title: First Passaggio Transition Gestures in Classically Trained Female Singers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this project was to determine the spectral and electroglottograph (EGG) differences exhibited by classically trained female singers when singing through their primo passaggio. The hypotheses were that the singers would exhibit relatively steady EGG levels and minimal changes in speech spectra when singing through their primo passaggio. It also was hypothesized that EGG and spectral measurements at the crest and trough of the vibrato cycles would be similar to each other.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study is an observational case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Singers at training levels from undergraduate university students through professionals sang an A3-A4 scale using an /ɑ:/ vowel while standing. Contact quotient (CQEGG), amplitudes of the first five harmonics (H1-H5), and the number of the harmonics with greatest energy in the frequency region around 3000 Hz were measured at vibrato crests and troughs for each note.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data at the vibrato crests and troughs exhibited similar patterns across the notes that differed in the percentage CQEGG and harmonic amplitude. The mean CQEGG exhibited a slight decline from the lowest note to the highest, with a few of the singers exhibiting different patterns. The strongest harmonic for the four lowest notes was H3 with a transition to H2 being strongest for the four highest notes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patterns of all the singers' averaged glottal and vocal tract adjustments through their primo passaggio generally followed what was hypothesized for the CQEGG, harmonic amplitudes, and harmonic of the frequency region around 3000 Hz. However, differences occurred between the measurements at the vibrato peaks and troughs.
authors.affiliation: School of Communication Science and Disorders, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida. Electronic address: rmorris@fsu.edu.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: College of Music, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Okerlund
authors.affiliation: School of Communication Science and Disorders, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
authors.forename: Emily A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Craven
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D005868:Gestures; D005931:Glottis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D010699:Phonation; D063346:Singing; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D013997:Time Factors; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000502:physiology; D014833:Voice Quality; D014834:Voice Training
keywords: CQ; EGG; Evenness of tone; FFT spectrum; Female; Passaggio