Alto Means High, Though It Is a Low Voice
Alto is a voice or instrument in the range below soprano. The Italian name looks contradictory until you know the history.
Alto is the vocal range below soprano, and the instrument pitched in that range. The name means high, which seems wrong for the second-lowest of four parts — but it made sense originally. In early polyphony the *tenor* held the melody, and the *contratenor altus* was the part sung high against it. When soprano parts were added above, alto kept its name while losing its position. *Contralto* is the lowest female voice, and *alto* also appears in *alto saxophone* and *alto clef*.
- A vocal range. *An alto voice.*
- Contralto — the lowest female voice. *A contralto.*
- Alto saxophone. *An alto sax.*
- Italian — *alto*, high. *The source.*
- Latin — *altus*, high. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | alto | An alto. |
| Plural | altos | Altos. |
| Related | contralto | A contralto. |
| Italian | alto | High. |
| Latin | altus | High. |
- She sings alto in the choir.Voice.
- The alto sax carried the melody.Instrument.
- Alto means high in Italian.Etymology.
The four choral parts
- Soprano — the highest, from Italian *sopra*, above
- Alto — below soprano, named when it was the higher part
- Tenor — from Latin *tenere*, to hold the melody
- Bass — the lowest, from Latin *bassus*, low
- All four names come from Italian or Latin
Italian *alto*, high, from Latin *altus*, tall or deep. Short for *contratenor altus*, the high part against the tenor.
Why is alto called high when it is a low part?
Because it was originally the part sung high against the tenor. Soprano parts were added above later, but alto kept its name.
Why does altus mean both tall and deep?
Latin altus described distance from a viewpoint, so it could mean high or deep depending on whether you looked up or down.