alto
The second-highest voice type, or an instrument pitched between soprano and tenor.
In Depth
The alto voice was historically undervalued in opera, but roles like Carmen (mezzo-[soprano](/term/mezzo-soprano)/alto range) and Erda in Wagner's Ring cycle gave lower female voices some of the most dramatic music in the repertoire.
Related Terms
More in Theory
Browse allA sharp, flat, or natural sign that alters a note from the prevailing key signature.
Symbols placed before notes to raise or lower their pitch by a semitone or return them to their natural state
Relating to sound or the properties of sound, especially music produced without electronic amplification.
The natural minor scale, with the pattern W-H-W-W-H-W-W, producing the most common minor tonality in Western music.
Music in which some element of the composition is left to chance or to the performer's discretion.
The measure of a sound wave's intensity, perceived as loudness or volume.
One or more notes before the first full bar of a piece, also called a pickup or upbeat.
One or more notes that precede the first full measure of a piece, also called a pickup or upbeat, creating forward momentum into the downbeat.