Transition from the Chest to the Middle Registers in the Female Singerīs Voice by Acoustical Signal Analysis

Katrin Neumann, Judith Thoma

Objectives: The appropriate performance of register transitions is essential for a classical singer to smoothly reach all regions of her voice range. This study aims on the detection of changes in acoustical patterns which characterize the lower female register transition between chest and middle register.
Method: Ten classical singers (7 sopranos, 3 mezzosopranos) sung ascending scales on the vowels [a:], [e:], [i:], [o:], and [u:]. Audio and electroglottographic recordings were made and a subsequent frequency analysis was performed.
Results: The register transitions on [a:] showed the following tendencies (F0 ~300 to 400 Hz): F1 resonates harmonics between 600 to 700 Hz and F2 harmonics between 1150 to 1250 Hz. Especially the tuning of F2 on the next harmonic which approaches the transition seems to characterize the latter. Dependent on the individual singer, H2 or H3 are prominent at F0 around 300 to 400 Hz, probably because they are resonated by F1. Simultaneously, the harmonics H7 to H5 pass with rising pitch the frequency region of F2, which starts to amplify H7 at a F0 around 140 Hz. From F0 around 300 to 400 Hz on F2 first resonates H4, followed by H3 from F0 = 350 Hz on and finally H2 from F0 = 400 to 450 Hz on.
Discussion: Typical frequency patterns of the female register transition from the chest to the middle register seem to exist and allow for a definition basing on objective parameters. Inter-individual differences may indicate different passaggio strategies.

Katrin Neumann, Judith Thoma
Clinic for Phoniatry and Pediatric Audiology,
University of Frankfurt/Main,
Theodor-Stern-Kai 7,
House 7A,
60590 Frankfurt,
Germany
Katrin.Neumann@em.uni-frankfurt.de