Vocal fatigue in young trained singers across a solo performance: a preliminary study

This preliminary study aimed to measure changes in vocal function across a solo vocal performance task. Five participants, all trained singers, were required to complete a 10-min standard vocal warm-up, sing from a familiar repertoire for 40 min, and rest their voices for 10 min. Vocal function data were collected at 10-min intervals throughout the experimental session. Acoustic perturbation, sound pressure level and semitone pitch indices were employed as objective vocal function measures. A visual analogue scale and checklist of vocal fatigue symptoms were employed as self-report measures. Results revealed individual variation in vocal endurance, suggesting the importance of vocal history and repertoire factors in predisposing the onset of fatigue. Sound pressure level and pitch indices appeared more useful than perturbation indices in reflecting meaningful trends in vocal change.