The musical term
alto, meaning "high" in (
Latin: ), refers to the second highest
part of a
contrapuntal musical texture and is also applied to its associated
vocal range, especially in
choral music. More rarely it describes the highest male solo
voice type (usually designated
countertenor), and it is also the root word of
contralto, the lowest standard female voice type. When designating instruments, "alto" likewise can refer either to the corresponding vocal range (
alto flute and
alto trombone) or to musical role (alto recorder and
alto clarinet).