A
bass is a type of
classical male
singing voice 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 to the E above middle C (i.e.,
E2–E4). Its
tessitura, or comfortable range, is normally defined by the outermost lines of the
bass clef. The bass voice type is generally divided into the
basso cantante (singing bass),
hoher bass (high bass),
jugendlicher bass (juvenile bass),
basso buffo ("funny" bass),
Schwerer Spielbass (dramatic bass), lyric bass, and dramatic
basso profondo (low bass).