Vocal Register Crash Course: Picking Songs That Work for Everyone

Worship music these days is fairly nebulous. Long-gone are the days of hymns that assigned a part to everyone and made the melody singable for most voice types. 

Today, sacred music has expanded from a collective experience to featuring a commercial product designed to sell an artist’s vision and brand. The vocal arrangement of a recording sets the artist up for the best highlight of their voice, and we now use these songs almost exclusively in our catalogues of worship.

To be clear: This is NOT a critique of commercial music in and of itself. It’s not necessarily wrong for this music to exist the way it’s initially presented. In fact, much of this music is uplifting, honoring to the Lord, and encouraging to the one singing the words. But, depending on the arrangement, some of this music is inaccessible for churchgoers who don’t have the vocal prowess of their favorite artist. 

This guide aims to give you the knowledge of how bridge that gap between an artist-centered arrangement and align it more closely with the abilities of normal, everyday people. By the end of reading this, you’ll be able to make informed decisions about where to pitch your song selections that allow you (or another leader) to deliver a powerful performance that has your congregation singing comfortably along with you. We'll cover technical information about range, register, and voice types, and answer questions about balancing artistry, ability, and consideration for your congregation as you create your arrangements.

Remember, part of our goal as worship leaders is to serve our congregation, and it’s very possible to achieve this goal while being satisfied in the creative process and performance. 

Range, Register, and Voice Types

I’m sure you already know what a voice type is, but just to refresh your memory:

• Soprano (higher female)

• Alto (lower female)

• Tenor (higher male)

• Baritone (middle range male)

• Bass (lower male)

When it comes to the actual notes that each voice type is able to sing, we use this system shown on the piano, separating female and male voices:

Female Voices

Male Voices

Now, let’s highlight the shared notes within the respective ranges of each voice group.

Female Voices

Male Voices

Next, we'll examine the pitches, from low-to-high that these ranges share, but in separate octaves. 

As you can see, all voice types can comfortably sing a range from C up a major 10th to E, females in an upper octave and males in a lower octave. 

Now, this is just a general guideline—you can stretch beyond these recommended ranges. In fact, many people can go lower than the recommended range by a minor 3rd, and they can generally go a whole step beyond the upper limits, having a total range from A up a major 13th to F#.

You’ll encounter this on songs like “In Christ Alone,” which in its original key (D major), has a range from A up a perfect 12th to D. If we moved it up a whole step to E, then it would be a bit easier for our higher-range voices, but then we stray into the upper limits of our lower-range voices. So as a rule of thumb, opt to go lower than higher—this is generally because stretching one’s lower range is more achievable than pushing one’s higher register.

I’m Used to Singing in My Middle and Upper Range—What If a Song Feels Kind of Low?

Much of the time, worship leaders feel they need to sing within the upper part of their range. I get it—you can deliver more power in your upper range, dialing in the same kind of tone you're used to hearing from artists you admire. But singing in a lower register is a chance for you to develop an even more well-rounded vocal ability! It's totally possible to achieve power and clarity in your lower range, and then, you'll even be able to shape your timbre to greater degrees than what you would normally do in your upper range.

What Do I Do If I Can’t Pick a Key That Works for Everyone?

This may seem like a no-win situation, but there are actually a number of solutions. Generally, pitch the song in the best key for your respective gender, and the other gender can adjust their octave placement accordingly. (Singers with more training or natural ability can also find harmony parts in their range, but I wouldn't heavily rely on this.) In other cases, build your arrangement around the register guidelines we've covered, adjusting melodies down an octave when they become too high to sing.

A song like “Goodness of God” comes to mind, where the leap at the bridge can be a bit tough, depending on where it’s pitched. The melody spans an octave plus a 4th, which limits the range for male and female voices, depending on the home key. For all voices, this song is singable in its original key, A-flat major. (You could also sing it in G major.) Sometimes, I hear this song performed by male leaders in the key of D, which takes the upper range into G4 for males and G5 for females. That’s too high! But the bulk of the melody sits in the sweet spot of shared vocal ranges if you pitch it in the key of D (D4–D5). So what do we do?

A solution would be to bring the bridge melody down one octave where the majority of the song resides. It might result in an adjustment to the overall dynamics in this section, but this way, you don't overwork the average singer who doesn't have a strong upper range.

TL;DR

As people who lead singing for worship, we must consider the abilities (or lack thereof) of the congregation we serve. Pitching songs in singable keys accommodates most voice types, which leads to stronger singing and participation from the people. After all, we gather TOGETHER to sing TOGETHER—let's make the experience equitable and enjoyable for all. 

Be blessed 👊✌️