)ORULGD6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\/LEUDULHV 2018 Glottal Cycle of Open and Closed Head Voice Vowels Sung by Classically Trained Male Singers Bailey Rosenbalm Follow this and additional works at DigiNole: FSU's Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected] Running Head: GLOTTAL CYCLE OF OPEN // AND CLOSED /i / HEAD VOICE VOWELS SUNG BY CLASSICALLY TRAINED MALE SINGERS THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY College of Communication and Information GLOTTAL CYCLE OF OPEN // AND CLOSED /i/ HEAD VOICE VOWELS SUNG BY CLASSICALLY TRAINED MALE SINGERS By BAILEY ROSENBALM A Thesis submitted to the Department of Communication Science and Disorders in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with Honors in the Major Bachelor of Science: Spring, 2018 GLOTTAL CYCLE OF OPEN // AND CLOSED /i/ HEAD VOICE VOWELS SUNG BY CLASSICALLY TRAINED MALE SINGERS 2 The members of the Defense Committee approve the thesis of Bailey Rosenbalm defended on Friday, April 13th, 2018. Signatures on file with the Honors Program office. ______________________________ Dr. Richard Morris Thesis Director ______________________________ Dr. David Okerlund Outside Committee Member ______________________________ Dr. Shonda Bernadin Committee Member GLOTTAL CYCLE OF OPEN // AND CLOSED /i/ HEAD VOICE VOWELS SUNG BY CLASSICALLY TRAINED MALE SINGERS 3 Abstract The purpose of this research project is to use CQEGG and FFT spectra to examine the effects of /i/ on // in the head register of male singers. Examination was made using CQEGG and FFT spectra. Hypotheses included; the initial // vowels having shorter closed quotients than the vowels that occurred after the /i/ vowels and the harmonic amplitude of H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6, and H7 in the region of formant one and two (F1, F2) of the initial vowel being lower than that for the // vowels that were followed by a /i/ vowel. Results include initial // vowels and those following the /i/ vowels having consistent closed quotients and the harmonic amplitudes (H1-H7) in the region of formant one and two being lower for the initial // vowel than the // vowels surrounded by /i/ vowels. Overall, sound energy was more focused in the regions of H3 and H6. These alternating vowel exercises across the secondo passaggio allowed the singers to focus sound energy and employ resonant voice, a target vocal production for many vocal professionals. GLOTTAL CYCLE OF OPEN // AND CLOSED /i/ HEAD VOICE VOWELS SUNG BY CLASSICALLY TRAINED MALE SINGERS 4 Introduction Resonant voice is a target production in vocal training (Titze, 2001). For a singer to sing in resonant voice there needs to be a specified mix of laryngeal adjustment, vocal tract resonance and glottal closure. This mix of characteristics lends itself to vibrancy and ease (Titze, 2001). Vibrancy being vocal strength and harmonic content, while ease is the lack of strain and tension in the vocal folds. Not only this, but singers derive a variety of benefits when using resonant voice. These benefits include; sound level remains strong, the voice sounds less pressed and breathy, and the vocal health of the singer remains intact (Titze, 2001). However, little is known about the relationship between the muscular adjustments of the vocal folds, the vocal tract’s properties related to physics, and the acoustic events that occur. With more knowledge about their relationship, new methods of effective instruction could be created. Resonant voice production is important when speaking specifically about differences in adjustments made by classically trained singers when they sing in different registers. With greater understanding of the acoustic phenomenon of resonant voice and how it is produced in different singing registers, there comes a larger and more effective gamut of not only research methods, but instructional methods as well. Falsetto is the register of voice in which there is a strong cricothyroid dominance, less harmonic content, and a presence of breathiness due to the lack of closure of the vocal folds (Henrich et al., 2011). The use of the term falsetto is slightly erroneous as it means “false voice” in Italian. Classically trained professional singers and voice instructors prefer the use of resonant voice while singing. Falsetto does not accomplish this and is not the preferred register to use (Henrich et al., 2001). Head voice is the preferred register to use when seeking high sound level as it has higher harmonic content with almost no presence of breathiness. Henrich et al. (2011) GLOTTAL CYCLE OF OPEN // AND CLOSED /i/ HEAD VOICE VOWELS SUNG BY CLASSICALLY TRAINED MALE SINGERS 5 noted that resonance tuning is a strategy that may be employed to keep harmonic content and sound level high with minimal damage to vocal health and little strain or tension on the vocal folds. These authors stated that the singer makes adjustments to jaw height, pharyngeal space, laryngeal height, tongue position, and lip position so that a resonance frequency of the vocal tract is tuned to match a harmonic frequency from the glottal source signal. By adjusting the vocal tract resonance so that a resonance frequency and harmonic occur close together, the singer creates a sound in which a frequency is strongly resonated and has greater amplitude. The frequency that is resonated strongly depends on the resonance tuning strategy that is employed. Henrich et al. (2011) also noted, sopranos and altos employ resonance tuning in upper parts of their ranges coupling resonance frequency one with the first harmonic, specifically this can begin in the secondo passaggio. Classically trained soloists use this strategy to tune their voices in order to project over the large orchestras they are frequently accompanied by. These authors confirmed that classically trained tenors use coupling of resonance frequency two and harmonic three in a portion of their range to support a higher sound level. More importantly, the singers also adjust resonance so that formants three and four are close together within 2500-3000 Hertz (Henrich et al., 2011). Another note is that singers apply habits of laryngeal and vocal tract adjustments, that originate from speech, into their singing (Bozeman, 2008). These adjustments may inhibit the vibrator and resonator from making the proper adjustments in the more extreme registers of the voice; for instance, the zono di passaggio. Thus, singers must learn how to differentiate the strategies used in speech from those used in singing (Bozeman, 2008). This is related to the zono di passaggio as it is the range of the singing voice in which the muscles of the larynx shift to create the head register sound; making it vital to take into consideration when coaching male GLOTTAL CYCLE OF OPEN // AND CLOSED /i/ HEAD VOICE VOWELS SUNG BY CLASSICALLY TRAINED MALE SINGERS 6 singers on maneuvering in and around their secondo passaggio to keep sound level and resonance high as they are transitioning into the highest portion of their range with the most thyroarytenoid activation (McCoy, 2004). Sound is introduced at the glottis and resonates through the vocal tract and out of the mouth. Titze (2001) discussed the inertive properties of the vocal tract and how they are related to resonant voice. Inertance is the physical property of an air mass being accelerated or decelerated. Titze (2001) said that the inertive properties of the vocal tract feed energy back to the sound source and strengthen the harmonic content of the glottal signal, allowing more efficient vocal fold vibration. In an inertive vocal tract the supraglottal pressure pushing the air column is in phase with the velocity of vocal fold oscillation. He continued by saying that supraglottal pressure and rate of change of airflow are both positive during glottal opening, raising the pressure through the glottis and pushing the vocal folds apart. During glottal closure, rate of change of air flow and supraglottal pressure are both negative, lowering the pressure through the glottis and pulling the vocal folds together. These aerodynamic and tissue interactions assist the vocal folds in oscillation. Titze (2001) stated the general definition of compliance as the changing of volume when force is applied, in the case of singing, to the air in the glottis. In a compliant vocal tract, the supraglottal pressure is not in phase with the velocity of vocal fold oscillation. The supraglottal pressure during opening is always less than during closing. This rising pressure during the open phase of oscillation creates a push but no pull. A compliant vocal tract does not lend itself to efficient vocal fold vibration. This usually causes a shift to falsetto upon entering the secondo passaggio along with lowering the sound level and leading the singer to use an unhealthy method to increase sound level upon entering the register. Thus he made a contrast between the use of an inertive vocal tract and that of a more compliant GLOTTAL CYCLE OF OPEN // AND CLOSED /i/ HEAD VOICE VOWELS SUNG BY CLASSICALLY TRAINED MALE SINGERS 7 one. Using a compliant vocal tract is inefficient, therefore allowing the vocal tract to be as inertive as possible is vital (Titze, 2001). Titze (2001) observed a high frequency dependent inertance pattern with an open mouth model; he said that the inertance is enhanced when the epilarynx is narrowed. With inertance increased at higher frequencies, the singer’s formant can be produced. The presence of the singer’s formant adds ring to vocal quality. Ring is the resonant, trumpet-like overtones most commonly heard in the voices of operatic singers (Sundberg, 1987). His findings include the need to lower and narrow the epilarynx when singing at higher frequencies. However, narrowing the epilarynx is not a widely accepted practice in vocal training (Titze, 2001). Burk et al. (2017) also brings up the use of epilaryngeal narrowing. They found that the narrowing of the epilarynx made it hard for transoral endoscopy cameras to capture the vocal folds in motion.