Quantitative Study of the Singing Voice

Abstract

The field of singing has been handicapped by the lack of suitable quantitative means for simply evaluating the various voice factors. With the aid of recently developed acoustic instruments, the authors have investigated the physical characteristics of vocal tones, including power as a function of pitch, attack, quality, and vibrato. Measurements have been made and repeated on more than fifty singers in various stages of development. On the basis of the results, it is possible to evaluate and criticize a singer's technical equipment, and determine by periodic tests whether the voice is improving or deteriorating.