ABSTRACT
The metallic voice is usually confused with ring or nasality by singers and nontrained listeners, who are not used to perceptual vocal analysis. They believe a metallic voice results from a rise in fundamental frequency. A diagnostic error in this aspect may lead to lowering pitch, an incorrect procedure that could cause vocal overload and fatigue. The purpose of this article is to study the quality of metallic voice considering the correlation between information of the physiological and acoustic plans, based on a perceptive consensual assumption. Fiberscopic video pharyngolaryngoscopy was performed on 21 professional singers while speaking vowel [e]--in normal and metallic modes to observe muscular movements and structural changes of the velopharynx, pharynx, and larynx. Vocal samples captured simultaneously to the fiberscopic examination were acoustically analyzed. Frequency and amplitude of the first four formants (F(1), F(2), F(3), and F(4)) were extracted by means of linear predictor coefficients (LPC) spectrum and were statistically analyzed. Vocal tract adjustments such as velar lowering, pharyngeal wall narrowing, laryngeal rise, aryepiglottic, and lateral laryngeal constrictions were frequently found; there were no significant changes in frequency and amplitude of F(1) in the metallic voice; there were significant increases in amplitudes of F(2), F(3), and F(4) and in frequency for F(2); metallic voice perceived as louder was correlated to an increase in amplitude of F(3) and F(4). Physiological adjustments of velopharynx, pharynx, and larynx are combined in characterizing the metallic voice and can be acoustically related to changes in formant pattern.
Subject(s)
Larynx/physiology , Pharynx/physiology , Speech Acoustics , Voice Quality/physiology , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJETIVO: comparar a extensão vocal de idosos coralistas e não coralistas e analisar a influência da prática do canto-coral amador na extensão vocal dos mesmos. MÉTODOS: extração dos valores da extensão vocal em semitons por meio de um teclado musical e análise comparativa do número de semitons entre 40 idosos coralistas e 40 não coralistas. RESULTADOS: o número de semitons atingido pelos coralistas é significativamente maior que o atingido pelos não coralistas. O perfil de extensão vocal dos idosos coralistas foi de 27 a 39 semitons, perfazendo um total de 3 oitavas, 1 tom e 1 semitom. O perfil de extensão vocal dos idosos não coralistas foi de 18 a 35 semitons, perfazendo um total de 2 oitavas, 5 tons e 1 semitom. CONCLUSÃO: a prática do canto coral amador aumenta a extensão vocal de idosos coralistas.
PURPOSE: compare the vocal extension of senior choristers and non-choristers and analyze the influence of the practice of the amateur coral-song in the vocal extension of the aforementioned subjects. METHODS: extracting the vocal extension through a musical keyboard and comparative analysis of the number of half-notes among 40 senior choristers and 40 non-choristers. RESULTS: the number of half-notes achieved by the choristers is significantly higher than the one achieved by the non-choristers. The vocal extension profile of the seniors choristers was from 27 to 39 half-notes, totalizing a sum of 3 octaves, 1 tone and 1 half-note. The profile of the no-choristers seniors' vocal extension was from 18 to 35 half-notes, totalizing a sum of 2 octaves, 5 tones and 1 half-note. CONCLUSION: The practice of the amateur coral song increases the choristers seniors' vocal extension.
Subject(s)
Aged , Music , Speech Production Measurement , Voice , Voice Disorders , Voice QualityABSTRACT
The present article describes the approach developed at the Cleft Palate Clinic of Kyoto University Hospital, aiming at introducing assessment and treatment for velopharyngeal function currently in use in Japan. A multi-view approach with the main emphasis given to the fluorocideography and to the nasopharyngofiberscopy permits accurate analysis and evaluation of dynamic velopharyngeal gesture and facilitates the selection of adequated treatment. The article describes the surgical treatment, the speech therapy procedures, and presentes a case study reporting the therapeutic approach to the articulation disorders combined with sligth velopharyngeal incompetence
