# Set Fire to the Rain by Adele

Source: https://pitchhighway.com/songs/adele-set-fire-to-the-rain
Site: PitchHighway — learn to sing your favorite songs (https://pitchhighway.com)

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## Measured data

- Key: C# minor
- Vocal phrasing tempo: ~158 BPM (median pace of the sung phrases, measured from real uploads — it can sit below the song's beat BPM on sustained passages)
- Vocal range: C#3–D5 (25 semitones)
- Tessitura (middle 50% of sung time): E4–G4
- Longest note: F4 held 9.6s
- Difficulty: hard
- Range fit: fits inside 22% of the 816 vocal ranges measured on PitchHighway (whole-octave shift allowed)

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## Set Fire to the Rain vocal analysis

Adele released Set Fire to the Rain in 2011. The track remains a frequent search target for singers who want the original key and a realistic picture of the vocal demands. Upload data from multiple performances give a clear profile: the measured vocal range spans C#3 to D5 across 25 semitones, with the tessitura concentrated between E4 and G4. Phrasing moves at roughly 158 BPM and the difficulty rating comes back as hard.

## What makes it easy or hard to sing

The 25-semitone span forces a singer to cover more than two octaves. The lower end at C#3 sits in a comfortable chest voice for many mezzo-sopranos, yet the climb to D5 requires reliable head voice or mix without strain. The tessitura sitting mostly E4-G4 keeps the bulk of the melody in a bright, projecting zone that can tire the voice if breath support drops. At 158 BPM the phrasing tempo is brisk for a ballad; lines move quickly enough that vowel modification must happen on the fly. The longest measured note reaches 9.6 seconds, and the density hits 1.4 notes per second in passages, so sustained power and clean articulation both matter.

The hard rating stems from these combined factors rather than any single extreme. A singer who handles the upper fifth well may still lose steam on repeated choruses because the range and tempo leave little recovery time between peaks.

## Who it suits

The measured range and tessitura line up best with mezzo-sopranos and sopranos who already carry chest strength down to C#3. Tenors can attempt it an octave lower, but the original key keeps the emotional weight in the higher registers where Adele placed it. Baritones usually find the top of the range out of reach without heavy modification that changes the timbre.

## How to practice it

Start with the chorus at a reduced tempo to lock the E4-G4 tessitura and confirm breath pacing for the 9.6-second holds. Once the middle sits steady, add the verses to test the C#3 entry without pushing. Record short sections to check that the 1.4 notes-per-second runs stay even. When the full range feels controlled at performance speed, upload the song to PitchHighway and learn it phrase by phrase.