Modes Of Singing Research Articles

ALBANIAN MUSIC DEVELOPMENTS AND ITS FOLKLORIC ELEMENTS

Albanian folk music is presented with inalienable value. Albanian folk music presents a rich heritage and varied in styles, in modes of singing, in varieties of folk instruments of rhythms. It expresses its originality, first of all, in the modal-intonation system. It is built on four main tonal systems: pentatonic (that is found commonly in polyphony folk creations), diatonic (which, as a rule, is found in homophonic creations), chromatic building (generally on city folk music) and enharmonic construction (mostly in folk vocal music and in a part of instrumental music, mainly to what is executed through non-tempered wind tools. Asan especially important melodic element of Albanian folklore are folk ions, that in our opinion have been, are, and will be an important source of support for professional composers in their creations, in different periods of history, the present and the future, and for this reason we considered it as important to stop in one of their analysis. Keywords: Albanian music, folkloric elements, Albanian composers, cultivated music stages.

Cascaded multiple Fabry–Perot interferometers fabricated in multimode fiber with a waveguide

• This work demonstrates a new method to fabricate cascaded multiple FPIs in MMF with suppressed multimode interference, achieved by inscribing a waveguide in the fiber core of MMF by using femtosecond laser [16–18]. • The waveguide is only 3 μm in diameter, which allows the incident and reflected light propagate along the waveguide in singe mode, thus suppressing the multimode interference in MMF, and greatly improving the SMSRs and 3-dB bandwidth of the device output spectrum. • The device has an excellent high temperature sustainability and its high temperature sensitivity is 17.1 pm/°C within the region between 400 and 1000 °C. We demonstrate cascaded multiple Fabry–Perot interferometers in multimode fiber with a waveguide, inscribed by femtosecond laser micromachining. The device can sustain high temperature up to 1000 °C, and the temperature sensitivity obtained is 10.1 pm/°C and 17.1 pm/°C within the temperature region 100–400 °C and 400–1000 °C respectively. Compared with single-mode fiber, multimode fiber has a larger core diameter and a higher numerical aperture, allowing more optical power to be coupled from the light source. Thus the optical fiber sensors based on multimode fiber do not have high requirements on the light source used, the system cost can be reduced.

Large-Range, Highly-Sensitive, and Fast-Responsive Optical Fiber Temperature Sensor Based on the Sealed Ethanol in Liquid State Up to its Supercritical Temperature

A highly-sensitive and fast-responsive optical fiber temperature sensor based on the sealed liquid ethanol with a large detection range was proposed. The ethanol was injected into the fiber Fabry-Perot (FP) micro-cavity through the thin core silica capillary tube (SCT), which was then spliced to a section of singe mode fiber. A section of air core was formed in the thin core SCT near the splicing position. If the volume of the sealed ethanol is much larger than that of the air core, the ethanol can remain liquid state until its supercritical temperature (about 243 °C) at which the ethanol becomes supercritical state. The temperature sensitivity of proposed sensor with a volume ratio 2.89 of ethanol to air reaches –497.6 pm/ °C with an upper detection limit of 220 °C. Meanwhile, the order of the interference fringe can be distinguished by monitoring the transmission loss of the sensor, which can assist wavelength demodulation in the large detection range. Besides, the proposed fiber temperature sensor is with the advantages of fast response (less than 1 s for the temperature variation of about 90 °C) and good repeatability.

Distinct Acoustic Features and Glottal Changes Define Two Modes of Singing in Peking Opera

We aimed to delineate the acoustic characteristics of the Laodan and Qingyi role in Peking Opera and define glottis closure states and mucosal wave changes during singing in the two roles. The range of singing in A4 (440 Hz) pitch in seven female Peking Opera singers was determined using two classic pieces of Peking Opera. Glottal changes during singing were examined by stroboscopic laryngoscope. The fundamental frequency of /i/ in the first 15 seconds of the two pieces and the /i/ pitch range were determined. The relative length of the glottis fissure and the relative maximum mucosal amplitude were calculated. Qingyi had significantly higher mean fundamental frequency than Laodan. The long-term average spectrum showed an obvious formant cluster near 3000 Hz in Laodan versus Qingyi. No formant cluster was observed in singing in the regular mode. Strobe laryngoscopy showed complete glottal closure in Laodan and incomplete glottal closure in Qingyi in the maximal glottis closure phase. The relative length of the glottis fissure of Laodan was significantly lower than that of Qingyi in the singing mode. The relative maximum mucosal amplitude of Qingyi was significantly lower than that of Laodan. The Laodan role and the Qingyi role in Peking Opera sing in a fundamental frequency range compatible with the respective use of da sang (big voice) and xiao sang (small voice). The morphological patterns of glottal changes also indicate that the Laodan role and the Qingyi role sing with da sang and xiao sang, respectively.

Curbing—The Metallic Mode In-between: An empirical study qualifying and categorizing restrained sounds known as Curbing based on audio perception, laryngostroboscopic imaging, acoustics, LTAS, and EGG

This study aims to study the categorization Curbing from the pedagogical method Complete Vocal Technique as a reduced metallic mode compared with the full metallic modes Overdrive and Edge by means of audio perception, laryngostroboscopic imaging, acoustics, long-term average spectrum (LTAS), and electroglottography (EGG). Twenty singers were recorded singing sustained vowels in a restrained character known as Curbing. Two studies were performed: (1) laryngostroboscopic examination using a videonasoendoscopic camera system and the Laryngostrobe program; and (2) simultaneous recording of EGG and acoustic signals using Speech Studio. Images were analyzed based on consensus agreement. Statistical analysis of acoustic, LTAS, and EGG parameters was undertaken using Student paired t tests. The reduced metallic singing mode Curbing has an identifiable laryngeal gesture. Curbing has a more open setting than Overdrive and Edge, with high visibility of the vocal folds, and the false folds giving a rectangular appearance. LTAS showed statistically significant differences between Curbing and the full metallic modes, with less energy across all spectra, yielding a high second and a low third harmonic. Statistically significant differences were identified on Max Qx, Average Qx, Shimmer+, Shimmer-, Shimmer dB, normalized noise energy, cepstral peak prominence, harmonics-to-noise ratio, and mean sound pressure level (P ≤ 0.05). Curbing as a voice production strategy is statistically significantly different from Overdrive and Edge, and can be categorized based on audio perception. This study demonstrates consistently different laryngeal gestures between Curbing and Overdrive and Edge, with high corresponding differences in LTAS, EGG and acoustic measures.

On Singing and Listening in Vaughan Williams's Early Songs

Vaughan Williams's celebrated set of Robert Louis Stevenson settings, Songs of Travel, has lately garnered liberal scholarly attention, not least on account of the vicissitudes of its publication history. Following the cycle's premiere in 1904 it was issued in two separate books, each gathering stylistically different songs. Though a credible case for narrative coherence has been advanced in numerous accounts, the cycle's peculiar amalgamation of materials might rather be read as a signal to its projection of multiple voices, which unsettle the longstanding critical tendency to map a single protagonist through its progress. The division marked by the cycle's publication history may productively be understood to reflect a tension inherent in its aesthetic propositions, one constitutive of much of Vaughan Williams's work, which frequently mediates between the individualistic and the collective, the “artistic” and the “accessible,” and, as I suggest, the subjective voice of the individual artist in its invitation to the participation of a singing and listening community. I propose that Vaughan Williams's early songs frequently frame the idea or demand the engagement of a listener's contribution, as particular modes of singing and listening—and singing-as-listening—are figured and invited within the music's constitution. Composed as he was searching for an individual creative voice that simultaneously sustained a nascent commitment to the social utility and intelligibility of national art music, these songs explore the possibility of achieving a self-consciously collective authorial subjectivity, often reaching toward a musical intersubjectivity wherein boundaries between self and other—and between composer, performer, and listener—are collapsed. In the recognition of such processes lies a means of examining the tendency of Vaughan Williams's work toward projecting a powerfully subjective voice that simultaneously claims identification with no single agency.

Do songbirds attend to song categories when selecting breeding habitat? A case study with a wood warbler

Breeding habitat selection strongly affects reproduction and individual fitness. Among birds, using social cues from conspecifics to select habitat is widespread, but how different types of conspecific social cues influence breeding habitat selection remains less understood. We conducted a playback experiment evaluating if the yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia), a species with two song categories linked to pairing status, uses categories differently when selecting breeding habitat. We hypothesized that yellow warblers use second-category singing mode, which is mostly sung by paired males, over first-category singing mode for habitat selection, as successfully paired males should indicate higher-quality habitat. We broadcast yellow warbler first-category singing mode, second-category singing mode, and silent controls at sites in Illinois. Yellow warblers were more abundant at sites treated with second-category singing mode compared other sites. Our results demonstrate that yellow warblers use social cues informing successful pairing over other types of social cues to select breeding habitat.

Overdrive and Edge as Refiners of “Belting”?: An Empirical Study Qualifying and Categorizing “Belting” Based on Audio Perception, Laryngostroboscopic Imaging, Acoustics, LTAS, and EGG

We aimed to study the categorizations "Overdrive" and "Edge" from the pedagogical method Complete Vocal Technique as refiners of the often ill-defined concept of "belting" by means of audio perception, laryngostroboscopic imaging, acoustics, long-term average spectrum (LTAS), and electroglottography (EGG). This is a case-control study. Twenty singers were recorded singing sustained vowels in a "belting" quality refined by audio perception as "Overdrive" and "Edge." Two studies were performed: (1) a laryngostroboscopic examination using a videonasoendoscopic camera system (Olympus) and the Laryngostrobe program (Laryngograph); (2) a simultaneous recording of the EGG and acoustic signals using Speech Studio (Laryngograph). The images were analyzed based on consensus agreement. Statistical analysis of the acoustic, LTAS, and EGG parameters was undertaken using the Student paired t test. The two modes of singing determined by audio perception have visibly different laryngeal gestures: Edge has a more constricted setting than that of Overdrive, where the ventricular folds seem to cover more of the vocal folds, the aryepiglottic folds show a sharper edge in Edge, and the cuneiform cartilages are rolled in anteromedially. LTAS analysis shows a statistical difference, particularly after the ninth harmonic, with a coinciding first formant. The combined group showed statistical differences in shimmer, harmonics-to-noise ratio, normalized noise energy, and mean sound pressure level (P ≤ 0.05). "Belting" sounds can be categorized using audio perception into two modes of singing: "Overdrive" and "Edge." This study demonstrates consistent visibly different laryngeal gestures between these modes and with some correspondingly significant differences in LTAS, EGG, and acoustic measures.

Why is birdsong so repetitive? Signal detection and the evolution of avian singing modes

Signal repertoires, such as the song type repertoires of many songbirds, are thought to play a role in male mating success, with females preferring larger male repertoires over smaller ones. Yet, in many songbird species, males sing in a way that does not readily reveal their repertoire sizes by repeating each song type multiple times before switching to the next. Here I describe a potential explanation for such signal redundancy, based on the predictions of signal detection theory as it applies to intersexual communication during mate choice. According to this idea, a female’s response threshold to male mating signals (i.e., her ‘choosiness’) should select for male signal features that elicit favorable female responses (i.e., that are more ‘detectable’). Males can increase the detectability of their signals by producing them with higher redundancy, as well as by increasing their intensity and distinctiveness. Thus, in species with relatively high female response thresholds to males, such as taxa in which the sexes associate only briefly during breeding, males are expected to produce mate attraction signals that are especially stereotyped and repetitive. High signal stereotypy is also expected to be associated with features within signals that are relatively extravagant. Phylogenetic studies of a songbird group with a wide range of mating patterns, the oropendolas and caciques (family Icteridae), provide evidence consistent with these evolutionary predictions. Singing modes in this group have become more repetitive in some lineages along with the evolution of polygynous mating systems, even as various features within songs have become more extravagant.

Fast Laser Cutting Optimization Algorithm

To obtain high quality results in laser fusion cutting, generally, a time and cost intensive optimization process has to be run. We report on a fast algorithm to optimize the laser parameters to get a burr free laser cut. The algorithm includes design of experiments and one-factor-at-a-time methods. The algorithm describes the whole optimization from the first to the optimum cut. Using a 500 W singe mode fiber laser we have optimized laser cutting of 1 mm aluminum. As a comparative study we used a 1 kW multi mode fiber laser. Our results demonstrate the potential of the optimization algorithm.

Effects of different levels of song overlapping on singing behaviour in male territorial nightingales (Luscinia megarhynchos)

In signalling interactions, animals can directly address information to a specific individual. Vocal overlapping is such a signalling strategy used in songbirds, anurans, and insects. In songbirds, numerous studies using high rates of song overlap to simulate an escalating situation have shown that song overlapping is perceived as a threatening signal by interacting and by listening (eavesdropping) individuals, indicating a high social relevance of song overlapping. Here we present a playback experiment on nocturnally singing male territorial nightingales (Luscinia megarhynchos). Using three different rates of song overlap (1, 25, or 50%), we tested whether or not lower levels of song overlapping act as a signal of aggressive intent and if birds would increase the intensity of their response with increasing level of song overlapping. Subjects did not vary song duration in response to the different playback treatments but increasingly interrupted their singing with increasing overlap by the three playback treatments. The effects persisted even after the playback ceased to overlap and switched to an alternating singing mode. These results expand on previous studies by showing that song overlapping is interpreted as an aggressive signal even when it is used at low or moderate levels. They suggest that, within the range tested here, increasing levels of song overlapping are perceived to be increasingly aggressive.

Variation in Vocal Performance in the Songs of a Wood‐Warbler: Evidence for the Function of Distinct Singing Modes

AbstractMale North American wood‐warblers (family Parulidae) subdivide their song repertoires into two different categories, or modes, of singing (first and second category songs). These two modes are thought to be specialized for interacting with females and males, although the data are inconclusive. I conducted an acoustic analysis of the song types used by yellow warblers (Dendroica petechia) for type I (first category) and type II (second category) singing to ask whether there are consistent structural differences between them which could provide insight into how they might function as separate signals. I found that type I songs are performed closer to the upper boundary of a song performance limit, measured in terms of the difficulty of production, compared with type II songs. By contrast, the performance of specific song types did not depend on whether they were used for type I singing vs. type II singing by different males. In addition, type I songs had a greater amplitude increase across the first two syllables compared with type II songs. There was no relationship between the performance of type I or type II songs and male condition. These results suggest that wood‐warblers might subdivide their song repertoire into distinct categories to highlight the relative vocal performance of their songs.

The Avu of Alafrika: a narrative on an encounter with musical arts knowledge

Meki Nzewi , supplemented with interlocking commentary and interpretation by Eric Aseka, Anri Herbst, Mathola Motsekgha and Michael Nixon The Western world is just beginning to accept the concept of the griot and griottesses in West Africa as oral historians. Alex Haley\'s Roots stimulated this awakening with his saga of an American family which depicted their history through family tales, archival research and finally a visit to a griot: … today it is rightly said that when a griot dies, it is as if a library has burned to the ground. The griots symbolise how all human ancestry goes back to some place, and some time, where there was no writing. Then, the memories and the mouths of ancient elders was the only way that early histories of mankind got passed along … for all of us today to know who we are. (Haley 1976:10) According to Hale, the term ‘griot\' can be translated as ‘wordsmith\', ‘artisan of the word\', historian, storyteller, praise-singer, genealogist, adviser (often through music), spokesperson, diplomat, mediator, composer, musician, teacher, naming ceremonies and funerals (Hale 1998:18–58). Mutwa Credo (1964:xvi) pointed out that ‘the Black man of Africa\' did not have ‘scrolls\' or ‘pyramids\' to write down his/her history, but they told stories and still do. In Indaba, my children Credo gave a historical account of the continent that is very similar to Nzewi\'s. While Meki Nzewi does not see himself as a griot, he indicated to me that the following Igbo words could serve as a Nigerian counterpart for ‘griot\': Mmanwu abani – ‘The night spirit\' who creates sung stories and philosophical reflections on happenings in the society; Ogbazulu obodo – ‘The spirit that runs through a community\' who sees and sings about happenings; Onye akuko na egwu – ‘The story singer\', a human person. It seems as if the first two terms could be applied to this story which is told in a dramatic singing mode. The narrative starts with a historical reflection, followed by a ‘palaver\' which ends with a song of reconciliation. The past, the genealogy of a continent, is recounted in order to interpret and transform the future. The writing style reflects the cyclical improvisatory style of West African music; what seems to be repetitive is not, but is an elaboration of the ‘standard pattern\', adding new information. It is important to note that the style is therefore cyclical, spiralling away from the starting point, and not circular, which would mean relentless repetition without any change. The way that the story evolves is an artistic presentation of the healing capacities captured in drumming: the reader is drawn into the singer\'s state of mind, reflecting on the past. Through variation on the pattern the initial agitated state of mind is changed into one of reconciliation, looking towards the future. [Commentary and interpretation by Anri Herbst] Journal of Musical Arts in Africa Vol. 1 2004: pp. 55-84

Song Sharing by Yellow Warblers Differs Between two Modes of Singing: Implications for Song Function

AbstractI investigated the pattern of song sharing for the two singing modes (Type I and Type II) of Yellow Warblers (Dendroica petechia). There is indirect evidence that males use Type I singing to attract females, and Type II singing to interact with other males, but how males use these singing modes for these functions is unknown. One way in which males might use Type II singing to interact with neighboring males is through the use of “shared songs:” males might preferentially sing songs they share with neighboring males to engage in song type matching or repertoire matching. I tested the prediction that Yellow Warblers should share more of their Type II songs with neighbors compared to non-neighbors, but that there should be no such relationship for Type I songs. I found that males in a Pennsylvania population shared significantly more of their Type II song repertoire with neighbors than with non-neighbors, and that sharing between males declined with distance between their territories. There was no spatial relationship for sharing Type I song types. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that Yellow Warblers use Type II singing to interact with other males using strategies such as song type and repertoire matching.Dendroica petechia Comparte sus Cantos de Dos Modos Diferentes: Implicancias para la Función del CantoResumen. Investigué el modo en que Dendroica petechia comparte sus cantos en relación a dos maneras de cantar (Tipo I y Tipo II). Existe evidencia indirecta que los machos usan cantos de Tipo I para atraer a las hembras y cantos de Tipo II para interactuar con otros machos, pero se desconoce cómo los machos usan estos cantos para estas funciones. Una manera en la que los machos podrían usar cantos de Tipo II para interactuar con machos vecinos es a través del uso de “canciones compartidas:” los machos podrían preferentemente cantar canciones que comparten con machos vecinos para establecer el uso de un tipo de canción o repertorio semejante. Puse a prueba la predicción que D. petechia debería compartir una mayor parte de sus canciones de Tipo II con machos vecinos que con no-vecinos, pero que no debería existir esta relación para canciones de Tipo I. Encontré que los machos de una población de Pensilvania comparten una parte significativamente mayor de su repertorio de canciones de Tipo II con vecinos que con no-vecinos, y que el grado en que los machos comparten canciones disminuye con la distancia entre sus territorios. No hubo una relación espacial en los tipos de canciones compartidas de Tipo I. Estos resultados son consistentes con la hipótesis que D. petechia usa canciones de Tipo II como estrategia para interactuar con otros machos empleando tipo de canciones o repertorios semejantes.

Voice Source Characteristics in Mongolian “Throat Singing” Studied with High-Speed Imaging Technique, Acoustic Spectra, and Inverse Filtering

Mongolian “throat singing” can be performed in different modes. In Mongolia, the bass-type is called Kargyraa. The voice source in bass-type throat singing was studied in one male singer. The subject alternated between modal voice and the throat singing mode. Vocal fold vibrations were observed with high-speed photography, using a computerized recording system. The spectral characteristics of the sound signal were analyzed. Kymographic image data were compared to the sound signal and flow inverse filtering data from the same singer were obtained on a separate occasion. It was found that the vocal folds vibrated at the same frequency throughout both modes of singing. During throat singing the ventricular folds vibrated with complete but short closures at half the frequency of the true vocal folds, covering every second vocal fold closure. Kymographic data confirmed the findings. The spectrum contained added subharmonics compared to modal voice. In the inverse filtered signal the amplitude of every second airflow pulse was considerably lowered. The ventricular folds appeared to modulate the sound by reducing the glottal flow of every other vocal fold vibratory cycle.

The Influence of Song Mode on Responses of Male American Redstarts

AbstractMale American redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) exhibit two modes of singing: repeat and serial mode. Repeat mode consists of repetitions of a single song type, usually one possessing an accented terminal note. Serial mode is constituted by a series of different songs with unaccented terminal notes, sung in a versatile sequence. Different authors have observed that males discriminate between these two modes. In the experiments reported in this paper, we tested whether males use accented terminal notes, song versatility or both to discriminate between the two song modes. We observed that males responded more intensively to the accented song. The accented note seems a very important song characteristic for evoking male American redstart responses. In contrast, males did not show any difference in their response to single and varied serial songs.

The Effect of Singing Mode and Seating Arrangement on Choral Blend and Overall Choral Sound

This study is an examination of the effects of soloistic versus blended choral singing and random versus acoustic choral seating arrangements on evaluations of choral blend and overall choral sound. Thirty-seven choral conductors, 33 voice teachers, and 32 nonvocal musicians rated performances of four pieces by a choir of 22 voice majors. Eight choristers were recorded individually during choral performances and solo, and their vocal production was evaluated by 12 voice teachers. Choristers rated experimental conditions for vocal comfort and choral sound. Results indicated that choral conductors preferred blended singing over soloistic singing. No significant singing mode preference, however, was found in choral evaluations by voice teachers and nonvocal musicians. Voice teachers ranked individual vocal production in blended choral singing lower than in soloistic choral singing, and both choral singing modes lower than solo singing. Acoustic seating positively affected evaluations of choral performance, individual vocal production, and choristers' vocal comfort and choral sound ratings.

Repertoire Size, Repertoire Overlap, and Singing Modes in the Banded Wren (Thryothorus pleurostictus)

We describe the song system of the Banded Wren (Thryothorus pleurostictus), with emphasis on within-species variation in repertoire size, song-type sharing, and singing mode, and identify some of the correlates of this variation. Unlike most of its duetting con- geners, males are the primary songsters in this species. Songs are discrete, 2 to 5 s in du- ration, and consist of softer introductory buzzes and rattles followed by several repeated frequency-modulated whistles or note complexes and a loud terminal trill. Song types are highly distinctive. Repertoire size averaged 19.7 song types (range 15 to 24) and did not vary among three populations located within 8 km of each other in northwestern Costa Rica. Song-type sharing between neighboring males averaged 77% (range 48 to 90%) and was sig- nificantly higher among males inhabiting a continuous forest habitat area (78%) than among birds in two broken-forest/second-growth areas (62%). Populations separated by 8 km shared few song types (10%). Singing mode encompassed both the immediate variety and eventual variety patterns found in other passerines, as well as a continuous range of inter- mediate variety between these two extremes. We used switching rate and a modified Shan- non-Wiener index of song-type diversity to quantify variation in singing modes. High- switching, high-diversity singing was associated with the dawn chorus and with soft singing in the presence of the male's mate. High-switching, low-diversity singing (alternation be- tween two or three song types) was associated with countersinging from a distance. Low- switching, low-diversity singing (repeat mode) occurred during and after highly escalated boundary encounters. Thus, unlike most discrete-repertoire species described to date, Band- ed Wrens decreased their switching rate in increasingly agonistic contexts. Received 10 April 1998, accepted 17 November 1998.

Individual recognition of song repertoires in two wood warblers

We examined recognition of individual neighbors in hooded warblers (Wilsonia citrina) and Kentucky warblers (Oporornis formosus) by comparing responses to playbacks of neighbors' songs from appropriate and inappropriate boundaries of the subjects' territories. Kentucky warblers, which sing one song type each, responded more strongly to the songs of neighbors broadcast from incorrect than from correct boundaries. Hooded warblers use their repertoires of three to nine song types in two distinct modes of singing: repeat mode involves repeated presentation of one song type; mixed mode involves presentation of two or more song types in irregular sequence. Playbacks of neighbors' mixed-mode songs from appropriate and inappropriate boundaries indicated capabilities of individual recognition similar to those reported previously for repeat-mode songs (Godard 1991) and to those of Kentucky warblers. Repertoires of moderate size, therefore, have no pronounced influence on eventual recognition of individual neighbors in hooded warblers.

Use of Two Singing Modes By Hooded Warblers as Adaptations for Signalling

Abstract Hooded warblers Wilsonia citrina use two modes of singing, repeat mode (one pattern sung repeatedly) and mixed mode (2-4 other patterns sung in irregular sequence). Intensive focal-individual sampling of 14 males documented the use of these modes of singing throughout the nesting cycle. Males of different ages (first breeding season or later) did not differ in use of the two modes. Time spent singing in repeat mode decreased markedly after acquiring a mate, but time spent singing mixed mode did not change significantly across stages of the nesting cycle. Males sang more when their neighbors sang at a distance of 25 m or more. Repeat mode increased in this situation before a male acquired a mate, while mixed mode increased afterwards. Near a neighbor (within 25 m), males avoided use of repeat mode. Nearby females before the onset of incubation evoked increased use of repeat mode. More distant, calling females elicited little response before incubation, but thereafter calling females tended to suppress all singing. Males used mixed mode proportionately more in locations nearer neighbors. There were no indications that variation in singing influenced the dates on which males acquired mates. Unmated males late in the breeding season sang persistently in repeat mode, even more than eventually mated males had early in the season before they acquired mates. These results provide support, with some reservations, for three hypotheses for the evolution of distinct modes of singing: (1) specializations for male and female listeners; (2) specializations for indicating conditional behavioral tendencies; and (3) specializations for communication in low- and high-noise situations. These hypotheses are not mutually exclusive, and all three in combination might offer the strongest explanation for the evolution of distinct singing modes in this species and other paruline warblers.