Singers’ postural alignment and vocal quality

Cirilo, Thaynara Alves Silva; Oliveira, Vitória Guimarães de; Ceniz, Alexandre Augusto; Tanigute, Christiane Camargo; Fernandes, Ana Carolina Nascimento; Silva, Eduardo Magalhães da

doi:10.1590/2317-6431-2021-2499

Brasil

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Original article • Audiol., Commun. Res. 26 • 2021 • https://doi.org/10.1590/2317-6431-2021-2499 linkcopy

Singers’ postural alignment and vocal quality

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

Purpose To identify and describe changes in posture and voice quality in a group of popular singers.

Methods Series of cases with nine volunteers (six women and three men) with a mean age of 28.3±6.4 years. Postural assessment was performed using the SAPO software. The auditory-perceptual assessment of the voice was performed by judges using the VPAS-PB, and the acoustic analysis was carried out with the PRAAT software.

Results The maximum phonation times varied between 7.1 and 22.0 sec. The fundamental frequency between 104.7 and 247.7 Hz, adequate to the gender and age of the participants. The intensity, jitter and shimmer varied within the reference values, respectively, 59.8 and 68.6 dB, 0.110 and 0.306% and 0.903 to 2.673 dB. While the harmonic-noise ratio was above the reference values for both sexes, between 18.1 and 31.5 dB. The auditory-perceptual assessment of the voice defined non-neutral phonation adjustments, with nine participants presenting breathy; five, harsh; and two, creaky voices, with the presence of inadequate respiratory support. All participants showed postural changes and / or adaptations.

Conclusion Non-neutral adjustments to phonation were identified and described, defining alterations in vocal quality in a group of singers, in which participants also presented adaptations and / or postural alterations, which may suggest that these adjustments cooccur in the group evaluated.

Keywords: Voice quality; Singing; Voice; Posture; Posture balance

SUB	MPT (sec)	F0 (Hz)	I0 (dB)	Jitter (%)	Shimmer (dB)	HNR
1	13.3	247.7	64.2	0.238	1.517	21.7
2	14.0	223.7	66.6	0.110	0.903	31.5
3	7.1	198.4	65.8	0.306	2.401	19.2
4	8.5	239.5	67.6	0.241	1.944	20.6
5	10.5	239.2	68.6	0.149	0.998	25.4
6	7.1	219.8	66.9	0.123	0.996	28.3
7	22.0	115.6	59.8	0.230	2.673	18.6
8	17.0	95.0	68.0	0.196	2.168	18.1
9	18.4	104.7	67.0	0.141	1.561	21.9

Settings	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
A. VOCAL TRACT FEATURES
1. Labial
Lip rounding/protrusion	3	-	-	3	-	-	-	-	-
Lip spreading	-	-	3	-	3	3	1	-	-
Minimized range	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Extensive range	-	-	-	3	-	-	-	3	-
2. Mandibular
Close jaw	-	-	3	-	-	2	-	-	-
Minimized range	2	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
Extensive range	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-
3. Lingual tip/blade
Advanced tip/blade	-	1	-	-	-	3	-	-	-
Retracted tip/blade	-	-	3	-	-	-	1	-	2
4. Lingual body
Backed tongue body	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Raised tongue body	2	-	3	3	2	-	-	-	3
Minimized range	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-
5. Pharyngeal
Pharyngeal constriction	-	-	3	1	3	3	-	2	1
Pharyngeal expansion	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
6. Velopharyngeal
Nasal	-	2	2	1	3	3	-	3	2
7. Larynx height
Raised larynx	-	-	-	3	2	2	-	-	-
Lowered larynx	-	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
B. OVERALL MUSCULAR TENSION
8. Vocal tract tension
Tense vocal tract	-	-	3	2	3	3	-	-	-
9. Laryngeal tension
Tense larynx	1	-	3	3	3	3	-	3	3
Lax larynx	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C. PHONATION FEATURES
10. Voicing type
Voice	-	N	N	N	N	N	-	-	N
Creak	-	-	-	-	-	-	N	-	-
Creaky voice	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	3
11. Laryngeal frication
Whisper	N	-	-	-	-	-	-	N	-
Breathy	1	1	3	2	2	3	1	2	2
12. Laryngeal irregularity
Harsh	-	-	3	1	-	3	1	-	3
Short-term occurrences	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Breaks	-	-	I	-	-	-	-	-	-
Instability	-	-	I	i	i	i	i	-	P
Tremor	-	i	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
D. PROSODIC FEATURES
13. Mean pitch
High	-	-	-	3	3	3	-	-	-
Minimized range	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-
Low variability	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
14. Mean loudness
Low	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Low variability	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
E. TEMPORAL ORGANIZATION
15. Tempo
Interrupted continuity	-	2	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
Fast rate	-	-	3	-	3	-	-	-	-
Slow rate	-	3	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
F. OTHER FEATURES
Respiratory support	2	3	3	-	3	3	3	-	3

		Subject
Parameter	Ref	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1. Anterior view
Head
Horizontal alignment of the head	0	2.6	1.4	4.6	6.7	8.1	1.5	-2.9	-2.6	3.3
Trunk
Horizontal alignment of acromions	0	4.8	-0.7	1.5	-0.7	3.9	0.8	-1.8	-0.9	1.8
Horizontal alignment of the anterosuperior iliac spines	0	0	-0.9	-1.5	-3.4	0	-5.1	-1.4	-0.9	3.0
Angle between the two acromions and the two anterosuperior iliac spines	0	-4.8	-0.3	-3.0	-2.7	-3.9	-5.9	0.5	0	1.2
Lower limbs
Front angle of the lower limb	NA	-6.3	0.9	-7.0	-4.7	-4.5	-8.4	-10.9	3.2	-7.4
Front angle of the left lower limb	NA	-3.5	-0.5	4.0	-4.5	-3.5	-4.8	-14.8	2.0	-9.0
Difference in the length of the lower limbs (R-L)	0	-23.7	3.7	37.4	13.4	0.2	7.0	4.6	9.9	0.3
Horizontal alignment of the tibial tuberosities	0	2.3	3.2	1.0	-1.1	-2.8	-2.5	-7.1	1.0	0
Right Q angle	15	37.7	29.8	20.6	25.9	35.7	46.6	2.9	23.2	16.1
Left Q angle	15	21.7	17.2	-10.3	17.6	47.5	33.5	10.5	12.9	1.2
2. Posterior view
Trunk
Horizontal asymmetry of the scapula in relation to T3	0	30.8	42.6	29.9	18.2	56.3	5.1	7.3	35.3	27.6
Lower limbs
Right leg/rearfoot angle	NA	1.6	3.6	9.0	8.0	7.4	2.7	18.9	6.7	13.8
Left leg/rearfoot angle	NA	5.8	1.1	-10.7	5.1	8.5	28.5	3.4	9.8	-2.9
3. Left lateral view
Head
Horizontal alignment of the head (C7)	NA	40.3	38.0	49.4	46.4	45.0	50.7	37.9	56.6	38.9
Vertical alignment of the head (acromion)	0	29.2	9.6	13.8	15	19.7	23.1	24.1	7.4	20.8
Trunk
Vertical alignment of the trunk	NA	-7.4	0.9	-2.1	-7.1	-6	-5.9	-3.6	-4.8	1.2
Hip angle (trunk and thigh)	NA	-23.6	2.5	2.3	-10.8	-14.9	-7.4	-9.1	-8.0	-5.4
Vertical alignment of the body	NA	2.9	2.9	2.3	0.5	2.3	0.7	3.5	1.6	4.5
Horizontal alignment of the pelvis	NA	-13.0	-35.6	-16.1	-22.0	-14.0	-19.1	-16.4	-13.8	-10.6
Lower limbs
Knee angle	NA	-12.3	12	21.7	4.3	-1.5	8.6	5.5	8.0	0.8
Ankle angle	NA	86.1	79.6	72.7	82.0	82.6	79.9	79.0	78.8	82.6
4. Gravity center
Frontal plane asymmetry (%)	-	25.8	0.7	10.2	8.4	0.9	4.9	-17.3	-4.5	9.1
Sagittal plane asymmetry (%)	-	62.8	41.5	49.2	37.3	56.5	39.6	59.6	43.0	50.5
GC projection position relative to the middle position of the malleolus (frontal plane) (cm)	-	25.8	-0.6	12.8	-8.7	0.8	4.6	-23.7	-5.9	12.6
GC projection position relative to the middle position of the malleoli (lateral plane) (cm)	-	75.3	52.7	57.5	44.7	60.5	44.8	85.2	57.2	72.7

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[1] Subtitle: SUB = subject; MPT = maximum phonation time; F0 = fundamental frequency; I0 = vocal intensity; HNR = harmonic-to-noise ratio. Female, participants 1 to 6. Male, participants 7 to 9