Oscillations and Waves > Acoustics > Wave Analysis and
Synthesis
DCS# 3C55.80
TONAL SPECTRA OF
SUNG VOWELS
APPARATUS
oscilloscope with camera
202
microphone
202-07-E1
DESCRIPTION
Suppose an untrained
male singer sings "ah" (from father) at E3 (154 Hz). A closed-end
resonant cavity would have to be 55 cm long to reinforce this
note. From vocal cords to lips is 17 cm. The principal
Fourier component will be at 6 x 154 Hz, as can be seen on the
oscilloscope. A well-trained voice wil have an additional "ring"
at about 2500 Hz. The trace from the male singer can be compared
with those of female singers singing the octave and double octave -- in
both cases, the dominant components come near the same pitch.
