Effects of Male Timbre, Falsetto, and Sine-Wave Models on Interval Matching by Inaccurate Singers

Abstract

This study compared the effects of male timbre, falsetto, and sine-wave models on pitch-matching skills of inaccurate boy versus girl singers in Grades K—8. Subjects were 216 inaccurate singers in Grades K-8 ( n = 12 boys and 12 girls from each grade). They were presented descending minor thirds sung by a tenor and a bass in their regular octaves (G3—E3) and in falsetto (G4—E4), as well as two sine-wave stimuli in the same octaves. Subjects were recorded singing back the presented intervals. The recordings were digitized and analyzed for pitch and interval cent deviation. Responses to male stimuli were more accurate than were responses to sine waves. Girls responded more accurately to higher stimuli, and boys responded more accurately to lower stimuli. The octaves of the stimuli also affected the octaves of the responses, and the subjects had a tendency to sing intervals that were larger rather than smaller than the minor-third models.

Task-Based Variability in Children’s Singing Accuracy

“…For classroom applications, rather than research use, the possibilities for types of vocal model vary as much as do teachers and instruments. For example, male timbre, falsetto, and sine-wave models have also been compared to demonstrate that male stimuli may be more effective than sine waves for both boys and girls (Price et al, 1994). Overall, girls responded better to higher stimuli, whereas boys responded better to lower stimuli.…”

“…The choice of intervals as test items in singing assessments has been popular both as the only task (Green, 1990;Moore, Fyk, Frega, & Brotons, 1995;Price et al, 1994;Yarbrough et al, 1991;Yarbrough et al, 1992) and as a part of a larger assessment (Flowers & Dunn-Sousa, 1990;Joyner, 1969;Klemish, 1974;Roberts & Davies, 1975).…”

“…Two studies reported that students were more adept echoing a male falsetto voice than a male timbre (Price et al, 1994;Yarbrough, Morrison, Karrick, and Dunn, 1995), demonstrating that male teachers must choose in what octave they sing to best help their students. Otherwise, teachers have few choices: they can use their own voice, use their students as models for one another, or use a common instrument like the piano, knowing that these will affect singing measures.…”

“…Teachers sometimes ask students to echo pitch sequences by call-and-response vocal modeling. For elementary-aged students, male teachers must decide whether to sing in the falsetto register or to sing in the male timbre, which may affect the results (Price, Yarbrough, Jones, & Moore, 1994;Sims, Moore, & Kuhn, 1982). Teachers can also have students respond to pitch sequences from a piano or other instrument.…”

El coro de adolescentes en un instituto de Educación Secundaria: un estudio de fonación

“…Cuanto más aguda es la voz, más rápida es la muda y menos duradera, mientras que cuanto más desciende el registro, más se ralentiza el proceso de la muda. Por otra parte son conocidas las dificultades que algunos chicos presentan a la hora de afinar (WELCH, 1979;PRICE, 1994) las cuales algunos autores atribuyen a la desorientación auditiva que ellos sufren cuando su registro desciende, lo cual les dificultaría escucharse a sí mismos correctamente y propiciar la típica actitud del "desafinado" (AGUILAR, 2007) que desaparece normalmente con la edad. Sin embargo, en este estudio tan solo dos chicos presentaron este perfil.…”