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The Singing Power Ratio As an Objective Measure of Singing Voice Quality in Untrained Talented and Nontalented Singers

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The Singing Power Ratio As an Objective Measure of Singing Voice Quality in Untrained Talented and Nontalented Singers The Singing Power Ratio as an Objective Measure of Singing Voice Quality in Untrained Talented and Nontalented Singers *Christopher Watts, †Kathryn Barnes-Burroughs, ‡Julie Estis, and ‡Debra Blanton *Harrisonburg, Virginia, †Lubbock, Texas, and ‡Mobile, Alabama Summary: A growing body of contemporary research has investigated differ- ences between trained and untrained singing voices. However, few studies have separated untrained singers into those who do and do not express abilities related to singing talent, including accurate pitch control and production of a pleasant timbre (voice quality). This investigation studied measures of the singing power ratio (SPR), which is a quantitative measure of the resonant quality of the singing voice. SPR reflects the amplification or suppression in the vocal tract of the harmonics produced by the sound source. This measure was acquired from the voices of untrained talented and nontalented singers as a means to objectively investigate voice quality differences. Measures of SPR were acquired from vocal samples with fast Fourier transform (FFT) power spectra to analyze the amplitude level of the partials in the acoustic spectrum. Long-term average spectra (LTAS) were also analyzed. Results indicated significant differences in SPR between groups, which suggest that vocal tract resonance, and its effect on perceived vocal timbre or quality, may be an important variable related to the perception of singing talent. LTAS confirmed group differences in the tuning of vocal tract harmonics. Key Words: Singing talent—Singing ability—Resonance—Singing power ratio—Phonatory control. Accepted for publication December 9, 2004. INTRODUCTION From the *Department of Communication Sciences & Disor- ders, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia; The facility to express a skill in the performance †School of Music, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; and of a task is often credited to talent. Talent can ‡Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology, University of be thought of as a special natural ability that has South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Christopher the potential to lead to a capacity for achievement R. Watts, Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, or success. Anecdotally, physiological talent is com- James Madison University, MSC 4304, Harrisonburg, VA 22807. monly recognized, most notably, in sports perfor- E-mail: [email protected] mance. Singing talent is also recognized, such as Journal of Voice, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 82–88 when judges critique the degree of talent expressed 0892-1997/$32.00 ą 2006 The Voice Foundation by a person for making decisions regarding awards or doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2004.12.003 admittance to specialized training programs. Singing 82 SINGING POWER RATIO 83 skill, which comes from talent and refers to the Both factors can be measured objectively or experi- degree of singing excellence, can be honed even enced perceptually by a listener. Intonation is influ- more and perfected with training and practice. enced by pitch control abilities. Timbre, or voice Singing involves both physiological and artistic quality, is influenced by the supraglottal configura- components. Physiologically, singing talent can be tion of the vocal tract and its resonant effects on the defined as the special natural ability to coordinate and voice source. control the musculature and structures of the voice It is possible to objectively investigate pitch con- organ to produce musical modulations of the trol and voice quality in talented and nontalented voice where the sounds vary over a wide range of persons via acoustic analyses of vocal productions. frequencies and are in tune with each other, or where Study of these variables may provide evidence such sounds are melodious.1 Singing talent can toward understanding the physiological capabilities be inferred from listening to a person sing. In fact, that distinguish one group from the other. The many professional voice teachers have frequent ex- singing power ratio (SPR) has objectively studied perience making these types of judgments. It is likely singing voice quality in both trained and un- that singing talent is expressed along a continuum trained singers.9,10 This measure is an indicator of so that there are different degrees of ability. How- resonant tuning in the vocal tract, and evidence has ever, this fact is not necessarily taken into consider- suggested that SPR represents the acoustic charac- ation universally in many real-world contexts. teristics of singing voice quality.9 SPR is calculated Specifically, binary judgments regarding singing by measuring the ratio of the peak intensities be- talent (eg, present vs. not present; at a required level tween the 2–4-kHz and 0–2-kHz frequency bands in vs. not at a required level) are routinely applied by the context of sustained vowels or vocalic segments experienced judges to persons competing for admit- in sung/spoken samples. Lower SPR measures indi- tance to college music programs, for voice scholar- cate greater energy in the higher harmonics, a con- ships, and in other competitions. dition that has been said to enhance the richness and Little empirical data are available that investigate, perception of “ring” in the voice, and thus it influ- physiologically, why some people, who are un- ences the perception of voice quality in a positive trained, express singing talent, whereas others do way.10 This measure has been found to differenti- not. Goetze et al2 suggested several variables that ate the singing voices of trained and untrained sing- are requisite for accurate singing (accurate singing, ers, as well as spoken and sung productions.9,10 or singing in tune, is one variable thought to be Judgments of singing talent are usually exclu- highly important for the expression of singing sively subjective. However, perceptual experience talent), which included the ability to discriminate of voiced sound is influenced by the spectral rela- between pitches, vocalize over a wide range of tionship of the harmonics in the sound reaching the pitches, the ability to monitor vocal pitch, and a ear. If judges are asked to include timbre as a factor motivation to sing.2 The importance of pitch control in rating singing talent, then analysis of the voice for accurate singing has also been reported by other spectrum can assist in determining the influence of authors.3–7 timbre on those judgments. SPR is one type of mea- To investigate which perceptual factors were most sure that we can use toward this goal. Another important for judgments of singing talent, Watts measure from which voice quality can be inferred et al8 conducted a large survey of professional voice is long-term average spectra (LTAS). LTAS mea- teachers. Over 1000 participants responded to ques- sures allow inferences regarding the sound source tions that queried what factors were most important spectrum and can be calculated from connected in judging whether an untrained voice expressed speech samples, whereas SPR focuses more on the singing talent. According to these experts, the three influence of resonance in the supraglottal vocal tact mostimportantvariableswereintonation, timbre,and and its measurement is restricted to the context of musicality. The first two variables, intonation and vocalic productions. LTAS averages spectral fea- timbre, related to physiological singing abilities (that tures of the speech signal over time, from which is, pitch control and voice quality, respectively). aspects of voice quality (timbre) can be inferred via Journal of Voice, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2006 CHRISTOPHER WATTS ET AL84 calculation of spectral slope or tilt.11,12 Spectral tilt Only data from 33 participants were included in represents the drop in energy from lower frequency the final analysis. Six subjects either did not meet harmonics to the higher frequency harmonics in a inclusion criteria or were not rated unanimously by spectrum. LTAS is averaged over time, and it judges as falling into one of the experimental sub- analyzes longer utterances that include speech. groups (see below). All participants had normal Therefore, LTAS is a useful tool for analysis of voice hearing at 20-dB HL for 500 through 4000 Hz, quality in sung passages. no history of chronic vocal pathology, no previous This study is one of a series of investigations voice therapy, no history of drug or alcohol abuse, focusing on objective measures of phonatory, per- no history of smoking, and reported no allergies or ceptual, and resonant tuning abilities in untrained voice problems at the time of testing. In addition, talented and nontalented singers, where perceptual no subjects had received one-on-one voice training judgments of singing talent are based on intonation from either a professional or amateur teacher. accuracy and voice timbre (eg, voice quality). The To assign participants into experimental groups, goal of this line of research is to collect physiological recordings of a song stimulus produced by each evidence, both indirectly and directly, for the pur- participant were presented to two trained profes- pose of explaining differences in singing talent in sional teachers of singing. Both judges were women, untrained persons. The specific research questions of possessed graduate degrees in voice performance, this study are as follows: (1) Do untrained persons were voice faculty in a university setting with experi- with talented singing voices resonate the source ence at rating singing talent, and had over 5 years
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