Glottal Adduction and Subglottal Pressure in Singing.

Previous research suggests that independent variation of vocal loudness and glottal configuration (type and degree of vocal fold adduction) does not occur in untrained speech production. This study investigated whether these factors can be varied independently in trained singing and how subglottal pressure is related to average glottal airflow, voice source properties, and sound level under these conditions. A classically trained baritone produced sustained phonations on the endoscopic vowel [i:] at pitch D4 (approximately 294 Hz), exclusively varying either (a) vocal register; (b) phonation type (from "breathy" to "pressed" via cartilaginous adduction); or (c) vocal loudness, while keeping the others constant.

Subglottal pressure oscillations accompanying phonation.

Acoustic and aerodynamic properties of the voice source and vocal tract have been extensively analyzed during the last half century. Corresponding investigations of the subglottal system are rare but can be assumed to be relevant to voice production. In the present exploratory study, subglottal pressure was recorded in a male adult subject by means of tracheal puncture.

Formant tuning strategies in professional male opera singers.

The term "formant tuning" is generally used for the case that one of the lowest formant frequencies coincides with the frequency of a source spectrum partial. Some authors claim that such coincidence is favorable and belongs to the goals of classical opera voice training, whereas other authors have found evidence for advising against it. This investigation analyzes the relationships between formant frequencies and partials in professional singers, who sang scales on the vowels /a/, /u/, /i/, and /ae/ in a pitch range including the passaggio, that is, the fundamental frequency range of approximately 300-400Hz, applying either of the two singing strategies that are typically used (1) in classical and (2) in nonclassical singing, respectively.

Gender differences in children's singing voices: acoustic analyses and results of a listening test.

This study tested the hypothesis that acoustic parameters exist which are specific to gender in children's singing voices, and that these parameters are relevant to listeners' identification of gender of children's singing voices. A listening test was run with examples of singing produced by children belonging to different singing cultures, six boys and six girls from a Swedish music school and six boys from an elite German boys' choir. Sustained vowels were analyzed with regard to formants and voice source properties (jitter, shimmer and glottal-to-noise-excitation rate, closed quotient, and normalized amplitude quotient).

Articulatory configuration and pitch in a classically trained soprano singer.

Previous studies suggest that singers modify articulation to avoid that the pitch frequency F0 exceeds the normal value of the first formant F1(Normal). Using magnetic resonance imaging at a rate of 5 frames/s, articulation was analyzed in a professional soprano singing an ascending triad pattern from C4 to G5 (262-784Hz) on the vowels /i, e, u, o, a/. Lip and jaw opening and tongue dorsum height were measured and analyzed as function of pitch.

Text intelligibility and the singer's formant--a relationship?

Background And Hypothesis: A clear enunciation of consonants is crucial to text intelligibility, and consonants are identified by specific formant frequency patterns. The singer's formant, a spectral peak near 3,000 Hz, enhances the higher formants in male opera singers' voices. It is well known that the second and higher formants are crucial to text intelligibility.

Reliability of the term 'support' in singing.

The usefulness of a term depends on the extent to which it means the same thing to different people. In this investigation we examine the term 'support', commonly used in vocal pedagogy. Singing lessons given by co-author SS to five students at varying stages were recorded on DAT.

Effect on LTAS of vocal loudness variation.

Long-term-average spectrum (LTAS) is an efficient method for voice analysis, revealing both voice source and formant characteristics. However, the LTAS contour is non-uniformly affected by vocal loudness. This variation was analyzed in 15 male and 16 female untrained voices reading a text 7 times at different degrees of vocal loudness, mean change in overall equivalent sound level (Leq) amounting to 27.

Spectrum effects of subglottal pressure variation in professional baritone singers.

The audio signal from five professional baritones was analyzed by means of spectrum analysis. Each subject sang syllables [pae] and [pa] from loudest to softest phonation at fundamental frequencies representing 25%, 50%, and 75% of his total range. Ten subglottal pressures, equidistantly spaced between highest and lowest, were selected for analysis along with the corresponding production of the vowels.

Long-term average spectrum (LTAS) analysis of sex- and gender-related differences in children's voices.

Long-term average spectrum (LTAS) analysis offers representative information on voice timbre providing spectral information averaged over time. It is particularly useful when persistent spectral features are under investigation. The aim of this study was to compare perceived sex of children to the LTAS analysis of their audio signals.

Voice source differences between falsetto and modal registers in counter tenors, tenors and baritones.

Vocal registers are generally assumed to be associated with the voice source, i.e. the pulsating transglottal airflow.

Emotive transforms.

Emotional expressivity in singing is examined by comparing neutral and expressive performances of a set of music excerpts as performed by a professional baritone singer. Both the neutral and the expressive versions showed considerable deviations from the nominal description represented by the score. Much of these differences can be accounted for in terms of the application of two basic principles, grouping, i.

Effects of subglottal pressure variation on professional baritone singers' voice sources.

Five professional operatic baritone singers' voice-source characteristics were analyzed by means of inverse filtering of the flow signal as captured by a flow mask. The subjects sang a long sustained diminuendo, from loudest to softest, three times on the vowels [a:] and [ae:] at fundamental frequencies representing 25%, 50%, and 75% of their total pitch range as measured in semitones. During the diminuendos, they repeatedly inserted the consonant [p] so that associated subglottal pressures could be estimated from the oral pressure during the p-occlusions.