Supralaryngeal muscle activity during sustained vibrato in four sopranos: surface EMG findings

Four classically trained sopranos, aged 22-41 years, sustained a vibrato at a comfortable loudness level, and at different vowels (/u/, /i/, or /a/) and pitch levels (220, 277, 349, 440, 554, 698, or 880 Hz). Pairs of surface electrodes were placed on each singer's right side over the submandibular region, the thyroid cartilage, mandibular ramus, and upper lip to record electromyographic (EMG) activity from the anterior suprahyoid (ASH), extralaryngeal (ELAR), massetter (MAS), and perioral (PER) muscles, respectively. A headset-mounted miniature microphone transduced the voice, and a Kay Visi-Pitch extracted the voice fundamental frequency (F0). The output of the Visi-Pitch, a voltage analog of the F0 (VF0), and the EMG signals were digitized, the EMG signals rectified and smoothed, and the VF0 and smoothed EMG signals were subjected to Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis. Spectral peaks in the FFT records indicated vibrato-related activity in the ASH and ELAR muscles, with occasional vibrato-related activity in the MAS and PER muscles. The role of supralaryngeal muscles in vibrato is discussed.