Whats the difference between an alto and a mezzo-soprano voice?
The difference is in the passaggio points. The passaggi are the areas in which your voice “cracks” or creates a different tone, about an octave apart in pitch. It’s different on everyone and is what truly identifies someone’s range. Other ways to tell your passaggio points are: 1. A change in note tone and quality 2. A sudden shift in vocal registration 3. Note drops or “breaks” in the voice 4. Difficulty blending or creating a mix A Mezzo Soprano primo passaggio will occur on the E-F4. The segundo passaggio will be the E-F5. A Contralto will be from G-Ab4 to D5. They have a much smaller middle voice area, and more difficulty in higher registers. Also, don’t confuse alto, the choral vocal part, with Contralto, the voice type. Alto in choral music is just a designation of range. Many choral parts for altos can go anywhere from E below middle C to F on the top of the staff! Many “altos” in choir are really mezzo sopranos, or sopranos that have never found comfort in singing out of their
