A male singing voice that is lower than a tenor but higher than a bass. It can also refer to instruments that play in a similar middle-low range.
It comes from Italian “baritono,” from Greek “barytonos,” meaning deep-sounding, from “barys” (heavy) and “tonos” (tone). The word literally describes a “heavy tone.”
Baritone literally means “heavy sound,” which fits the rich, weighty feeling of that voice range. Singers and instruments get sorted by how heavy or light their tones feel to the ear, not just by pitch.
'Baritone' is a vocal range typically associated with adult male voices, and musical casting has often tied baritone roles to specific masculine archetypes. This has sometimes limited recognition of singers whose gender identity doesn't match traditional expectations for that range.
Use 'baritone' as a description of vocal range, not gender, and avoid assuming that only cisgender men can be baritones. When relevant, separate discussion of range from discussion of gender identity.
["mid‑low vocal range"]
Singers across genders have challenged rigid links between vocal range and gendered roles, expanding how baritone parts are written, cast, and understood.
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