John Nix

Vibrato Rate and Extent in College Music Majors: A Multicenter Study

OBJECTIVES To examine differences in vibrato rate and extent according to vowel, production type, gender, voice type, and vocal training. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional. METHODS Four collegiate voice teachers used a common protocol to gather data on habitual, best classical, and nonvibrato singing production of five vowels in 78 male and female vocal majors. Subject age, gender, voice type, academic degree program, number of years of training, and most frequent singing style were compared with mean vibrato rate and mean peak-to-peak vibrato extent for each vowel and for each production condition. RESULTS The high versus low and female versus male comparisons in this study support results found in the literature. Both vibrato rate and vibrato extent were reduced when the singers sang nonvibrato as compared with their habitual and best classical production. CONCLUSIONS The mechanisms for reducing vibrato rate and extent need further exploration.

Perception of Non-Vibrato Sung Tones: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Singers are often asked to sing with a non-vibrato production. The term non-vibrato is problematic in that it is not possible for a human to sing a tone without fundamental frequency variation. Whether a singer achieves a quality of tone that is perceived as non-vibrato is an aurally subjective matter. The specific aim of this study was to determine when a tone is perceived as non-vibrato by a population of singers, voice teachers, choir directors, and speech pathologists. Using voice samples that exhibit a variety of vibrato rates and extents, the investigators sought to determine (1) if there is a threshold for the perception of non-vibrato tone with regard to vibrato extent; (2) if vibrato rate, given similar vibrato extent, does affect the perceptual threshold of non-vibrato tone; and (3) if there are differences in the perceptual threshold of non-vibrato tone across the different professions of the research subjects. STUDY DESIGN Survey. METHODS Participants responded to an online survey featuring 40 randomized samples of soprano voices singing [ɑ] with a variety of vibrato rates and extents. Some samples were repeated to test subject response reliability. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that a perceptual threshold exists with regard to vibrato extent. However, vibrato rate significantly affected where this extent threshold occurred for the participants. Vibrato extent and rate work together to affect perception of non-vibrato tone. Significant differences were not found across the different groups.

Perception of non-vibrato sung tones

Singers are often asked to sing with a non-vibrato production. However, the term non-vibrato is problematic, as all human singing involves fundamental frequency variation. Whether a singer achieves a quality of tone that is perceived as non-vibrato may depend upon the experience of the listener. The specific aim of this study was to determine at what point a tone is perceived as non-vibrato by a population (N = 131) of singers, voice teachers, choir directors, and speech pathologists. Utilizing voice samples that exhibit a variety of vibrato rates and extents, the investigators sought to determine: (1) if there is a threshold for the perception of non-vibrato tone with regards to vibrato extent; (2) if given similar vibrato extent, does vibrato rate effect perceptual judgments of non-vibrato tone; (3) if there are differences in the perceptual threshold of non-vibrato tone across different professions of listeners. Participants responded to an online survey featuring randomized samples of sopranos singing...