alto

n. a singing voice that is lower than a soprano but higher than a tenor.

n. the second-highest vocal part in a standard four-part choral arrangement, typically sung by women with lower voices or men using falsetto.

“She has a beautiful alto voice that sounds very rich in the lower notes.”

“The composer assigned the haunting counter-melody to the alto section, creating a dense harmonic texture beneath the soprano lead.”

n. a musical instrument that plays in the alto range, such as a specific type of saxophone or flute.

n. an instrument that is pitched in the range between soprano and tenor within its specific family.

“He plays the alto saxophone in the school jazz band.”

“The orchestration requires an alto flute to provide a darker, more breathy timbre during the introductory passage.”

n. a common short name for the alto saxophone.

n. a colloquial clipping for the alto saxophone, the most common member of the saxophone family used in classical and jazz contexts.

“I need to buy new reeds for my alto before the concert tonight.”

“While he started his career on the tenor, he eventually became famous for his virtuosic command of the alto.”

Informal