title: Vocal warm-up increases phonation threshold pressure in soprano singers at high pitch.
abstract: Vocal warm-up is thought to optimize singing performance. We compared effects of short-term, submaximal, vocal warm-up exercise with those of vocal rest on the soprano voice (n = 10, ages 19-21 years). Dependent variables were the minimum subglottic air pressure required for vocal fold oscillation to occur (phonation threshold pressure, Pth), and the maximum and minimum phonation fundamental frequency. Warm-up increased Pth for high pitch phonation (p = 0.033), but not for comfortable (p = 0.297) or low (p = 0.087) pitch phonation. No significant difference in the maximum phonation frequency (p = 0.193) or minimum frequency (p = 0.222) was observed. An elevated Pth at controlled high pitch, but an unchanging maximum and minimum frequency production suggests that short-term vocal exercise may increase the viscosity of the vocal fold and thus serve to stabilize the high voice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Motel
authors.forename: Kimberly V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Ciara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leydon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004056:Differential Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010699:Phonation / Q000502:physiology*; D013060:Speech; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D014833:Voice Quality; D014834:Voice Training