Viggo Pettersen 1 , Torbjørn M Eggebø 2

1 University of Stavanger, Department of Music and Dance, Stavanger

2 Stavanger University Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Stavanger

Scientific abstract

Introduction: This study will by ultrasound imaging (USI) investigate the movement of the diaphragm (DPH) during classical singing. Due to the complex structures of the DPH both the anterior and dorsal sections of the DPH will be investigated.
Material and method: The movement of the anterior section is surveyed by performing a transabdominal scan from the right hypochondrium. The movement of the dorsal section is surveyed by examining the movement of the left kidney
Results: We conclude that USI is a promising tool for surveying the movement of DPH. Especially the frontal part is easily assessed, however, also the dorsal part may indirectly be surveyed by USI of the movement of the left. The results will be discussed.

David Howard 1 , Jude Brereton 1

1 University of York, Electronics, York

When an SATB quartet sings a capella their pitch centre can drift since they perform in non-equal temperament. When the music modulates away from the starting key and back again later in the piece, the starting and ending keys (usually the same) will not be in tune with each other if the overall pitch has shifted. This study follows previous work that has established that this shift is found in a capella performance of specially written exercises. The purpose of the present study was to investigate music in the repertoire where pitch drift can be predicted and expected if the piece is sung in-tune and the hypothesis is tested with a semi-professional quartet. The fundamental frequencies for each singer of a quartet were derived from four electrolaryngographs and analysis is carried out using a spreadsheet. It is suggested that conductors and choral leaders need to be aware of this effect and have a strategy for dealing with it in rehearsal and performance.

Allan Vurma 1

1 Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Musicology, Tallinn

Background

In a cappella singing, considerable deviations from the pitch values of equally tempered scale may be quite frequent. Both, the singers when intoning the pitches, and listeners when estimating the intonation quality can relay on various clues.

 

Research question

We are trying to find out (1) whether the singers in two-part a cappella singing when the pitch of their ensemble-partner deviates from equally tempered target value, tend to relay rather on harmony with their partner or instead prefer to relay on consistency on melodic purity of intervals in their own part; and (2) how good is the ability of musically educated listeners to detect aforementioned pitch-deviations.

 

Method

a)         The experiment of production

Fifteen singers sung the upper part in a simple two-part vocal exercise on the vowel /a/. The lower part (a computer-synthesized sound resembling to the real singing voice with vibrato) was presented to the singer through hi-fi loudspeaker. Certain melodic intervals of the lower part could be either in tune, or mistuned in dependence of the presented version either 20 or 40 cents into lower or higher directions. Singers were asked to intone their melody as singing in an imaginative concert to the audience. The values of produced fundamental frequencies and the sizes of intoned intervals were measured.

b)         The experiment of perception

From aforementioned experiment the recordings of eighteen small excerpts were chosen. Professional musicians were asked (1) to estimate the overall quality of intonation and (2) to detect the pitch deviations in detail.

 

Results

The interquartile values of melodic intervals intoned by singers in different versions of the exercise remained between the values of 86 and 111 cents in the case of minor second and between 687 and 717 cents in the case of perfect fifth, although it was possible to register the changes in the shape of corresponding statistical distribution curves.

The musicians were able correctly to identify the presence of mistuning with the probability of only 43% and as well to identify its direction with the probability of 34 % in the cases where the pitch deviation in the melodic interval of the accompanying voice was 20 cents; and correspondingly with probabilities of 76% and 60% in the cases when the pitch deviation was 40 cents. Their aptness depended on the profile of their everyday working tasks.

 

Conclusions

In the case of multi-part a cappella singing the ability of singers correctly to intone the sizes of melodic intervals may exceed the ability of musically educated listeners to identify correctly possible pitch deviations in corresponding parts. The probable cause of this phenomenon may lie in the difference in the structure of information on which the pitch production of singers and the pitch perception of listeners is based on.

Lieve Jansen 1 , Felix de Jong 2 , Wivine Decoster 2

1 Lemmensinstituut, , Leuven

2 K.U.Leuven, Expertisecentrum Stem, Leuven

This project on the interpretation of Das Lied is focused on two aspects: the interpretation of the song and poetry by the singer, and the interpretation of the song performance by the plastic artist as a visual inspiration of creation. As such, processes are elaborated for the interpretation and presentation of Lieder aiming at dismantling them from the classical interpretation and academism and translating them into a more contemporary form.  During these processes, vocal acoustic analysis is involved, not to reach any targets as quickly as possible, nor to teach the singers how to perform, but to guide them through the countless decisions they have to make: how to articulate, when and how to vibrate, how to support the voice, how to use time, frequency and  intensity, how to vary voice quality and voice timbre as a function of meaning and intention, how to translate the emotional tension, how to express and differentiate the gender aspect... In short how to interpret the song.

Acoustic analysis, especially the spectrogram, enables the singers to compare the intended sound with the actual sound they have been realized apart from their own and the audience's filtered perception.  

Once the singers understand the spectrographic language, they learn how to link this visual information to the psycho-physical realization of singing, and vice versa. Step by step their spectrograms become a source of motivation and of reflection how to refine their singing and interpretative skills to a professional level of excellence.

In PEVOC8 we will report on our experiences during this 3-year lasting artistic-scientific cooperation.      

Claudia Manfredi 1,2 , Leonardo Bocchi 1 , Marcello Calisti 1 , Nicola Vanello 3 , Giovanna Cantarella 4 , Lucia Mazzei 5 , Massimo Sardi 5

1 Università degli Studi di Firenze, Electronics and Telecommunications, Firenze

2 Spedali Civili, , Brescia

3 Università degli Studi di Pisa, Department of Electronics, Informatics and Telecommunications, Pisa

4 Università degli Studi di Milano, Otolaryngology Department, Milano

5 Fiesole School of Music, , Fiesole

Gillyanne Kayes 1 , Sara Harris 1,2

1 Vocal Process & Institute of Education, Culture and Pedagogy, London

2 Queen Mary's Hospital, , Kent, London