AIRS 1st Annual Meeting: 2009

Title: How to identify the laryngeal mechanism of a singing voice production
Authors: Nathalie Henrich, Bernard Roubeau, Michele Castellengo

Abstract

Human phonation is characterized by the use of four distinct laryngeal mechanisms, which are
common to male and female speakers and singers. The understanding of a given singing-voice
production requires the assessing of its laryngeal nature. The singing-voice register (or middle
register) is a good example of a phonation where the laryngeal properties remain
misunderstood. We will focus here on the two main laryngeal mechanisms used in singing.
These two laryngeal mechanisms differ with respect to the vocalis-muscle participation to the
vibrating mass in action. Electroglottography, a non-invasive technique which measures vocalfold contact area, seems an interesting tool to identify the laryngeal nature of a given singing
sound. The technique will be presented and its applicability to the identification of the laryngeal
mechanisms will be discussed. It has successfully been applied to the understanding of the
laryngeal nature of singing-voice productions in conducted with 5 professional singers of both
sexes has demonstrated that, on contrary to the general opinion register is not produced in an
intermediate laryngeal mechanism, but in one of the two main laryngeal mechanisms.