Register Classification by Timbre

The aim of this analysis is the demonstration that the high and the low musical register (Soprano, Alto vs. Tenor, Bass) can be identified by timbre, i.e. after pitch information is eliminated from the spectrum. This is achieved by means of pitch free characteristics of spectral densities of voices and instruments, namely by means of masses and widths of peaks of the first 13 partials (cp. Weihs and Ligges (2003b)). Different analyses based on the tones in the classical song ?Tochter Zion? composed by G.F. Händel are presented. Results are very promising. E.g., if the characteristics are averaged over all tones, then female and male singers can be easily distinguished without any error (prediction error of 0%)! Moreover, stepwise linear discriminant analysis can be used to separate even the females together with 28 high instruments (?playing? the Alto version of the song) from the males together with 20 low instruments (playing the Bass version) with a prediction error of 4%. Also, individual tones are analysed, and the statistical results are discussed and interpreted from acoustics point of view. --

Register Classification by Timbre

The aim of this analysis is the demonstration that the high and the low musical register (Soprano, Alto vs. Tenor, Bass) can be identified by timbre, i.e. after pitch information is eliminated from the spectrum. This is achieved by means of pitch free characteristics of spectral densities of voices and instruments, namely by means of masses and widths of peaks of the first 13 partials (cp. Weihs and Ligges (2003b)). Different analyses based on the tones in the classical song "Tochter Zion" composed by G.F. Händel are presented. Results are very promising. E.g., if the characteristics are averaged over all tones, then female and male singers can be easily distinguished without any error (prediction error of 0%)! Moreover, stepwise linear discriminant analysis can be used to separate even the females together with 28 high instruments ("playing" the Alto version of the song) from the males together with 20 low instruments (playing the Bass version) with a prediction error of 4%. Also, individual tones are analysed, and the statistical results are discussed and interpreted from acoustics point of view

Local Models in Register Classification by Timbre

Investigating a data set containing different sounds of several instruments suggests that local modelling may be a promising approach to take into account different timbre characteristics of different instruments. For this reason, some basic ideas towards a local modelling are realized in this report yielding a framework for further studies. --

Local Models in Register Classification by Timbre

Investigating a data set containing different sounds of several instruments suggests that local modelling may be a promising approach to take into account different timbre characteristics of different instruments. For this reason, some basic ideas towards a local modelling are realized in this report yielding a framework for further studies

Single chords convey distinct emotional qualities to both naïve and expert listeners.

Previous research on music and emotions has been able to pinpoint many structural features conveying emotions. Empirical research on vertical harmony’s emotional qualities, however, has been rare. The main studies in harmony and emotions usually concern the horizontal aspects of harmony, ignoring emotional qualities of chords as such. An empirical experiment was conducted where participants (N = 269) evaluated pre-chosen chords on a 9-item scale of given emotional dimensions. 14 different chords (major, minor, diminished, augmented triads and dominant, major and minor seventh chords with inversions) were played with two distinct timbres (piano and strings). The results suggest significant differences in emotion perception across chords. These were consistent with notions about musical conventions, while providing novel data on how seventh chords affect emotion perception. The inversions and timbre also contributed to the evaluations. Moreover, certain chords played on the strings scored moderately high on the dimension of ‘nostalgia/longing,’ which is usually held as a musical emotion rising only from extra-musical connotations and conditioning, not intrinsically from the structural features of the music. The role of background variables to the results was largely negligible, suggesting the capacity of vertical harmony to convey distinct emotional qualities to both naïve and expert listeners

Vocal tract dimensional characteristics of professional male and female singers with different types of singing voices

"A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, June 30, 2009."Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2009.Includes bibliographical references (p. 30-33).published_or_final_versionSpeech and Hearing SciencesBachelorBachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science

Voice classification and Fach : recent, historical and conflicting systems of voice categorization

"While the body of critical and analytic texts concerning voice training grows, so, too, does the discourse continue to develop its on-going debate as to the importance of various criteria involved in voice classification. There exist also numerous documents from previous centuries which may be explored for insight into historical conceptions of voice classification. Yet as this body of literature on physiology and pedagogy continues to grow, there remains a lack of critical writings examining the Fach system. Indeed, the Fach system continues to be considered primarily a listing of roles organized by appropriate voice type, though the fluid nature of the system alone is enough to question the possibility of voice type as the true and constant categorization principle. Without any critical studies of the system, Fach is bound to remain a controversial subject over which pedagogues argue in vain. This paper offers a suggestion for approaching the system from two different angles: first, from a historical perspective which will allow for an overview of the fluidity of the system; second, with a tessitura study of a group of roles considered all part of one Fach."--Abstract from author supplied metadata

Mothers Reveal More of Their Vocal Identity When Talking to Infants

Voice timbre – the unique acoustic information in a voice by which its speaker can be recognized – is particularly critical in mother-infant interaction. Correct identification of vocal timbre is necessary in order for infants to recognize their mothers as familiar both before and after birth, providing a basis for social bonding between infant and mother. The exact mechanisms underlying infant voice recognition remain ambiguous and have predominantly been studied in terms of cognitive voice recognition abilities of the infant. Here, we show – for the first time – that caregivers actively maximize their chances of being correctly recognized by presenting more details of their vocal timbre through adjustments to their voices known as infant-directed speech (IDS) or baby talk, a vocal register which is wide-spread through most of the world’s cultures. Using acoustic modelling (k-means clustering of Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients) of IDS in comparison with adult-directed speech (ADS), we found in two cohorts of speakers - US English and Swiss German mothers - that voice timbre clusters of in IDS are significantly larger to comparable clusters in ADS. This effect leads to a more detailed representation of timbre in IDS with subsequent benefits for recognition. Critically, an automatic speaker identification using a Gaussian-mixture model based on Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients showed significantly better performance in two experiments when trained with IDS as opposed to ADS. We argue that IDS has evolved as part of an adaptive set of evolutionary strategies that serve to promote indexical signalling by caregivers to their offspring which thereby promote social bonding via voice and acquiring linguistic systems

Perception of register break

This study investigated the perception of the upper register break in classically trained mezzo-soprano and soprano singers. Many researchers have investigated the lower register break, but little is known regarding the perception of the upper register break. In this study three questions were investigated: (1) can the upper register break be perceived? (2) is it perceived in the same location by singer, their voice teacher, and listeners? and (3) are mezzo-sopranos perceived to have a register break at lower pitch intervals than sopranos? Three mezzo-sopranos and three sopranos were recorded singing the vowel /α/ on eight pitches, C5-G5. These sung vowels were used as stimuli in three perceptual tasks. In the first task, listeners were presented with 126 stimuli consisting of two half-step pairs. Listeners were asked to choose the most dissimilar pair. In the second task, listeners were presented with 42 half-step pairs and 36 whole-step pairs. Listeners indicated whether there was a register break within the pair by marking yes or no . In the third and final task, the listeners heard six chromatic scales (C5-G5), one for each singer, and indicated where they heard the register break. Overall, the listeners perceived a difference in quality in the same locations that they perceived a register break. Singers and listeners were in the greatest agreement for location of register break. Singers and voice teachers, on the other hand, were not in agreement. Mezzo-sopranos were perceived to have an upper register break at lower pitch intervals than were sopranos