Singing and the voice

Your voice is the instrument you always carry with you. Singing well is a skill you can learn, like any other.

Practise this lesson free (6 questions)

Voice types

Choirs usually have four voice parts, written SATB:
Mezzo-soprano and baritone are in-between voices. During puberty, boys' voices drop in pitch: this is often called the voice 'breaking' or changing.
VoiceRange
Sopranohighest (usually women and children)
Altolower (usually women and children)
Tenorhigher male voice
Basslowest male voice

Singing well

Posture: stand tall, feet apart, shoulders relaxed, head level.
Breathing: take a low, deep breath (your tummy should move out, not your shoulders), and control the air as you sing. This is called breath support.
Warm up your voice gently first, for example with humming and sirens.
Diction: shape the words clearly so the audience can understand them.
Pitch: listen carefully so you sing in tune.

Singing in parts

Singing together on the same tune is singing in unison.
A round (or canon) is when groups sing the same tune but start at different times, so the parts overlap. 'Frère Jacques' is a well-known round.
Singing different parts that fit together creates harmony.
A solo is one singer alone; a choir is a group of singers.
Worked example

A Year 7 choir sounds breathless and the words are unclear. Give two pieces of advice.

  1. Breathlessness: they need better breath support.
  2. Advice 1: stand tall and take low, deep breaths before each phrase.
  3. Unclear words: they need better diction. Advice 2: shape the consonants clearly.

Answer: Use good posture and low, deep breaths (breath support), and sing with clear diction.

Key idea

Choir voices are soprano, alto, tenor and bass (SATB). Good singing needs posture, breath support, a warm-up, diction and careful listening. Unison is everyone on one tune; a round is the same tune starting at different times.

Key words
Unison
Everyone playing or singing the same notes at the same time.
Pitch
How high or low a sound is.
Canon
A piece in which one part strictly imitates another, starting later. A round is a simple canon.

All KS3 Music key terms and definitions →

Common mistakes
Quick check

Try two quick questions

See if it has sunk in. Answers are marked straight away.

Extra practice

2 more questions

Try each one, then tap to check.

  1. Which is the highest male voice in an SATB choir?

    1. Bass
    2. Alto
    3. Tenor
    4. Soprano
    Show the answer

    Answer: Tenor

    Tenor is the higher male part.

  2. Which voice type is the lower of the two female voices in an SATB choir?

    1. Soprano
    2. Tenor
    3. Bass
    4. Alto
    Show the answer

    Answer: Alto

    Alto is the lower female part.

Check you have got it

Answer 6 quick questions with instant marking. If you get one wrong, GCSE-ready shows you why and gives you another go. It is free, and you do not need an account.

Practise this lesson free (6 questions)All KS3 Music lessons

Video for this lesson coming soon. Subscribe on YouTube

Sources and references

Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.