Vocal Features of Song and Speech: Insights from Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire

Abstract

Similarities and differences between speech and song are often examined. However, the perceptual definition of these two types of vocalization is challenging. Indeed, the prototypical characteristics of speech or song support top-down processes, which influence listeners' perception of acoustic information. In order to examine vocal features associated with speaking and singing, we propose an innovative approach designed to facilitate bottom-up mechanisms in perceiving vocalizations by using material situated between speech and song: Speechsong. 25 participants were asked to evaluate 20 performances of a speechsong composition by Arnold Schoenberg, “Pierrot lunaire” op. 21 from 1912, evaluating 20 features of vocal-articulatory expression. Raters provided reliable judgments concerning the vocal features used by the performers and did not show strong appeal or specific expectations in reference to Schoenberg's piece. By examining the relationship between the vocal features and the impression of song or speech, the results confirm the importance of pitch (height, contour, range), but also point to the relevance of register, timbre, tension and faucal distance. Besides highlighting vocal features associated with speech and song, this study supports the relevance of the present approach of focusing on a theoretical middle category in order to better understand vocal expression in song and speech.

“Like Static Noise in a Beautiful Landscape”: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Rationales and Features of Disliked Voices in Popular Music

“…which can be found in other judgments of sensory events in consumer research (Popper & Kroll, 2005), music and vocal performances (Kroger & Margulis, 2016;Merrill & Larrouy-Maestri, 2017), and reports on disliked music (Ackermann, 2019).…”

“…Mode of phonation was named in other studies to be important in the case of Rap (Ackermann, 2019;von Appen, 2007) and the phenomenon of 'speech song' (Merrill & Larrouy-Maestri, 2017).…”

“…The questionnaire consisted of an adapted and shortened version of the extensive catalog for the description of 'vocal-articulatory expression' (Bose, 2010, p. 29); features and characteristics can be found in Table 4, the original questionnaire in Table S2. The questionnaire was already used for the expert evaluation of 'speech song' in Western Art Music of the 20 th century (Merrill, 2017;Merrill & Larrouy-Maestri, 2017) and Jazz singing (Merrill, 2019). Participants completed the questionnaire by themselves first and then asked questions about the items they did not understand, which were subsequently discussed.…”

Auditory Perceptual Assessment of Voices: Examining Perceptual Ratings as a Function of Voice Experience

“…The modifications are described by means of the variability (e.g., for pitch inflected or monotone), the range (wide or narrow), and the changes between pitches or syllables (sudden or continuous/gliding). The questionnaire was already used for the expert evaluation of 'speech song' in Western Art Music of the 20 th Century (Merrill, 2017;Merrill & Larrouy-Maestri, 2017) and jazz singing (Merrill, 2019).…”

Speech and monophonic singing segmentation using pitch parameters

“…Even for humans it is sometimes difficult to correctly discriminate speech from singing voices [3], [4]. Nevertheless, there is an agreement about some characteristics that behave differently between speech and singing [5], [6]:…”