Section of Phoniatrics and Audiology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany,
LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany,
Folia Phoniatr Logop. 2021;73(6):565-576. doi: 10.1159/000513521. Epub 2021 Feb 1.
The purpose of this study was to establish and characterize age- and gender-specific normative data of the singing voice using the voice range profile for clinical diagnostics. Furthermore, associations between the singing voice and the socioeconomic status were examined.
Singing voice profiles of 1,578 mostly untrained children aged between 7.0 and 16.11 years were analyzed. Participants had to reproduce sung tones at defined pitches, resulting in maximum and minimum fundamental frequency and sound pressure level (SPL). In addition, maximum phonation time (MPT) was measured. Percentile curves of frequency, SPL and MPT were estimated. To examine the associations of socioeconomic status, multivariate analyses adjusted for age and sex were performed.
In boys, the mean of the highest frequency was 750.9 Hz and lowered to 397.1 Hz with increasing age. Similarly, the minimum frequency was 194.4 Hz and lowered to 91.9 Hz. In girls, the mean maximum frequency decreased from 754.9 to 725.3 Hz. The mean minimum frequency lowered from 202.4 to 175.0 Hz. For both sexes, the mean frequency range ∆f showed a constant range of roughly 24 semitones. The MPT increased with age, for boys and girls. There was neither an effect of age nor sex on SPLmin or SPLmax, ranging between 52.6 and 54.1 dBA and between 86.5 and 82.8 dBA, respectively. Socioeconomic status was not associated with the above-mentioned variables.
To our knowledge, this study is the first to present large normative data on the singing voice in childhood and adolescence based on a high number of measurements. In addition, we provide percentile curves for practical application in clinic and vocal pedagogy which may be applied to distinguish between normal and pathological singing voice.
本研究旨在建立和描述年龄和性别特异性的声乐范围图的声乐正常数据，用于临床诊断。此外，还研究了歌唱声音与社会经济地位之间的关系。
分析了 1578 名主要未经训练的儿童的歌唱声音特征，年龄在 7.0 至 16.11 岁之间。参与者必须在定义的音高上再现歌唱音，从而产生最大和最小基频和声压级（SPL）。此外，还测量了最大发音时间（MPT）。估计了频率、SPL 和 MPT 的百分位曲线。为了研究社会经济地位的关联，进行了多元分析，调整了年龄和性别。
在男孩中，最高频率的平均值为 750.9Hz，并随着年龄的增长降低至 397.1Hz。同样，最低频率为 194.4Hz，并降低至 91.9Hz。在女孩中，最高频率的平均值从 754.9Hz 降低至 725.3Hz。最低频率的平均值从 202.4Hz 降低至 175.0Hz。对于两性，平均频率范围 ∆f 表现出大致 24 个半音的恒定范围。MPT 随着年龄的增长而增加，男孩和女孩都是如此。年龄或性别对 SPLmin 或 SPLmax 没有影响，分别在 52.6 至 54.1dBA 和 86.5 至 82.8dBA 之间。社会经济地位与上述变量无关。
据我们所知，这是首次基于大量测量值，提出儿童和青少年歌唱声音的大型正常数据。此外，我们提供了百分位曲线，可用于临床和声乐教学中的实际应用，以区分正常和病理性歌唱声音。
