Topic summary
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of classical male singingvoice and has the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a vocal range extending from around the second E below middle C (82.41 Hz) to the E above middle C (164.81 Hz) (i.e., E2–E4). Its tessitura, or comfortable range, is normally defined by the outermost lines of the bass clef. Categories of bass voices vary according to national style and classification system.
Italians favour subdividing basses into the basso cantante ("singing bass" warm, sonorous tone, a faster vibrato, and a well-developed upper range that shares qualities with a baritone), basso buffo ("comical bass" light, agile bass or bass-baritone range), or the dramatic basso profondo ("deep bass" going down to second C below middle C (65.41 Hz / C₂) or lower with a resonant tone comparable to a large church bell or double bass). The American system identifies the bass-baritone, comic bass, lyric bass, and dramatic bass.
The German Fach system offers further distinctions: Spielbass (Bassbuffo), Schwerer Spielbass (Schwerer Bassbuffo), Charakterbass (Bassbariton), and Seriöser Bass. These classifications tend to describe roles rather than singers: it is rare for a performer to stay within a single Fach.