What is the general alto range?

• A. A2-F4
• B. F3-D5
• C. C3-G5
• D. G2-E4

Answer: (B)

Alto voices sit in the lower-mid part of the compass, comfortably below soprano ranges but not as low as many male voices. The general range for an alto is from F3 up to D5. F3 is a lower note that many altos use as a practical bottom, while D5 sits high enough to carry melodies without forcing the top of the voice into soprano territory. This window captures where the majority of alto repertoire sits and aligns with typical teaching references for this voice type.

Ranges that start much lower, like A2, or end much higher, like G5, push beyond what is usually considered the general alto range. C3-G5, for example, starts too low for most altos and ends higher than the common upper limit. Therefore, the range from F3 to D5 is the best match for a general alto range.