A
voice type is a particular human
singing voice identified as having certain qualities or characteristics of
vocal range,
vocal weight,
tessitura, vocal
timbre, and vocal transition points (
passaggio), such as breaks and lifts within the voice. Other considerations are physical characteristics, speech level, scientific testing, and
vocal register. A singer's voice type is identified by a process known as voice classification, by which the human voice is evaluated and thereby designated into a particular voice type. The discipline of voice classification developed within European
classical music and is not generally applicable to other forms of singing. Voice classification is often used within
opera to associate possible roles with potential voices. Several different voice classification systems are available to identify voice types, including the German
Fach system and the
choral music system among many others; no system is universally applied or accepted.