What Male Voice Type Should You Have?

Though this voice type his hardly heard in modern music, there was a time when countertenors were some of the most sought-after singers in the industry. Contrary to popular belief, the term "countertenor" is synomymous with neither "male soprano" nor "treble," as singing countertenor involves using falsetto voice to sing higher (usually in the alto range) as opposed to utilizing a unique physiology or altered anatomy. Countertenors are almost always a little strange, and are the most likely among the male voice types to date someone of the same sex. Most countertenors also sing tenor, and so they get along well with them, but baritones and basses are nearly useless, as far as they are concerned. Countertenors get along well with sopranos, because they are both the highest of voice types for their respective genders, though they are usually seen as the "best friend," rather than romantic material. Mezzos and altos sometimes resent countertenors for their ability to reach notes well within to the middle of the female voice range with realtive ease. Contraltos tend to let their motherly side come out most with the often-immature countertenors, and get along with them quite well. You are probably a little spacey and imaginative if you sing in this range, and are probably used to being put out from larger groups. If you are a confident countertenor, however, you're alright with that, and positively exult in your uniqueness.

In terms of the choral and classical male voice heirarchy, you're definitley at the top of the heap. Among the untrained masses, a tenor voice is particularly rare, and usually tends to coincide with vocal and musical talent that makes up for their small numbers. Tenors are the leading man, and really the only male voice type that can make the haughtiest of sopranos swoon. Those that date the same sex often go for baritones, simply because the middle-range voice types rarely have the ambition and competitive, dramatic spirit of those who sing in the high or low extremes. Though tenors are not technically the highest voice type among men, they are the most comfortable singing in the higher part of the modal voice, usually making them a good deal louder (per capita) than any other section, save perhaps well-developed sorpanos. Tenors are romantic interests to sopranos, and usually mezzos, but are often resented by altos and contraltos because they can reach the same notes as these lower-voiced women can. The rivalry between tenors and basses is notorious, though perhaps not so pronounced as that between sopranos and altos, usually involving the basses questioning the tenors' masculinity for being able to sing so high, and the tenors displaying their superior musical talents. If you're a tenor, you're probably confident and in control, and a driven and ambitious musician. You can sometimes be air-headed and arrogant, but hey, you've got to have room for all that resonance.