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Three Professional Singers' Vocal Tract Dimensions in Operatic Singing, Kulning, and Edge-A Multiple Case Study
Tero Ikävalko1, Anne-Maria Laukkanen1, Anita McAllister2
1Speech and Voice Research Laboratory, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
Journal of Voice : Official Journal of the Voice Foundation
|March 12, 2022
Summary
Singing styles like Opera and Kulning involve distinct vocal tract configurations. These anatomical differences, including larynx height and pharyngeal dimensions, influence vocal projection and spectral characteristics.
Area of Science:
- Vocal acoustics and biomechanics.
- Speech and hearing science.
- Singing pedagogy.
Background:
- Understanding vocal tract variations is crucial for voice production.
- Loud voice production techniques differ across singing genres.
- Limited data exists on the anatomical correlates of distinct singing styles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate vocal tract dimensional differences between Opera, Kulning, and Edge singing styles.
- To correlate anatomical variations with acoustic features in loud voice production.
- To provide insights into genre-specific vocal tract adjustments.
Main Methods:
- Three professional singers performed Opera and Kulning styles on vowel [iː] at C5.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) captured vocal tract dimensions during phonation.
- Spectral analysis examined audio recordings for harmonic content.
Main Results:
- Opera featured a lower larynx, larger tongue-palate distance, and wider pharyngeal/epilaryngeal tubes than Kulning.
- Edge singing exhibited the highest larynx, narrowest tubes, and least laryngeal tilt.
- Spectral analysis revealed a dominant first harmonic in Opera/Kulning and a dominant second harmonic in Edge.
Conclusions:
- Vocal tract dimensions significantly change to achieve genre-specific loud voice projection.
- These findings offer valuable pedagogical insights for singers and voice coaches.
- Anatomical adjustments are key to understanding acoustic differences in singing styles.
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