Summary
Background
Despite being widely used by professional sopranos, the emission of upper high range
notes is still a subject of considerable controversy both to those who use them and
those who study them.
Objective
To compare the opinion of sopranos and singing teachers on the emission of upper high
range notes.
Material and methods
The participants were asked to answer a questionnaire with objective questions on
the emission of upper high range notes and indicate technical aspects involved in
their production (singing teachers) and proprioceptive sensations during their emission
(sopranos).
Results
The sample consisted of 24 sopranos who were, on average, 28 years old and had 9.08
years of a professional career and singing teachers were, on average, 41 years and
had 20 years of professional experience. The questionnaire used was considered reliable
(pilot Cronbach's alpha = 0.88). There was no statistically significant difference
in breath support, tongue positioning, and body adjustments. The differences that
were found regarded laryngeal vertical movement (P= 0.02), articulatory pattern (horizontal mouth widening, P= 0.03; and “imagining a smile,” P= 0.02), and auditory aspects (decrease in voice volume, P= 0.03; reduction in voice “size,” P= 0.03; and change in voice brightness, P= 0.02).
Conclusion
The proprioceptive description of the sopranos differs from the recommendations described
by singing teachers with respect to the larynx movement, articulation, and auditory
perception. These findings suggest that the emission of upper high range notes requires
individualized adjustments for the emission to occur with good vocal quality and comfortably.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 06, 2020
Accepted:
September 18,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
