alto
alto — noun
1. a female singer, or her voice, that produces the deepest range of notes among wo
a female singer, or her voice, that produces the deepest range of notes among women — sitting between the brighter soprano and the male tenor, and often called a contralto.
Uri trained as an alto and now sings the solo in the choir's Christmas concert.
countable: trained as an alto
The conductor needed two more altos to balance the sound of the choir.
plural: two more altos
As a teenager, Bram discovered her voice was a rich alto rather than a soprano.
The opera house cast a famous Italian alto in the role of the witch.
The altos blended warmly under the sopranos during the slow middle section of the Mozart Requiem.
- contralto
more technical; refers to the very lowest female range
- mezzo-soprano
near-synonym in casual use, but strictly the range just above alto
- soprano
the highest female voice, in contrast to the lowest
用法筆記
Often used interchangeably with 'contralto', though strictly contralto is the rarest and lowest type. Distinguish from sense 2 (boy alto) and sense 3 (male alto/countertenor).
常見錯誤
2. a boy whose unbroken voice can reach the lowest notes within a boys' choir, or t
a boy whose unbroken voice can reach the lowest notes within a boys' choir, or the voice itself — typical of cathedral and chapel choirs before puberty changes the voice.
Eight-year-old Tomás joined the cathedral choir as an alto last September.
joined as an alto
The boy altos rehearsed in a small room next to the chapel every Wednesday afternoon.
compound: boy altos
When his voice broke at thirteen, Daniel had to stop singing alto in the school choir.
The director chose a young alto from the village school to sing the carol.
- treble
more often used for the higher boys' voice; alto is lower
用法筆記
Restricted to choral contexts, especially Anglican and Catholic church music. Distinguish from sense 1 (female alto) — context (boys' choir, cathedral, school) usually disambiguates.
3. an adult man who sings in a high, often falsetto-like range that reaches above t
an adult man who sings in a high, often falsetto-like range that reaches above the tenor and overlaps with the female alto — a voice type prized in early music and church repertoire, also known as a countertenor.
Diego sings alto in a small group that performs Renaissance church music every spring.
sing alto
The festival booked a celebrated British alto to sing Handel arias on the opening night.
At Friday's rehearsal, James warmed up as the only alto among twelve tenors and basses.
The alto held a clear, bell-like high note for what felt like an entire minute.
- countertenor
preferred term in opera and concert programmes
- bass
the lowest male voice, opposite end of the male range
用法筆記
In British church-music tradition this sense is dominant, especially in male-only choirs; in opera and concert programmes the term 'countertenor' is more usual. Distinguish from sense 1 by context — male performer, high range, often early-music repertoire.
4. an instrument — most often a saxophone, but also a recorder, flute or clarinet —
an instrument — most often a saxophone, but also a recorder, flute or clarinet — whose range falls between the higher soprano and the lower tenor models within the same family.
Imani plays the alto in his school jazz band and has just bought a second-hand saxophone.
play the alto
Rosa switched from the soprano to the alto after her teacher praised her warmer lower register.
switch from X to the alto
The shop had three altos on the wall, each made by a different Japanese maker.
Mr. Park taught his students that the alto sits between the soprano and the tenor in pitch.
- alto sax
informal short form for the saxophone specifically
用法筆記
Usually short for 'alto saxophone' in jazz and pop contexts; in classical and recorder ensembles it can refer to alto recorder, alto flute, or alto clarinet. Subject is normally a player or a shop/owner.
常見錯誤
5. the second-highest line in a piece of choral or vocal music — the part written b
the second-highest line in a piece of choral or vocal music — the part written below the soprano and above the tenor, sung by alto voices or played on alto instruments.
Nina decided to sing the alto in this term's Easter cantata instead of the soprano.
sing the alto
The choirmaster asked the basses and tenors to listen carefully to the alto during the chorus.
In the second verse, the alto carries the main tune while the soprano holds a long note.
Bach often gave the alto a beautiful, winding line that weaves around the other voices.
- alto line
near-equivalent; 'line' makes the music-on-the-page meaning explicit
用法筆記
Almost always with the definite article: 'the alto'. Distinguish from senses 1-3, which name a person; this sense names the line of music itself. Frequent in score-reading and rehearsal language.
常見錯誤
alto — adjective
1. describing an instrument whose size and pitch sit between the soprano and tenor
describing an instrument whose size and pitch sit between the soprano and tenor versions of the same family — for example an alto saxophone, alto recorder or alto flute.
Imani was saving up to buy a new alto saxophone for the school jazz festival.
alto + saxophone
The music teacher kept three alto recorders in a wooden case behind her desk.
alto + recorder (plural)
An alto flute has a deeper, breathier sound than the standard concert flute.
The orchestra borrowed an alto clarinet from the conservatoire for the concert.
文法句型
alto + [instrument noun]
用法筆記
Used only before a noun (attributive). Never used predicatively — you cannot say 'this saxophone is alto.' Combines productively with most wind-instrument nouns.
常見錯誤
2. describing a voice or singer that performs in the alto range — the deeper end of
describing a voice or singer that performs in the alto range — the deeper end of a woman's or boy's range, or the very top of a man's range.
Uri has a warm alto voice that carries beautifully across the small church hall.
alto + voice
The choirmaster auditioned six alto singers on Saturday morning before the festival.
alto + singers (plural)
Bach wrote a long, expressive alto solo for the second movement of the cantata.
Diego has an unusual alto range for a tall, broad-shouldered man.
- contralto
more specific; refers strictly to the lowest female range
- soprano
the higher female voice
文法句型
alto + voice/singer/part
用法筆記
Used only before a noun. Common collocates: voice, singer, line, solo, range, part. Distinguish from adj/1 (instrument): the noun that follows tells you which sense applies.
alto — adverb
1. in the alto range — that is, at the deep end of a female or unbroken-boy voice,
in the alto range — that is, at the deep end of a female or unbroken-boy voice, or near the top of an adult male voice. Typically used with verbs of singing or playing.
Bram has sung alto in the church choir since she was sixteen.
sing + alto
Diego prefers to sing alto in early-music groups rather than tenor in opera.
sing alto vs. tenor (contrast)
Tomás sings alto for now, but his teacher expects his voice to drop within a year.
At Saturday's concert, Hannah sang alto beside her older sister in the front row.
文法句型
sing + alto
用法筆記
Functions as an adverb of manner with verbs like 'sing' and occasionally 'play'. No article and no preposition: 'sing alto', not 'sing in alto' or 'sing the alto' (which would be the noun, sense 5).