Editing Contralto (section)

== Vocal range ==
[[File:Contralto voice range on keyboard.svg|thumb|upright=1.8|Contralto vocal range (F<sub>3</sub>–F<sub>5</sub>) notated on the [[treble clef|treble]] [[staff (music)|staff]] (left) and on piano keyboard in green with dot marking middle C (C<sub>4</sub>).]]
{| align=right
|<score>{ \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" } f4 f''4 }</score>
|}

The contralto has the lowest [[vocal range]] of the female [[voice type]]s, with the lowest [[tessitura]];<ref name=Appelman>{{cite book |title=The Science of Vocal Pedagogy: Theory and Application |last=Appelman |first=D. Ralph |year=1986 |publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] |isbn=978-0-253-20378-6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Contralto}}</ref> it is between [[tenor]] and [[mezzo-soprano]].

Although tenors, baritones, and basses are male singers, some women can sing as low (albeit with a slightly different timbre and texture) as their male counterparts. Some of the rare female singers who specialized in the tenor and baritone registers include film actress [[Zarah Leander]],<ref>[[Brigitte Peucker|Peucker, Brigitte]]. ''The Material Image: Art and the Real in Film''. Stanford University Press 2007. [https://books.google.com/books?id=_B7GQLCHPVMC&pg=PA120 p. 120] {{ISBN|9780804754316}} {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905124455/https://books.google.com/books?id=_B7GQLCHPVMC&pg=PA120&lpg=PA120 |date=2017-09-05 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LCGU0SANmw8|title=A Taste of the Music of Zarah Leander|publisher=YouTube: Flower Bomb|date=29 June 2022}}</ref> the Iranian ''āvāz'' singer [[Hayedeh]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hayeda|title=HĀYEDA – Encyclopaedia Iranica|website=www.iranicaonline.org|access-date=2019-06-30}}</ref> the child prodigy [[Ruby Helder]] (1890–1938),<ref>{{cite book|last=Elliot|first=David J.|title=Praxial Music Education: Reflections and Dialogues|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2005|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T7Og8KV3LpAC&pg=PA302|page=302|isbn=9780199725113|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326060551/https://books.google.com/books?id=T7Og8KV3LpAC&pg=PA302&lpg=PA302&dq=ruby+helder+contralto&source=bl&ots=gDLEQOOF84&sig=eU7uEvC-0kgNM-dsmX8UCtu5FOc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj_sfnS-vHSAhWK7iYKHdbMBsQQ6AEIigEwGQ#v=onepage&q=ruby%20helder%20contralto&f=false|archive-date=2017-03-26}}</ref> and Bavarian novelty singer [[Bally Prell]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/jjAwPARKYqc Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20170326231043/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjAwPARKYqc&app=desktop Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|title=Contralto Female Voice…|publisher=YouTube: DHO Gwen|date=8 January 2017|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jjAwPARKYqc}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bally Prell|publisher=Historical Tenors|accessdate=12 July 2021|url=http://www.historicaltenors.net/secrettenordreams/prell.html}}</ref> The Guiness World Record for lowest note by a female is D<sub>2</sub>, by [[Helen Leahey]].