Tessitura
The range of pitches within which a vocal or instrumental part predominantly sits, distinct from total range.
Category
pitch
Pronunciation
/tɛsɪˈtjʊərə/
Origin
Italian (tessitura, texture)
Length
183 words · 1 min read
About Tessitura
Tessitura differs from range in an important way: range describes every note a voice or instrument can technically produce, whilst tessitura describes where the music actually spends most of its time. A soprano role might have a total range of two octaves but a tessitura centred in the upper portion of that span, making it feel vocally demanding even if no single note is extreme.
More pitch terms
Fundamental
View all pitchterms →The lowest frequency in a harmonic series, perceived as the main pitch of a note.
RegisterA particular range or portion of the pitch spectrum available to a voice or instrument.
Pitch ClassA group containing all notes that share the same letter name regardless of octave, such as every C on the keyboard.
IntervalThe distance in pitch between two notes.
FrequencyThe number of sound-wave vibrations per second, measured in hertz, that determines how high or low a pitch sounds.
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v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →