Lecture 6

Question 1

What is the function of the respiratory system?

Answer 1

Provides the energy (airflow) that produces speech sounds. Constrictions in subsequent systems (e.g. phonation, articulation) transduce this airflow into SOUNDS

Question 2

What are 3 measures of the respiratory system?

Answer 2

1. Maximum phonation time on a vowel.
2. Aerophone to measure air pressure
3. Respiratory band transducers

Question 3

Maximum phonation time on a vowel

Answer 3

A marked drop in amplitude can signify poor breath support

Question 4

Aerophone

Answer 4

Measures air pressure externally on a mask

Question 5

Respiratory band transducers

Answer 5

Positioned around the chest of a speaker, and measure the duration and extent of the inhalation and exhalation of breath during different kinds of speech.

Question 6

How does phonation work?

Answer 6

1. Subglottal air pressure builds up
2. Forces vocal cords to open
3. Air rushes out, equalising pressure
4. Vocal cords close
5. Process is repeated - if adduction is correct, the the process will be repeated in a rapid, regular, and self-sustaining oscillation.

Question 7

What are measures of phonation?

Answer 7

F0 and SD of F0
Amplitude variability
Jitter
Shimmer
Harmonics to noise ratio
Voice breaks

Question 8

What are three factors affecting the accuracy of voice quality analysis?

Answer 8

1. Background noise (increases perturbation)
2. Recording quality (type of mic, sampling rate)
3. Intrinsic error in jitter measurement, which is proportional to F0 (as F0 increases, so too does the error)