Soprano is the highest female voice type. The timbre tends to be light and bright, although there are also many full-voiced sopranos. The soprano vocal range extends from approximately middle C (C4) to 'high A' (A5) in choral music, or to soprano C (C6, two octaves above middle C) or higher in operatic music.

 

A soprano's first passaggio (registration pivot point) lies around F#4 or G4, and her second around F#5 or G5.

 

There are different types of soprano depending on the quality of sound and weight of voice: coloratura (high and florid); leggerio (light); lyric (warm tone, long flowing phrases); dramatic (heavy and dark); and spinto (a mixture of lyric an(d dramatic).

 

Sopranos who can sing higher than C#6 are sometimes known as a sopraninos, although they are most likely to be called sopranos.

 

Below soprano comes mezzo-soprano, the timbre of which tends to be richer and somewhat more mellow.