The soprano vocal range is about C4 to A5, which is 261.6 Hz to 880.0 Hz. The soprano is the highest common singing voice. It is usually a woman's or a boy's voice, and in four-part choral music the soprano line sits on top and usually carries the melody.
Yellow keys: the New Harvard Dictionary range. Bars: each source's range. The black dot marks middle C (C4).
Pure tones at the reference notes (C4 to A5). Start with your volume low.
Soprano range in different sources
| Source | Range | Frequency | Span |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Harvard Dictionary of Music | C4 to A5 | 261.6 – 880.0 Hz | 21 semitones |
| Grove Music Online | C4 to A5 | 261.6 – 880.0 Hz | 21 semitones |
| Lumen Learning music textbook | C4 to C6 | 261.6 – 1046.5 Hz | 24 semitones |
There is no official standard for voice ranges; references differ by a few notes. New Harvard Dictionary of Music and Grove Music Online ranges as listed by Yale University Library (music cataloging); Lumen Learning, "Vocal Types and Ranges". Frequencies assume A4 = 440 Hz.
What is a soprano?
The soprano is the highest common singing voice. It is usually a woman's or a boy's voice, and in four-part choral music the soprano line sits on top and usually carries the melody.
Because sopranos sing the top line, a soprano's best notes often sit in the upper part of the staff, where the voice sounds bright and carries over a choir or orchestra. In opera the soprano usually sings the leading female roles.
Kinds of soprano
Music textbooks divide sopranos further by the weight and agility of the voice: coloratura (light, very agile, often the highest), soubrette, lyric, spinto and dramatic (fuller and heavier). These are labels for the character of a voice rather than separate ranges, so two sopranos with the same top note can belong to different kinds.
Soprano and the neighbouring voices
| Voice | Range | Notes shared with soprano |
|---|---|---|
| Mezzo-soprano | A3 to F5 | C4 to F5 (18 notes) |
Because neighbouring ranges overlap, range alone cannot settle your voice type. Where your voice sounds best and how it changes between low and high notes matter as much. A voice teacher can listen for those.
In a choir
Sings the soprano (S) part, the top line of SATB music, which usually carries the tune. Choral music is usually written for four parts, labelled SATB: soprano, alto, tenor and bass.
See every voice type side by side on the vocal ranges chart, or take the full vocal range test.
Common questions
What is the highest note a soprano can sing?
References place the top of the soprano range at A5 (New Harvard Dictionary and Grove) or C6, the 'soprano high C' (Lumen Learning). Some sopranos, especially coloraturas, sing higher than that, but those notes are outside the usual reference range.
Am I a soprano or a mezzo-soprano?
The two ranges overlap a great deal. A soprano usually sounds easier and brighter at the top; a mezzo-soprano sounds fuller lower down. Take the test above: if most of your notes sit from C4 upwards and you reach A5 comfortably, soprano is the closer match.
Is soprano always a female voice?
No. Boys with unbroken voices sing soprano (often called treble), and some adult men sing in the soprano range using falsetto.
Last reviewed 14 November 2026 by Sri Murugan Systems. Found a mistake? Tell us.