Professional Soprano Research Articles

Influence of vowels on note pitching in a cappella vocal quartet performance

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the fundamental frequencies employed when singing different vowels on the same pitch for each member in turn of a professional soprano, alto, tenor, bass (SATB) a cappella vocal quartet in terms of the measured fundamental frequency during the production of a set of individual vowels within a four-part carrier phrase. This is an experimental singing production study on the tuning of vowels in the context of a cappella quartet singing. To facilitate this, one singer at a time in a professional a cappella vocal quartet changed the vowel they are singing on a single note concurrent with a consonant a cappella triad being sustained by the other three singers singing a fixed vowel. The first few bars of the a cappella anthem "If ye love me" by Thomas Tallis provided a carrier phrase that ended with a held chord on the chord on the word "me" by three singers against which the remaining singer produced a set of different vowels on their note of the chord. This is carried out for each of the four singers. The hypothesis being investigated is to remain accurately in-tune; fundamental frequency should be varied depending on the vowel being sung. Fundamental frequencies were measured using electrolaryngographs to ensure that there was no acoustic interference that could affect the accuracy of the fundamental frequency measurements if they were obtained from the audio output. The results provide clear evidence of changes being made to the fundamental frequencies of different vowels in an a cappella quartet context, and these changes confirm variations found elsewhere relating to the perceived pitches of different vowels. Measurable and consistent fundamental frequency variations occur when one part tunes different vowels against a reference chord sung by the other three singers in a choral quartet context on a fixed vowel. This has a direct consequence for tuning in a cappella choral music. The importance of carefully tuning individual notes for different vowels in a cappella choral singing requires focused listening to the pitches of the sounds being produced by the other singers in the choir. Usually, all parts are singing common vowels where it is important that the vowels are matched by being carefully blended together and tuning is aimed at being beat-free in just intonation. When compositions require parts to sing different vowels, both intrinsic (production related) and auditory (hearing related) pitch variations become relevant and challenge beat-free tuning.

Vocal Tract and Subglottal Impedance in High Performance Singing: A Case Study

The respiratory process is important in vocal training and in professional singing, the airflow is highly important. It is hypothesized that subglottal resonances are important to the singing voice in high performance singing. Single subject, prospective. A professional soprano singer shaped her vocal tract to form the vowels [a], [e], [i], [o], and [u] at the pitch d4. We measured phonated vowels and the vocal tract impedance spectra with a deterministic noise supplied by an iPhone buzzer in the range of 200 to 4,000 Hz at closed glottis, during exhalation and during inhalation while maintaining the shape of the vocal tract. Measurements of the phonated vowels before and after the different glottal adjustments were highly reproducible. Vocal tract resonances and the ones resulting during respiration are reported. The impedance spectra show vowel dependent resonances with closed and open glottis. The formants of the vocal spectra are explained by including both, the vocal tract, and the subglottal resonances. The findings indicate that subglottal resonances influence the first formant as well as the singers's formant cluster in high-performance singing. The instrumental setup used for the impedance measurement allows a simple and lightweight procedure for a measurement of vocal tract and subglottal resonances.

Investigation of resonance strategies of high pitch singing sopranos using dynamic three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging.

Resonance-strategies with respect to vocal registers, i.e., frequency-ranges of uniform, demarcated voice quality, for the highest part of the female voice are still not completely understood. The first and second vocal tract resonances usually determine vowels. If the fundamental frequency exceeds the vowel-shaping resonance frequencies of speech, vocal tract resonances are tuned to voice source partials. It has not yet been clarified if such tuning is applicable for the entire voice-range, particularly for the top pitches. We investigated professional sopranos who regularly sing pitches above C6 (1047 Hz). Dynamic three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging was used to calculate resonances for pitches from C5 (523 Hz) to C7 (2093 Hz) with different vowel configurations ([a:], [i:], [u:]), and different contexts (scales or octave jumps). A spectral analysis and an acoustic analysis of 3D-printed vocal tract models were conducted. The results suggest that there is no exclusive register-defining resonance-strategy. The intersection of fundamental frequency and first vocal tract resonance was not found to necessarily indicate a register shift. The articulators and the vocal tract resonances were either kept without significant adjustments, or the fR1:fo-tuning, wherein the first vocal tract resonance enhances the fundamental frequency, was applied until F6 (1396 Hz). An fR2:fo-tuning was not observed.

Aerosol propagation and acoustic effects while singing with a face mask

The flow of aspirated breath while singing was studied using transmission electronic speckle pattern interferometry. The resulting images show that when a vocalist wears a facemask the aspirated aerosol generally does not propagate through the mask, but instead exits through the sides. The aerosol is then entrained in the upward flow created by the heat from the body of the vocalist. Studies of a professional soprano singing the same phrase while wearing several different masks revealed that all of the masks that were tested resulted in no detectable transmission of the aspirated aerosol through the mask. The acoustic spectra indicate that all of the masks reduce the relative power in frequencies above 1 kHz, but a singer’s mask has a higher transmission in this frequency range than the more commonly available masks.

An Old Myth: Prediction of the Correct Singing Voice Classification. True or not?

<h2>Summary</h2><h3>Objective</h3> Predicting the correct singing voice classification based on laryngoscopy is an old myth. The aim of this study was to evaluate if a professional phoniatrician/laryngologist can predict the correct singing voice classification only from laryngoscopy and to analyze different anatomical parameters between professional sopranos and altos to determine whether a multivariate analysis of anatomical parameters can predict the singing register. <h3>Study design</h3> Prospective study <h3>Methods</h3> We included 49 professional female singers (25 sopranos, 24 altos). Laryngoscopic images were shown to professional phoniatricians/laryngologists to rate whether it they show a soprano or an alto. In addition, a high-resolution computer tomography (HRCT) scan was performed during singing of ƒ0 by each singer. DICOM scan data were rendered and 3D-visualized using the software MIMICS. In all singers, we measured the length of the vocal folds of the glottis, the distance from the anterior commissure orthogonally to the vertebral spine, and the antero-posterior distance of the subglottis/trachea 1 cm and 2 cm below the glottis. We also measured the length and volume of the resonance space. <h3>Results</h3> It was not possible to predict the singing voice classification only from laryngoscopy. In the HRCT images, sopranos had significantly shorter vocal folds, a shorter glottal length, a shorter distance from the anterior commissure to the spine, and a shorter resonance space. When combining all parameters, the chance of correctly predicting a soprano was 74.1% and an alto 68.2%. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Although there are anatomical differences between sopranos and altos, prediction of the singing voice classification from laryngoscopy or HRCT is not reliable enough for clinical use.

What do Sopranos and Singing Teachers Think About Upper High Range Notes?

Despite being widely used by professional sopranos, the emission of upper high range notes is still a subject of considerable controversy both to those who use them and those who study them. To compare the opinion of sopranos and singing teachers on the emission of upper high range notes. The participants were asked to answer a questionnaire with objective questions on the emission of upper high range notes and indicate technical aspects involved in their production (singing teachers) and proprioceptive sensations during their emission (sopranos). The sample consisted of 24 sopranos who were, on average, 28 years old and had 9.08 years of a professional career and singing teachers were, on average, 41 years and had 20 years of professional experience. The questionnaire used was considered reliable (pilot Cronbach's alpha=0.88). There was no statistically significant difference in breath support, tongue positioning, and body adjustments. The differences that were found regarded laryngeal vertical movement (P= 0.02), articulatory pattern (horizontal mouth widening, P= 0.03; and "imagining a smile," P= 0.02), and auditory aspects (decrease in voice volume, P= 0.03; reduction in voice "size," P= 0.03; and change in voice brightness, P= 0.02). The proprioceptive description of the sopranos differs from the recommendations described by singing teachers with respect to the larynx movement, articulation, and auditory perception. These findings suggest that the emission of upper high range notes requires individualized adjustments for the emission to occur with good vocal quality and comfortably.

Upper high notes: auditory-perceptual analysis of voice and self-reporting among professional sopranos.

To describe the emission of upper high notes by professional sopranos by means of the auditory-perceptual evaluation of the singers' voices and self-reports. Five professional sopranos performed an excerpt from a Bellini opera which involved the emission of an upper high note. The auditory-perceptual evaluation was carried out by three speech-language therapists and three singing teachers, who considered brightness, loudness, metal quality, vibrato, breathiness, and resonance on a visual-analytical scale, based on each singer's emission of high notes. After the recording, the singers were asked to answer a proprioceptive questionnaire on the physical sensations that they had as they emitted upper high notes. An inferential analysis of the data from the auditory-perceptual evaluation was conducted, and the singers' self-reports were summarized and then orthographically transcribed. In the auditory-perceptual analysis, the emission of upper high notes was characterized according to the presence of brightness, loudness, metal quality, vibrato, and anterior resonance, as perceived by speech-language therapists and singing teachers. In the proprioceptive report, all singers reported laryngeal elevation and a need to use respiratory support in order to emit upper high notes. Upper high notes are characterized by a bright vocal emission, enhanced loudness, with a metallic quality and vibrato, little or no breathiness, accompanied by a sensation of laryngeal elevation and a need for respiratory support.

Laryngeal evidence for the first and second passaggio in professionally trained sopranos.

IntroductionDue to a lack of empirical data, the current understanding of the laryngeal mechanics in the passaggio regions (i.e., the fundamental frequency ranges where vocal registration events usually occur) of the female singing voice is still limited.Material and methodsIn this study the first and second passaggio regions of 10 professionally trained female classical soprano singers were analyzed. The sopranos performed pitch glides from A3 (ƒo = 220 Hz) to A4 (ƒo = 440 Hz) and from A4 (ƒo = 440 Hz) to A5 (ƒo = 880 Hz) on the vowel [iː]. Vocal fold vibration was assessed with trans-nasal high speed videoendoscopy at 20,000 fps, complemented by simultaneous electroglottographic (EGG) and acoustic recordings. Register breaks were perceptually rated by 12 voice experts. Voice stability was documented with the EGG-based sample entropy. Glottal opening and closing patterns during the passaggi were analyzed, supplemented with open quotient data extracted from the glottal area waveform.ResultsIn both the first and the second passaggio, variations of vocal fold vibration patterns were found. Four distinct patterns emerged: smooth transitions with either increasing or decreasing durations of glottal closure, abrupt register transitions, and intermediate loss of vocal fold contact. Audible register transitions (in both the first and second passaggi) generally coincided with higher sample entropy values and higher open quotient variance through the respective passaggi.ConclusionsNoteworthy vocal fold oscillatory registration events occur in both the first and the second passaggio even in professional sopranos. The respective transitions are hypothesized to be caused by either (a) a change of laryngeal biomechanical properties; or by (b) vocal tract resonance effects, constituting level 2 source-filter interactions.

Resonance Tuning in Three Girl Choristers

The phenomenon of resonance tuning, whereby a singer modifies the shape of their vocal tract to increase the acoustic power output, is commonly exploited across large pitch ranges by professional sopranos and has been observed to a lesser degree in nonexpert adult singers. This study considers the employment of two common resonance tuning techniques in experienced child singers; tuning the first vocal tract resonance to the fundamental (R1: fo) and tuning the second resonance to the second harmonic (R2:2 fo). Wide-band excitation at the subject's mouth during singing was used to measure the vocal tract resonances of three girl choristers, and vowel formant values in speech were extracted from samples of spoken text. Measured resonance values were cross-referenced with first and second harmonics for sung vowels across the subjects' ranges to identify the resonance tuning techniques employed, and these results were compared with those previously observed by others in professional adult classical singers. There was clear evidence that the subjects employed resonance tuning techniques comparable with the strategies used by adult singers. The protocol and results presented here pave the way for further studies exploring the development of resonance tuning techniques in young soprano voices, with the potential to impact on approaches to classical singing training in the future.

Physiology and Acoustics of Inspiratory Phonation

Inspiratory phonation (IP) means phonating with inspiratory airflow. Some vocalists remarkably master this technique, to such an extent that it offers new dramatic, aesthetic, and functional possibilities in singing specific contemporary music. The present study aims to a better understanding of the physiological backgrounds of IP. A total of 51 inhaling utterances were compared with 61 exhaling utterances in a professional soprano highly skilled in inhaling singing, by means of high-speed single-line scanning and advanced acoustic analysis. Ranges of intensity and Fo were kept similar. The main differences are: (1) an inversion of the mucosal wave, (2) a smaller closed quotient in IP, (3) a larger opening/closing quotient in IP with the additional difference that in IP, the quotient is larger than 1 (opening slower than closing), whereas it is less than 1 in expiratory mode (opening faster than closing), (4) a larger vocal-fold excursion in IP, (5) higher values of adaptive normalized noise energy in IP, and (6) a steeper slope of harmonic peaks in IP. However, jitter values are similar (within normal range), as well as damping ratios and central formant frequencies. The two voicing modes cannot be differentiated by blind listening. The basic physiological mechanisms are comparable in both voicing modes, although with specific differences. IP is actually to be considered as an "extended vocal technique," a term applied to vocalization in art music, which falls outside of traditional classical singing styles, but with remarkable possibilities in skilled vocalists.

Non-contact measurement of facial surface vibration patterns during singing by scanning laser Doppler vibrometer.

This paper presents a method of measuring the vibration patterns on facial surfaces by using a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). The surfaces of the face, neck, and body vibrate during phonation and, according to Titze (2001), these vibrations occur when aerodynamic energy is efficiently converted into acoustic energy at the glottis. A vocalist's vibration velocity patterns may therefore indicate his or her phonatory status or singing skills. LDVs enable laser-based non-contact measurement of the vibration velocity and displacement of a certain point on a vibrating object, and scanning LDVs permit multipoint measurements. The benefits of scanning LDVs originate from the facts that they do not affect the vibrations of measured objects and that they can rapidly measure the vibration patterns across planes. A case study is presented herein to demonstrate the method of measuring vibration velocity patterns with a scanning LDV. The objective of the experiment was to measure the vibration velocity differences between the modal and falsetto registers while three professional soprano singers sang sustained vowels at four pitch frequencies. The results suggest that there is a possibility that pitch frequency are correlated with vibration velocity. However, further investigations are necessary to clarify the relationships between vibration velocity patterns and phonation status and singing skills.

Articulation and vocal tract acoustics at soprano subject's high fundamental frequencies.

The role of the vocal tract for phonation at very high soprano fundamental frequencies (F0s) is not yet understood in detail. In this investigation, two experiments were carried out with a single professional high soprano subject. First, using two dimensional (2D) dynamic real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (24 fps) midsagittal and coronal vocal tract shapes were analyzed while the subject sang a scale from Bb5 (932 Hz) to G6 (1568 Hz). In a second experiment, volumetric vocal tract MRI data were recorded from sustained phonations (13 s) for the pitches C6 (1047 Hz) and G6 (1568 Hz). Formant frequencies were measured in physical models created by 3D printing, and calculated from area functions obtained from the 3D vocal tract shapes. The data showed that there were only minor modifications of the vocal tract shape. These changes involved a decrease of the piriform sinus as well as small changes of tongue position. Formant frequencies did not exhibit major differences between C6 and G6 for F1 and F3, respectively. Only F2 was slightly raised for G6. For G6, however, F2 is not excited by any voice source partial. Therefore, this investigation was not able to confirm that the analyzed professional soprano subject adjusted formants to voice source partials for the analyzed F0s.

Intelligibility of Sung Vowels: The Effect of Consonantal Context and the Onset of Voicing

Studies addressing the identification of sung vowels concern mainly the effect of the fundamental frequency (f0) and conclude that correct vowel identification decreases with increasing pitch. In one experiment, the impact of consonantal environment on the intelligibility of the vowels in high-pitched singing was also studied. The results of that experiment showed positive effect of the consonantal environment. This finding is in line with results that had been reported for speech in an earlier study. However, the data on singing are not as transparent as the authors suggest, and there are some conditions in the experiment that could also be controlled for more strictly. Therefore, the effect of the dynamic acoustic information encoded in the formant transitions at high fundamental frequencies is still an open question. The aim of the present study was to redesign and extend the above-mentioned experiment to test whether the phonetic context and the onset of the vowel uttered in isolation (namely the onset of voicing) have a positive effect on vowel identification. For this purpose, a vowel identification test was carried out. The stimuli included three Hungarian vowels /aː iː uː/ in three conditions (in /bVb/ context, in isolation and with eliminated onset) at seven different fundamental frequencies from 175 to 988 Hz (F3, B3, F4, B4, F5, B5, and speech). The stimuli were produced by one professional soprano singer. The results show that consonantal context does not specify vowel identity in singing as clearly as it has been demonstrated for spoken utterances. In addition, no effect of vowel onset (ie, the onset of voicing) was found. Recognition percentages seemed only to be dependent on f0 and vowel quality. The unexpected results lend themselves to two possible explanations: the reduction of the consonants and the undersampling of the formant transitions.

Automatically extracting performance data from recordings of trained singers.

ABSTRACT - Recorded music offers a wealth of information for studying practice. This paper examines the challenges of automatically extracting information from audio recordings of the singing voice and discusses our technique for automati catty extracting information such as note timings, intonation, vibrato rates, and dynamics. An experiment is also presented that focuses on the tuning of semitones in solo soprano performances of Schubert's Ave Maria by non-professional and professional singers. We found a small decrease in size of intervals with a leading tone function only in the non-professional group. KEYWORDS - vocal intonation, analysis, audio annotation This paper describes the challenges that arise when attempting to automatically extract pitchrelated data from recordings of the singing voice. The first section of the paper provides an overview of the history of analyzing recorded performances. The second section describes an algorithm for automatically extracting data from recordings of the singing voice where a score of the is available. The algorithm first identifies note onsets and offsets. Once the onsets and offsets have been determined, intonation, vibrato, and dynamic characteristics can be calculated for each note. The main experiment of the paper, described in the third section, is a study of intonation in solo vocal performance, where both the note onsets and offsets and fundamental frequency were estimated automatically. In the study, six non-professional and six professional sopranos performed Schubert's Ave Maria three times a cappella and three times with a recorded piano accompaniment. Our analysis of these recordings focused on the intonation of ascending and descending semitones. We found that the A-Bl, intervals with a leading tone function were on average 8 cents smaller than the non-leading tone A-Bb, but that their average size was approximately the same as the other semitones performed in the piece, regardless of intervallic direction or accompaniment. PREVIOUS WORK ON THE ANALYSIS OF RECORDED PERFORMANCES Interest in studying recorded performances dates back almost as far as the birth of recordable media, beginning with Dayton Miller's (1916) work on visualized pitch information in recordings with phonophotographic apparati. The psychologist Carl Seashore and colleagues at the University of Iowa also undertook extensive work in analysis (Seashore, 1938) employing a number of techniques to study recorded performances. Piano performances were studied from both piano rolls and films of the movement of the hammers during the performance. The team also undertook numerous studies of singing. Schoen (1922) studied five performances of Gounod's setting of the Ave Maria. He found that tuning depended on the direction of the line: notes following a lower tone tended to be flatter whereas notes followed by a higher note tended to be sharper. In general the singers were sharper than either equal temperament or just intonation. Easley's study of vibrato in opera singers found that the rate of the singer's vibrato was faster and the depth broader in songs from opera as compared to concert songs (Easley, 1932). Bartholomew (1934) studied vibrato along with other acoustic features of the singing voice in an attempt to define good singing. He observed the vibrato to be sinusoidal in nature and its rate to be approximately 6-7 Hz. H. G. Seashore (1936) also looked at Gounod's setting of the Ave Maria, as well as Handel's Messiah. He studied nine performances and focused on the connections, or glides, between notes. He was able to correlate glide extent with direction, finding that glide extent was larger going up than going down. Miller (1936) provided a large amount of detail through performance scores, though a lot of the data was not analyzed. His study of vibrato found that the rate of vibrato fell between 5. …

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. Four or five semitones below the pitch where F0=F1(Normal) the tongue dorsum height was reduced in /i, e, u, a/, whereas in /o/ the lip opening was widened and in /a/ also the jaw opening was widened. At higher pitches, the jaw opening was widened in all vowels. These articulatory maneuvers are likely to raise F1 in these vowels.

Effects of Topical Anesthetic and Flexible Fiberoptic Laryngoscopy on Professional Sopranos

This study examined the acoustic and perceptual effects of topical anesthetic and flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy (FFL) against a control condition on the singing voices of ten professional sopranos. Recordings of a section of an aria, various scales, and a messa di voce exercise were obtained in the three experimental conditions. Acoustic analyses of the same aria section recorded during the three conditions were similar with respect to the distribution of energy across the spectrum (LTAS) and vibrato rate and extent. The ability of the participants to achieve their highest and lowest notes or to complete the messa di voce was also not affected by the anesthetic or FFL. Perceptual ratings of a variety of parameters by experienced singing teachers also revealed little difference across conditions with only "appropriate velopharyngeal closure" found to differ in one comparison. These results indicate that highly experienced operatic sopranos are either not affected by or appear to have the ability to compensate for the presence of anesthetic and the FFL. The most likely explanation is that this group of singers relied on a solid vocal technique. Results will need to be replicated on less accomplished singers before concluding that this medical procedure does not affect the operatic singing voice.

Pulmonary Function and Vocal Aerodynamics of Female Professional Sopranos and Nonsingers

PURPOSE: Singing requires exquisite coordination between the respiratory and phonatory system to efficiently control glottal airflow. Our study determines both pulmonary function and vocal aerodynamics in classically trained professional singers and compares the data obtained from singers with normal female subjects who had had no professional vocal training.

X-Ray Study of a Professional Soprano’s Postural Strategy for Increasing Laryngeal Mobility

This paper presents a case study of a professional soprano with reduced laryngeal mobility caused by substantial calcification of the laryngeal cartilage. Unlike other singers, she lowers her head when singing high notes. A cephalometric analysis revealed a compensatory posture in the upper register consisting of moving the occipital bone backwards and upwards in such a way that the styloid and mastoid processes are also tipped in those directions. This in turn causes the hyoid bone, which is connected to the styloid and mastoid processes by the lesser cornua, to move up and back. Becoming more vertical, it pulls on the superior cornua of the thyroid cartilage to which it is connected by the hyothyroid membrane. This considerably tilts the thyroid cartilage on the cricoid. In reality, this soprano does not lower her head to sing in the upper register; she moves her occipital bone upwards and backwards in order to achieve greater and thus more effective tilting of the thyroid cartilage.

Small Vocal Fold Mass Causing Dysphonia in a Professional Soprano

Small Vocal Fold Mass Causing Dysphonia in a Professional Soprano

歌声声区変換機構の空気力学的, 音響学的検討

Aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of vocal registers were studied in profressional and non-professional singers. The air flow rate, sound intensity level and fundamental frequency were measured using SH-01 for the speech and singing voices. The rate and magnitude of vibrato were extracted from the singing voices, and an electroglottogram (EGG) was simultaneously recorded.The results were as follows : 1. In the singing mode of a professional soprano singer, the register change from “Chest” to “Mid” occurred at 350 Hz.In “Mid” register, the flow rate increased significantly even though the intensity level did not change remarkably. In the speech mode of the singers and in the singing mode of non-professional singers, the flow rate did not increase so much.2. The estimated open quotient increased when the vocal register changed from “Chest” to “Mid”. At the register changing point, the vibrato tended to be suppressed. Vibrato magnitude was significantly larger in “Mid” register than in “Chest”. There was no significant difference in vibrato rate between the two vocal registers, although it was slightly slower in “Mid” register than in “Chest”. These results suggest that the laryngeal adjustment changes so as to increase the flow rate in “Mid” register, and the change affects vibrato magnitude significantly, but not the vibrato rate.