A reflex resonance model of vocal vibrato.
A reflex mechanism with a long latency (>40 ms) is implicated as a plausible cause of vocal vibrato. At least one pair of agonist-antagonist muscles that can change vocal-fold length is needed, such as the cricothyroid muscle paired with the thyroarytenoid muscle, or the cricothyroid muscle paired with the lateral cricoarytenoid muscle or a strap muscle. Such an agonist-antagonist muscle pair can produce negative feedback instability in vocal-fold length with this long reflex latency, producing oscillations on the order of 5-7 Hz. It is shown that singers appear to increase the gain in the reflex loop to cultivate the vibrato, which grows out of a spectrum of 0-15-Hz physiologic tremors in raw form.
Titze
Ingo R
IR
National Center for Voice and Speech, and Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242, USA.
Story
Brad
B
Smith
Marshall
M
Long
Russel
R
D006801:Humans; D007821:Laryngeal Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000502:physiology*; D014831:Voice / Q000502:physiology*; D014833:Voice Quality