Voice range profile of Taiwanese normal young adults: a preliminary study.
BACKGROUND
This project investigated the physiological frequency range of phonation and the maximum range of speaking fundamental frequency of Taiwanese normal young adults as the clinical diagnostic criteria for voice populations in Taiwan. The physiological frequency range of phonation, and the maximum range of speaking fundamental frequency, are important indicators of vocal function; both can be expanded after vocal training. If a tonal language, Mandarin, is regarded as a daily pitch exercise, the physiological frequency range of phonation and the maximum range of speaking fundamental frequency of native Mandarin speakers could be greater than those of non-tonal language speakers. Thus it is inaccurate to use voice data of non-tonal language speakers as a reference for native Mandarin speakers in Taiwan.


METHODS
This study determined the physiological frequency range of phonation and the sound pressure level of softest and loudest phonation over the entire fundamental frequency range of a voice, and the maximum range of speaking fundamental frequency in reading passage produced by native Mandarin speakers of normal young adults in Taiwan.


RESULTS
The result revealed that in reading female native Mandarin speakers in Taiwan have a significantly higher mean speaking fundamental frequency, higher mean highest speaking fundamental frequency and larger maximum range of speaking fundamental frequency than male native Mandarin speakers. In vocal range profile, female native Mandarin speakers showed significantly higher mean highest tone and higher mean lowest tone than male native Mandarin speakers. The physiological frequency range of phonation in voice-range-profile for both sexes exceeded three octaves.


CONCLUSIONS
The differences of pitch data between the female and male groups can be explained by the larger amplitude of vocal fold vibration for males resulting in lower fundamental frequency, and the more emotional voice used by female speakers when reading resulted in a larger maximum range of speaking fundamental frequency. The data obtained in this study can be applied clinically to voice populations as a diagnostic tool of vocal function for Mandarin speakers.
Chen
S H
SH
Department of Communicative Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D014831:Voice