Institute of Musicians' Medicine, Freiburg University Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany.
J Voice. 2011 Nov;25(6):670-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2010.09.008. Epub 2011 Mar 12.
Professional male altos (countertenors) mostly use a register function, which is considered to be derived from falsetto. However, the sound produced differs in professional altos compared with the modal register or falsetto of untrained voices. The aim of this study was to analyze differences of the vocal tract shapes in male alto register functions.
Dynamic real-time magnetic resonance imaging of eight frames per second was used to analyze the vocal tract profile in seven professional male altos who sang on the vowel /a/, an ascending and descending scale from G3 (196 Hz) to E4 (330 Hz). The scale included their register transition from modal register to stage (counter) falsetto and naïve falsetto.
Register transitions from modal register to stage falsetto were associated with increased lip opening, jaw retraction, elevation and back positioning of the tongue, pharynx narrowing, uvula elevation, drop of larynx height, and tilting of the larynx. Differences between stage and naïve falsetto were found mostly with regard to lip opening and pharynx width.
The differences between the vocal tract configurations might have an impact on the acoustic characteristics observed in professional male alto register functions.
专业男性男中音（假声男高音）主要使用一种称为声区转换的功能，该功能被认为是由假声发展而来。然而，与未经训练的声音的模态声区或假声相比，专业男中音产生的声音有所不同。本研究旨在分析男性男中音声区转换功能的声道形状差异。
使用每秒 8 帧的动态实时磁共振成像来分析 7 名专业男性男中音在唱元音 /a/、从 G3（196Hz）到 E4（330Hz）的升调和降调音阶时的声道轮廓。该音阶包括他们从模态声区到阶段（假声）假声和自然假声的声区转换。
从模态声区到阶段假声的声区转换与唇开度增加、下颌回缩、舌位抬高和后移、咽腔变窄、小舌抬高、喉位降低以及喉倾斜有关。在阶段假声和自然假声之间发现的差异主要与唇开度和咽腔宽度有关。
声道结构的差异可能对专业男性男中音声区转换功能的声学特征产生影响。
