Definition of alto

The word "alto" originates from the Latin word "altus," meaning "high" or "deep." In music, the term "alto" was first used in the 16th century to describe the highest male voice, above the tenor and below the soprano. In Italian, the word "alto" means "high" or "lofty," and by extension, the alto singing voice was described as being "high" or "deep" in pitch. The term was later adapted into other languages, including English, French, and German. In modern music notation, the alto clef () is used to represent the alto voice, which encompasses the vocal range of C3 to E5 for women and F2 to A4 for men. The term "alto" has since become widely used to describe both the singing voice and the corresponding musical clef.