor is identified, as life in "Life's but a walking shadow" (Shakespeare).

A person or musical instrument that performs the alto part.

The general meaning; the purport or drift

An alto saxophone

The highest natural adult male voice.

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.

One who sings this part.

An alto singer.

An instrument that sounds within this range.

A singer whose voice lies in the alto clef

A vocal or instrumental part written within this range.

The lowest female singing voice

(music) A musical range or section higher than bass and lower than alto.

The highest adult male singing voice

A person, instrument, or group that performs in the tenor higher than bass and lower than alto range.

The pitch range of the lowest female voice

A musical part or section that holds or performs the main melody, as opposed to the contratenor bassus and contratenor altus, who perform countermelodies.

Of or being the lowest female voice

The lowest tuned in a ring of bells.

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

Tone, as of a conversation.

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

(obsolete) duration; continuance; a state of holding on in a continuous course; general tendency; career.

(linguistics) The subject in a metaphor to which attributes are ascribed.

(finance) Time to maturity of a bond.

Stamp; character; nature.

(legal) An exact copy of a writing, set forth in the words and figures of it. It differs from purport, which is only the substance or general import of the instrument.

That course of thought which holds on through a discourse; the general drift or course of thought; purport; intent; meaning; understanding.

A tenor saxophone.

Of or pertaining to the tenor part or range.

A state of holding on in a continuous course; manner of continuity; constant mode; general tendency; course; career.

That course of thought which holds on through a discourse; the general drift or course of thought; purport; intent; meaning; understanding.

Stamp; character; nature.

An exact copy of a writing, set forth in the words and figures of it. It differs from purport, which is only the substance or general import of the instrument.

The higher of the two kinds of voices usually belonging to adult males; hence, the part in the harmony adapted to this voice; the second of the four parts in the scale of sounds, reckoning from the base, and originally the air, to which the other parts were auxillary.

The adult male singing voice above baritone

The pitch range of the highest male voice

An adult male with a tenor voice

Pervading note of an utterance;

(of a musical instrument) intermediate between alto and baritone or bass;

Of or close in range to the highest natural adult male voice;