Laryngeal adduction in trillo

Acoustic, glottographic, and videolaryngoscopic analyses were made of trillo, a vocal ornament described as the rapid repetition of a single note. This vocal gesture, performed by a trained singer, was studied for variations in laryngeal adduction, fundamental frequency, and acoustic amplitude characteristics. Results suggested that trillo was produced with alternating abduction/adduction of the vocal folds, and fundamental frequency tended to be lower during the relatively more abducted portions of the utterance.     

Laryngeal and pharyngeal behavior in countertenor and baritone singing—A videofiberscopic study

Changes in vocal tract configuration during singing were studied in four semiprofessional countertenors and one professional bass-baritone, by means of fiberoptic laryngoscopy. All of the countertenors showed a marked narrowing of the lower pharynx with increasing pitch when they used their countertenor voice (CT voice) but only a slight narrowing when using their baritone voice (B voice). The bass-baritone's pharynx remained unchanged with increasing pitch. Increasing loudness gave a widening of the pharynx in three of the four countertenors' CT voices, whereas no change was observed for the countertenors' B voices or for the bass-baritone voice. Vocal fold length seemed to decrease in one countertenor's B voice and in the bass-baritone with increasing loudness. Thus, the countertenors in this study exhibit several characteristic patterns of vocal tract gestures in countertenor voice that differ from both their own baritone voices and from the bass-baritone.     

Some physical characteristics of the male falsetto voice

Previous research indicated that, as groups, male (bass/baritone) and female (soprano) professional singers tend to exhibit differing vocal tract and voice source behaviours. The use of an objective measure of voice [xeroradiographic-electrolaryngographic analysis (XEL)] revealed differences between the two voice types, especially at the highest sample pitches (e, 330 Hz for bass/baritones, and e″, 1,320 Hz for sopranos). XEL analysis combines two known techniques, i.e., soft-tissue radiographic imaging (xeroradiography), and an analysis of voice-source vibratory patterning (electrolaryngography). Subsequent to this investigation, interest centered on the male professional falsetto voice over a two-octave range (E 165 Hz to e′ 660 Hz) using a sample (n=9) of professional countertenors. Results suggest that there are characteristic trends in the patterning of the male professional falsetto register, but there is also evidence of within-group variability. The subjects significantly increased the size of the pharyngeal tube area during phonation. ANOVA and Trend Analysis revealed ventricular space as the only measure to expand systematically and consistently as sung pitch increases.