Which is the "real" vocal range of a countertenor?

Question

I have found encountered answers... some say you must be a tenor, some other say that you must be a bass (something related to the vocal fach or something like that...). If I am a baritone, can I train to be a countertenor?

Answer 1

Gerardo,
the clue to being a countertenor ( or sopranist or alt) is learning to navigate in your falsetto voice. A good counter has taken this usually slender sound and has learned to "beef it up" by careful constant practice. Some men don't feel comfortable in this range, so they let it be. Most of the men in boy bands nowadays have learned to find falsetto and use it, but, then again, they're miked, so they don't necessarily have the strength in the tone that a classically trained counter needs to have.
Most of my references say it's probably easiest coming from baritone, but since bari is the most usual men's Fach ( statistically speaking), it's easy to see why this would be so.
As to range, most men flip into their falsetto or head voice as it's sometimes called about E or F above middle C and go up another octave. With good training, who knows what else can happen! But for real countertenor ability, you need a good teacher.Check with your local university, and ask for many recommendations before you go down the street to the nearest quack ( there are so many of them out there!). Be picky because it's the only voice you have, no trade-ins and no replacement parts.
Best of luck