Short answer: the highest note ever sung is G10 (about 25,088 Hz), reached by Brazilian singer Georgia Brown and certified by Guinness World Records in 2004. The male record is E8 (measured at 5,243 Hz) by Wang Xiaolong of China in 2017. In real music, notes from C7 to G7 already count as extremely high.
This page is about the highest notes the human voice can produce. For the biggest distance between a singer’s lowest and highest note, see the widest vocal range record instead. To find your own top note, sing into our free vocal range test; if you want the exact frequency of a note you hold, the voice Hz test reads it live.
Highest Note Ever Sung: The World Records
| Record | Holder | Note | Frequency | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest vocal note (overall / female) | Georgia Brown (Brazil) | G10 | ≈25,088 Hz | 2004 |
| Highest vocal note by a male | Wang Xiaolong (China) | E8 | 5,243 Hz measured (E8 = 5,274 Hz) | 2017 |
| Previous male record | Adam Lopez (Australia) | — | — | held until 2017 |
Georgia Brown’s certificate covered both her 8-octave range (G2 to G10) and the highest note. A G10 is above what most adults can hear, so it is better described as a frequency the voice produced than as a musical note. Wang Xiaolong beat Adam Lopez’s long-standing male record on a Chinese TV show in December 2017.
What Is the Highest Note a Human Can Sing?
It depends on what you count. In record conditions, whistle-register singers have produced pitches in the 8th, 9th and 10th octave. In performed music the practical ceiling is much lower:
| Note | Frequency | Is it a high note? |
|---|---|---|
| C5 (tenor high C) | 523.25 Hz | The famous top note for tenors |
| C6 (soprano high C) | 1,046.50 Hz | The classic top note for sopranos |
| F6 | 1,396.91 Hz | Top note of Mozart’s Queen of the Night aria |
| C7 | 2,093.00 Hz | Yes: whistle register for almost everyone |
| E7 | 2,637.02 Hz | Yes: rare, heard from whistle-register pop singers |
| F7 | 2,793.83 Hz | Yes: very rare in recordings |
| G7 | 3,135.96 Hz | Yes: extreme, few singers use it |
| C8 | 4,186.01 Hz | Highest key on a piano |
| E8 | 5,274.04 Hz | Male world record (Wang Xiaolong) |
| C10 | 16,744 Hz | Beyond practical music |
| G10 | 25,088 Hz | Highest note on record (Georgia Brown) |
So yes, C7, E7, F7 and G7 are all very high notes: every one of them is above the soprano high C and sits in the whistle register. Every other note is in the musical note frequency chart, and the note to frequency converter works out any note instantly.
Who Has the Highest Voice in the World?
Georgia Brown
Holder of both the highest note (G10) and the widest female range (8 octaves) on the Guinness list, verified in São Paulo in 2004.
Wang Xiaolong
Holds the male highest-note record, E8, set in 2017.
Adam Lopez
The Australian singer held the male highest-note record for years before 2017 and is still one of the best-known male whistle singers.
Whistle-register pop singers
Mariah Carey, Minnie Riperton and Ariana Grande are the names most associated with whistle notes in popular music, and Dimash Kudaibergen is known for very high notes among male performers. Their exact top notes are debated and come from recordings, not record attempts. For octave counts of these and other singers, see our 7-octave vocal range singers list.
Highest Singing Voice Types
Among standard classical voice types, the soprano is the highest, and the coloratura soprano is its highest, most agile form, regularly singing up to around F6. Among men, the countertenor sings in the alto or mezzo range using head voice or falsetto. The full list with typical notes is on types of vocal ranges, and the typical spans for women are in average vocal range for women.
How Singers Produce Extremely High Notes
- Whistle register: only a small part of the vocal folds vibrates, giving a thin, flute-like tone above the normal head voice.
- Stretched, thin folds: the cricothyroid muscle tilts the larynx and lengthens the folds, raising pitch.
- Resonance tuning: narrow, bright vowel shapes help the sound project at high frequencies.
- Fine control: near the top, tiny changes in breath pressure move the pitch a lot, so stability takes practice.
Measuring these notes is tricky too; our whistle register detection tips explain how to get a clean reading, and the frequency ranges for instruments and voices put these pitches next to violins, flutes and piccolos.
Range vs Usable Range
Hitting a note once is not the same as singing with it. Most professionals have a usable, in-tune range of about two to three octaves, even when they can touch notes beyond it. For everyday singing, a clear, relaxed top note matters far more than a record-breaking one.
Can You Train to Sing Higher?
Yes. The top of the range is the most trainable part. Sirens, lip trills, straw phonation and light head-voice work extend it gradually, and some singers learn to access whistle register. Never push high notes with throat tension; stop if it hurts. Our step-by-step guide on how to extend your vocal range has a safe routine.
For the rest of the range picture, including the lowest note ever sung, start at the vocal range hub.
Highest Note: Quick Answers
What is the highest note ever sung?
G10, by Georgia Brown, certified by Guinness World Records in 2004.
What is the highest note a man has sung?
E8, by Wang Xiaolong in 2017, according to Guinness World Records.
What is the G10 note frequency?
About 25,088 Hz in standard A440 tuning, above the roughly 20,000 Hz limit of human hearing.
Is C7 a high note?
Yes. C7 (2,093.00 Hz) is an octave above the soprano high C and is reached only in whistle register.
Can men sing in whistle register?
Yes, but it is rare. Both male record holders, Adam Lopez and Wang Xiaolong, reached their notes in whistle register. Most men top out in falsetto, typically somewhere in the fifth or sixth octave.
Why are very high notes hard to measure?
Above about 4,000 Hz the voice has few strong overtones, room noise and microphones start to colour the signal, and phone microphones often filter the highest frequencies. A clean recording, a quiet room and a detector that reads the fundamental frequency give the most reliable result.