Acoustic and Respiratory Measurements in a Supported Singing Voice

GURLEKIAN, J.A. Y MAULEÓN STÄHELI, C.

Tópicos Iberoamericanos en voz hablada y cantada

F.I.V.C.H.

Lugar: Córdoba; Año: 2011; p. 92 - 101

It is apparent for singers, that the sensation of self- produced supported voice primarily involves the adjustment of breath structures. Miller and Bianco (1985) referred that three different strategies for breath management are known as support, and they found differences in diaphragm activation among them. Besides, co- activation of diaphragm, abdominal and external intercostal muscles is used by some subjects to reduce expiratory recoil forces and excessive subglotic pressure (Leandersson et al., 1987). The present study was carrying on a single breath management strategy known as “expanded rib cage”. Its aim was to explore the relationship between trans-diaphragmatic pressure, three surface respiratory measurements and voice acoustic characteristics in various emissions, perceptually judged as supported or unsupported. Methods and procedures were tested for their use in further research. Results shown (a) that surface measurements can be taken as reliable indicators of diaphragmatic activity and thus, they can be us to replicate this experiment in more significant number of subjects; (b) that a trained singer can control voluntarily her respiratory patterns (c) that human ear can perceive subtleties in the voice output that still cannot be assessed by software analysis.