Popular and Classical Female Singers: Acoustic Comparison of Voice Use in the Song Melodia Sentimental (Sentimental Melody) by Heitor Villa-Lobos.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare acoustic characteristics of classical and popular female singers' vocal performances in Heitor Villa-Lobos' Melodia Sentimental (Sentimental Melody).

METHOD: Long-term average spectrum acoustic analysis and long-term voice onset time (VOT) were performed for two consonants /d/ in the first six verses of Melodia Sentimental sang by 10 professional singers: five classical (GC) and five popular (GP).

RESULTS: Classical singers presented prominence in the region of the frequencies between 2.5 and 3.5 kHz, not observed in the majority of the popular singers' group. The GC group showed lighter spectral decline curves and the numerical value of decline was also lower. Classical singers presented lower long-term voice onset time values, which indicates a longer period of glottic closure.

CONCLUSION: Acoustic analysis revealed that classical singers have more energy in glottic closure associated with a shorter duration of glottic coaptation.