Overtone focusing in biphonic tuvan throat singing
Khoomei is a unique singing style originating from the republic of Tuva in central Asia. Singers produce two pitches simultaneously: a booming low-frequency rumble alongside a hovering high-pitched whistle-like tone. The biomechanics of this biphonation are not well-understood. Here, we use sound an...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2020-02-01
|
| Series: | eLife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/50476 |
| _version_ | 1811227619950067712 |
|---|---|
| author | Christopher Bergevin Chandan Narayan Joy Williams Natasha Mhatre Jennifer KE Steeves Joshua GW Bernstein Brad Story |
| author_facet | Christopher Bergevin Chandan Narayan Joy Williams Natasha Mhatre Jennifer KE Steeves Joshua GW Bernstein Brad Story |
| author_sort | Christopher Bergevin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Khoomei is a unique singing style originating from the republic of Tuva in central Asia. Singers produce two pitches simultaneously: a booming low-frequency rumble alongside a hovering high-pitched whistle-like tone. The biomechanics of this biphonation are not well-understood. Here, we use sound analysis, dynamic magnetic resonance imaging, and vocal tract modeling to demonstrate how biphonation is achieved by modulating vocal tract morphology. Tuvan singers show remarkable control in shaping their vocal tract to narrowly focus the harmonics (or overtones) emanating from their vocal cords. The biphonic sound is a combination of the fundamental pitch and a focused filter state, which is at the higher pitch (1–2 kHz) and formed by merging two formants, thereby greatly enhancing sound-production in a very narrow frequency range. Most importantly, we demonstrate that this biphonation is a phenomenon arising from linear filtering rather than from a nonlinear source. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T09:44:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-232466d1e4ea419380550bd5ce41528f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T09:44:03Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-232466d1e4ea419380550bd5ce41528f2022-12-22T03:37:59ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2020-02-01910.7554/eLife.50476Overtone focusing in biphonic tuvan throat singingChristopher Bergevin0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4529-399XChandan Narayan1Joy Williams2Natasha Mhatre3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3618-306XJennifer KE Steeves4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7487-4646Joshua GW Bernstein5Brad Story6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6530-8781Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, Canada; Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Canada; Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, Toronto, Canada; Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, United StatesLanguages, Literatures and Linguistics, York University, Toronto, CanadaYork MRI Facility, York University, Toronto, CanadaBiology, Western University, London, CanadaCentre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Canada; Psychology, York University, Toronto, CanadaNational Military Audiology & Speech Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, United StatesSpeech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, United StatesKhoomei is a unique singing style originating from the republic of Tuva in central Asia. Singers produce two pitches simultaneously: a booming low-frequency rumble alongside a hovering high-pitched whistle-like tone. The biomechanics of this biphonation are not well-understood. Here, we use sound analysis, dynamic magnetic resonance imaging, and vocal tract modeling to demonstrate how biphonation is achieved by modulating vocal tract morphology. Tuvan singers show remarkable control in shaping their vocal tract to narrowly focus the harmonics (or overtones) emanating from their vocal cords. The biphonic sound is a combination of the fundamental pitch and a focused filter state, which is at the higher pitch (1–2 kHz) and formed by merging two formants, thereby greatly enhancing sound-production in a very narrow frequency range. Most importantly, we demonstrate that this biphonation is a phenomenon arising from linear filtering rather than from a nonlinear source.https://elifesciences.org/articles/50476Tuvan throat singingacoustic phoneticsspeech biomechanicsbiphonation |
| spellingShingle | Christopher Bergevin Chandan Narayan Joy Williams Natasha Mhatre Jennifer KE Steeves Joshua GW Bernstein Brad Story Overtone focusing in biphonic tuvan throat singing eLife Tuvan throat singing acoustic phonetics speech biomechanics biphonation |
| title | Overtone focusing in biphonic tuvan throat singing |
| title_full | Overtone focusing in biphonic tuvan throat singing |
| title_fullStr | Overtone focusing in biphonic tuvan throat singing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Overtone focusing in biphonic tuvan throat singing |
| title_short | Overtone focusing in biphonic tuvan throat singing |
| title_sort | overtone focusing in biphonic tuvan throat singing |
| topic | Tuvan throat singing acoustic phonetics speech biomechanics biphonation |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/50476 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christopherbergevin overtonefocusinginbiphonictuvanthroatsinging AT chandannarayan overtonefocusinginbiphonictuvanthroatsinging AT joywilliams overtonefocusinginbiphonictuvanthroatsinging AT natashamhatre overtonefocusinginbiphonictuvanthroatsinging AT jenniferkesteeves overtonefocusinginbiphonictuvanthroatsinging AT joshuagwbernstein overtonefocusinginbiphonictuvanthroatsinging AT bradstory overtonefocusinginbiphonictuvanthroatsinging |