A register is a conventionally distinguished part of the range of an instrument or voice, whose notes share a common timbral colouring. Usually the low, middle, and high registers are distinguished, each with its own character: the low — dense, dark, weighty; the middle — warm, “speech-like,” natural; the high — bright, ringing, at times strained.
Composers skilfully use the contrasts of registers for dramaturgy: a sombre theme in the low register of the basses, a radiant climax in the high register of the violins. In singing, the registers (chest, head) require separate vocal technique, and the transition between them a special mastery. The ability to “hear” and consciously use registers is an important part of understanding how the musical space of a work is arranged.
