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Ambitus is the range between the lowest and highest note in a melody, a vocal part or a musical instrument. It is also known as a musical range or pitch range.
What is ambitus?
Ambitus describes the total span of pitches used in a piece of music or available to a performer or instrument. For a melody or vocal line, it shows how high and how low the notes extend. For an instrument, it refers to the full range of playable notes.
For example, a standard piano has an exceptionally wide ambitus, covering more than seven octaves across its 88 keys.
How is ambitus used in piano playing?
Understanding ambitus is important when arranging music for piano or accompanying a singer. If a melody extends beyond a singer’s comfortable vocal range, the song may need to be transposed to a different key.
Pianists also take advantage of the piano’s wide ambitus by combining deep bass notes in the left hand with higher melodies in the right hand. This creates contrast, depth and a fuller musical sound.