Determining basic voice classification of high school choir students
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify the most commonly used criteria to determine basic voice classification (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) for high school choir students. Survey participants were high school choir directors from across the state of Texas as identified by the Texas Choral Directors Association. The questions in the survey focused on the five main criteria for choral voice classification as derived from an examination of scholarly literature, particularly choral methods textbooks. These criteria are: range, tessitura, timbre, passaggio, and speaking pitch. The choir directors surveyed were asked whether they consider these criteria (in addition to others), and they were asked to rank the criteria in order of importance. The data collected suggests that the top five criteria used for voice placement are: range, tessitura, timbre, passaggio, and needs of the ensemble.
Subject Area
Music|Music education
Recommended Citation
Reneau, April Christine, "Determining basic voice classification of high school choir students" (2008). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI1453815.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI1453815