How do you decide if you're a soprano mezzo soprano or alto without using music notes?

Answer 1

For some people, it is clear that their voice is better higher or lower. For others, a choir director may place them in the section where he needs them at the time. This can be particularly confusing for those who have a wide vocal range or who have a bigger voice that needs training. It should be easy to tell if one has a light soprano voice. The ability to hit low notes is not a guarantee that one is an alto (or contralto). A dramatic soprano would also have low notes, but would need training to develop the high notes. A mezzo would be able to vocalize in a similar range to a dramatic soprano, so it is not a simple question of what notes can be reached. A soprano would only spend a little time singing at the lower part of her range. A mezzo would only spend a little time singing at the higher part of her range - like one good high note at the end. A contralto would spend a lot of time singing at the lower part of her range. Voices can also be judged by whether they are brighter or darker. There would be a tendency for a higher voice to be brighter and for a lower voice to be darker, but there are variations within the mezzo category and within the soprano category. Italian dramatic soprano roles tend to be for darker voices than German dramatic soprano roles, even if the range is similar. Rossini mezzo-soprano roles would be brighter than Verdi. There are also "soubrette" roles in Mozart, which might be comfortable for either a light mezzo or a light soprano. The mezzo would probably sound a little more mature than a soubrette, whose voice and looks and personality all emphasize a youthful quality.