Contratenor vs. Countertenor

Contratenornoun

(music) countertenor

Contratenornoun

Counter tenor; contralto.

Countertenornoun

adult male singer who uses head tone or falsetto to sing far higher than the typical male vocal range

Countertenornoun

male singing voice far higher than the typical male vocal range

Countertenornoun

(Older) a part or section performing a countermelody against the tenor or main part

Countertenornoun

a male singer with a voice above that of a tenor

Countertenornoun

the highest adult male singing voice

Countertenoradjective

of or being the highest male voice; having a range above that of tenor

Countertenor

A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a specific kind of countertenor) may match the soprano's range of around C4 to C6. Countertenors often are baritones or tenors at core, but only on rare occasions they use their lower vocal range, instead preferring their falsetto or high head voice.