Famous contralto singers and the contralto vocal range
A contralto's conventional range runs from about F3 to F5. Below are reported catalog ranges for 38 singers labeled contraltos: the lowest female category, prized for weight and darkness in the low middle.
The contralto voice at a glance
The contralto is the lowest female voice, conventionally F3 to F5, prized for a full, dark tone in the low middle where other female voices thin out. True contraltos are rare, and the label is often given to low mezzos.
A mezzo-soprano covers similar ground but sits higher, with less weight at the bottom and more ease above the staff.
What a contralto is
A contralto's value is in the bottom third of the range, where the tone stays full instead of thinning out. Many singers filed here in popular music are really low mezzos with a distinctive dark color, since true contralto is rare.
The category is chronically over-assigned to any woman with a low speaking voice, so treat contralto labels in circulation with more caution than the notes themselves.
What the contraltos here show
- Largest reported catalog span: Cher at F2–A5 (3.3 octaves); narrowest is Clairo at G3–C5.
- The catalog group starts at F2 (Cher) and ends at C#6 (Anita Baker), a span of 44 semitones from the floor of the category to its ceiling.
- Prominence spans 1933 to 2024, and the median catalog span is 24.5 semitones against F3–F5 for the conventional contralto band.
Voice categories are guides borrowed from choral and operatic practice. Most profiles' figures are commonly cited spans from the catalog, not recordings checked note by note; a few have reviewed or disputed sources. Open a profile for what its sources support.
Every contralto on one axis
full voice, up to the cited ceiling above it: falsetto · head · whistle no full-voice ceiling cited
Singers Amy Winehouse through Julie London
- Amy WinehouseC3–D#5C3–D#52.3 oct
- Anita BakerC#3–C#6C#3–C#63.0 oct
- Annie LennoxG2–A5G2–A53.2 oct
- ANOHNIA2–F5A2–F52.7 oct
- Billie HolidayF3–C5F3–C51.6 oct
- Celia CruzE3–G5E3–G52.3 oct
- Cesária ÉvoraD3–A#4D3–A#41.7 oct
- CherF2–A5F2–A53.3 oct
- ClairoG3–C5G3–C51.4 oct
- Diana KrallE3–C5E3–C51.7 oct
- Etta JamesG#2–B5G#2–B53.3 oct
- Fiona AppleC3–A5C3–A52.8 oct
- Gigi PerezE3–C#5E3–C#51.8 oct
- Grace JonesD3–A#4D3–A#41.7 oct
- Grace SlickE3–D5E3–D51.8 oct
- India.ArieA2–C6A2–C63.3 oct
- Joan JettE3–C5E3–C51.7 oct
- Judy GarlandF3–D#5F3–D#51.8 oct
- Julie LondonC#3–C#5C#3–C#52.0 oct
Singers Karen Carpenter through Wynonna Judd
- Karen CarpenterD3–D#5D3–D#52.1 oct
- LaufeyF3–D5F3–D51.8 oct
- Mahalia JacksonE3–F5E3–F52.1 oct
- Mercedes SosaE3–E5E3–E52.0 oct
- MonicaB2–B5B2–B53.0 oct
- Nina SimoneG2–F5G2–F52.8 oct
- Norah JonesF3–C5F3–C51.6 oct
- Patsy ClineE3–D5E3–D51.8 oct
- Peggy LeeD3–A5D3–A52.6 oct
- Sade AduE3–D5E3–D51.8 oct
- Sarah VaughanD#3–C6D#3–C62.8 oct
- Shirley MansonF3–A5F3–A52.3 oct
- Stevie NicksE3–D5E3–D51.8 oct
- Tasha Cobbs LeonardD3–A5D3–A52.6 oct
- TemsD3–D5D3–D52.0 oct
- Tina TurnerG2–D#5G2–D#52.7 oct
- Toni BraxtonA#2–A#5A#2–A#53.0 oct
- Tracy ChapmanD3–D5D3–D52.0 oct
- Wynonna JuddE3–E5E3–E52.0 oct
How high and how low contraltos sing
How high can a contralto sing?
The conventional contralto band tops out around F5. Among 38 catalog profiles labeled contraltos, the highest listed endpoint is C#6 for Anita Baker; it is not a verified individual maximum.
How low can a contralto sing?
Conventionally the contralto band bottoms out around F3. The lowest listed endpoint in this catalog category is F2 for Cher; check the profile before treating it as a verified performance.