Alt (voice)

Alt ( ital. Alto , fr. Hautecontre ; from lat. Altus - high ) - originally called a voice that was above the tenor who performed the main melody: cantus formus, otherwise falsetto . Later denotes a low voice in women and boys. It is considered the second of the five main genera of the human voice: soprano , alto, tenor , baritone and bass , and like the other three, it is in varying degrees. Therefore, distinguish between low and higher alt. The volume of the first extends from approximately а in the small octave to а or salt in the second octave , while the boundaries of the second are defined one or two tones higher (from ля in the small octave to ля in the second octave). The high alt in volume coincides with the mezzo-soprano and both voices are often mixed together, while in the natural structure of these voices and the ratio of the registers they are easily distinguishable. Female viola consists of two registers, the limits of which reach si in the first octave , while for children and male violas a few steps below. In the doctrine of harmony , mainly in four-voice compositions, the second upper voice is called the viola. The alto key or sign in which the alto part is written is the commonly used do key written on the third line of the musical system .