The vocal tract model of placement: II. Acoustic aspects

The technique of "placing" the voice in the throat, head, or elsewhere is used in training singers of operatic quality and in vocal rehabilitation. A vocal tract model of placement has been shown to have perceptual validity (Nichols and Shellenberger, 1985). This study tested its acoustic validity. Line spectra of vowels at different vocal placements were analyzed. We found that Formant 2 reflected changes in vocal placement for both male and female speakers.