Perception of Non-Vibrato Sung Tones: A Pilot Study

摘要

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.