A
mezzo-soprano or
mezzo (, ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of
classical female
singing voice whose
vocal range lies between the
soprano and the
contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below
middle C to the A two octaves above (i.e. A
3–A
5 in
scientific pitch notation, where middle C = C
4). In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the F below middle C (F
3) and as high as "high C" (C
6). The mezzo-soprano voice type is generally divided into the coloratura, lyric, and dramatic mezzo-soprano.