Laryngoscopic, Acoustic, Perceptual, and Functional Assessment of Voice in Rock Singers

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to vocally assess a group of rock singers who use growl voice and reinforced falsetto. Method: A group of 21 rock singers and a control group of 18 pop singers were included. Singing and speaking voice was assessed through acoustic, perceptual, functional and laryngoscopic analysis. Results: No significant differences were observed between groups in most of the analyses. Acoustic and perceptual analysis of the experimental group demonstrated normality of speaking voice. Endoscopic evaluation showed that most rock singers presented during singing voice a high vertical laryngeal position, pharyngeal compression and laryngeal supraglottic compression. Supraglottic activity during speaking voice tasks was also observed. However, overall vocal fold integrity was demonstrated in most of the participants. Slightly abnormal observations were demonstrated in few of them. Singing voice handicap index revealed that the most affected variable was the physical sphere, followed by the social and emotional spheres. Conclusions: Although growl voice and reinforced falsetto represent laryngeal and pharyngeal hyperfunctional activity, they did not seem to contribute to the presence of any major vocal fold disorder in our subjects. Nevertheless, we cannot rule out the possibility that more evident vocal fold disorders could be found in singers who use these techniques more often and during a longer period of time.

Laryngostroboscopic Exploration of Rough Vocal Effects in Singing and their Statistical Recognizability: An Anatomical and Physiological Description and Visual Recognizability Study of Distortion, Growl, Rattle, and Grunt using laryngostroboscopic Imaging and Panel Assessment

“…During the laryngostroboscopic endoscopies, the participants were able to perform the effects consistently and multiple times, and no indications of harm or damage to the vocal folds or other laryngeal structures was observed by the laryngologist performing the endoscopies. These observations, while qualitative and mainly descriptive, are supported by recent studies that have concluded that rock singers using vocal effects during phonation were observed with no vocal fold pathology, 6 and it has, similarly, been concluded that singers that employ such techniques do not differ from pop singers on acoustic, perceptual, and functional assessment of speaking voice. 10 Coherently, the present study found no related pathology, nor any signs of vocal fatigue or evidence of vocal injury in any of the studied participants prior to, during, or after performing the vocal effects, and no singer reported any such problems on their self-report forms.…”

“…This paper contributes to such studies of supraglottic activity and the desirability of such activity in singing by investigating 20 profesional singers, and in doing so responds to the problem that 'most studies [previously] included small sample sizes and none assessed specific variables'. 6 Further investigation into the four identified vocal effects as well as other and combined vocal effects is recommended to further uncover the physiological movements involved in such voice production. In addition, it would be interesting to further study the use of vocal effects by means of acoustics, such as long-term average spectrum, or EEG to further investigate the impact these vocal effect strategies have on acoustic parameters as well as on the phonation itself.…”

“…As an example, previous studies have investigated vocal effects by means of audio perception and have described vocal effects in terms of noises related to pathological voice qualities. 6 However, in such studies, no major vocal fold alterations were found in tested subjects, leading to the conclusion that vocal effects can be produced healthily, 6 and, consequently, there is little scientific evidence to support that vocal effects are in fact detrimental to vocal health. Accordingly, another study question how singers are capable of performing with vocal effects during many concerts per week, year after year, without needing voice rest.…”

“…5 Contrastingly, the Guzman et al study observed supraglottic compression, pharyngeal constriction, and changes in vertical larynx position as involved in rock singing. 6 Another study identified the role of ventricular fold activity in the effects of adding more harmonics for Mongolian throat singing − particularly 'odd harmonics' − to various modes of singing. 11 While the findings are across different genres and methods, they do seem to paint a coherent picture that vocal effects give the impression of 'roughness and hoarseness' 6 without the singer necessarily being hoarse or damaging the voice.…”

Vocal Characteristics and Laryngoscopic Findings in Future Musical Theater Performers

“…25; 26 ; 27 Healthy opera, 27 pop, rock, and jazz singers 25 ; 26 showed M-L and especially A-P supraglottic activity during singing. In rock singers, 25 the supraglottic activity was found in the singing as well as the speaking voice. These authors 25 suggest that supraglottic activity during professional voice use may not always be a hyperfunctional behavior.…”