Study on the principle of sound resonance in human whistling using physical models of a human vocal tract

Abstract

The principle behind sound production in human whistling is relatively unknown. A good understanding of this principle would be beneficial to both trainer and trainee. Rayleigh identified whistling frequency as being determined by the mouth cavity and pointed out that earlier ideas that relate the sound-producing mechanism to the vibration of the lips are inaccurate. Wilson et al. reported that the human whistling resonant frequency is close to the Helmholtz resonant frequency, and through some physical-model-based experiments, they determined that the resonator can be excited by a flow through the smooth-edged orifices bounding the resonant cavity. Thus, the principles of whistling in terms of articulation have been reported to be based on the Helmholtz resonance. However, some whistlers can produce high-pitched sounds by blowing harder without changing the capacity of the resonance chamber, which is similar to a high-pitched sound produced by a wind instrument by air-column resonance. This work studies ...