Hitting the right note is genetic: scientists

Reuters

Chicago: Musicians and singers work for years to develop their sense of pitch, but few can name a musical note without a reference tone. US researchers on Monday said one gene may be the key to that coveted ability.

Only 1 in 10,000 people have perfect or absolute pitch – the uncanny ability to name the note of just about any sound without the help of a reference tone.

“One guy said, ‘I can name the pitch of anything – even farts’,” said Dr Jane Gitschier of the University of California, San Francisco, whose study appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

She and colleagues analysed the results of a three-year, Web-based survey and musical test that required participants to identify notes without the help of a reference tone. More than 2,200 people completed the 20-minute test.

“We noticed that pitch-naming ability was roughly an all-or-nothing phenomenon,” she said.

Based on this, the researchers concluded that one gene, or perhaps a few, may be behind this talent.

Gitschier said those with perfect pitch were able to correctly identify both piano tones and pure computer-generated tones that were devoid of the distinctive sounds of any musical instrument.

She said people with perfect pitch were able to pick out the pure tones with ease. And they also tended to have had early musical training – before the age of 7.

“We think it probably takes the two things,” she said.

They also found that perfect pitch tends to deteriorate with age.

“As people get older, their perception goes sharp. If a note C is played, and they’re 15, they will say it’s a C. But if they’re 50, they might say it’s a C sharp,” Gitschier said. “This can be very disconcerting for them.”

The most commonly misidentified note, based on the study, is a G sharp. That may be because G sharp is overshadowed by A, its neighbour on the scale, they said.

A is often used by orchestras in the West as a tuning reference.

Gitschier said she and her colleagues were focusing on identifying the gene responsible for perfect pitch, which will involve gene mapping. Then they will try to figure out what is different in people with absolute pitch.

“We’ll have to play it by ear, so to speak,” she said.

Absolute Pitch

Reuters

Chicago: Musicians and singers work for years to develop their sense of pitch, but few can name a musical note without a reference tone. US researchers on Monday said one gene may be the key to that coveted ability.

Only 1 in 10,000 people have perfect or absolute pitch – the uncanny ability to name the note of just about any sound without the help of a reference tone.

“One guy said, ‘I can name the pitch of anything – even farts’,” said Dr Jane Gitschier of the University of California, San Francisco, whose study appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

She and colleagues analysed the results of a three-year, Web-based survey and musical test that required participants to identify notes without the help of a reference tone. More than 2,200 people completed the 20-minute test.

“We noticed that pitch-naming ability was roughly an all-or-nothing phenomenon,” she said.

Based on this, the researchers concluded that one gene, or perhaps a few, may be behind this talent.

Gitschier said those with perfect pitch were able to correctly identify both piano tones and pure computer-generated tones that were devoid of the distinctive sounds of any musical instrument.

She said people with perfect pitch were able to pick out the pure tones with ease. And they also tended to have had early musical training – before the age of 7.

“We think it probably takes the two things,” she said.

They also found that perfect pitch tends to deteriorate with age.

“As people get older, their perception goes sharp. If a note C is played, and they’re 15, they will say it’s a C. But if they’re 50, they might say it’s a C sharp,” Gitschier said. “This can be very disconcerting for them.”

The most commonly misidentified note, based on the study, is a G sharp. That may be because G sharp is overshadowed by A, its neighbour on the scale, they said.

A is often used by orchestras in the West as a tuning reference.

Gitschier said she and her colleagues were focusing on identifying the gene responsible for perfect pitch, which will involve gene mapping. Then they will try to figure out what is different in people with absolute pitch.

“We’ll have to play it by ear, so to speak,” she said.

Hoarseness

What is hoarseness?
Hoarseness is a general term which describes abnormal voice changes. When hoarse, the voice may sound breathy, raspy, strained, or there may be changes in volume (loudness) or pitch (how high or low the voice is). The changes in sound are usually due to disorders related to the vocal folds which are the sound producing parts of the voice box (larynx) (see A). While breathing, the vocal folds remain apart (see B). When speaking or singing, they come together (see C), and as air leaves the lungs, they vibrate, producing sound. The more tightly the vocal folds are held and the smaller the vocal folds, the more rapidly they vibrate. More rapid vibration makes a higher voice pitch. Swelling or lumps on the vocal folds prevent them from coming together properly, which makes a change in the voice

What are the causes?
There are many causes of hoarseness. Fortunately, most are not serious and tend to go away in a short period of time. The most common causes are acute laryngitis which usually occurs due to swelling from a common cold, upper respiratory tract viral infection, or irritation caused by excessive voice use such as screaming at a sporting event or rock concert.

More prolonged hoarseness is usually due to using your voice either too much, too loudly, or improperly over extended periods of time. These habits can lead to vocal nodules (singers nodes), which are callous-like growths, or may lead to polyps of the vocal folds (more extensive swelling).

Vocal nodules are common in children and adults who raise their voice in work or play. Uncommonly, polyps or nodules may lead to cancer.

A common cause of hoarseness in older adults is gastroesophageal reflux, when stomach acid comes up the swallowing tube (esophagus) and irritates the vocal folds. Many patients with reflux related changes of voice do not have symptoms of heartburn. Usually, the voice is worse in the morning and improves during the day. These people may have a sensation of a lump in their throat, mucous sticking in their throat or an excessive desire to clear their throat.

Smoking is another cause of hoarseness. Since smoking is the major cause of throat cancer, if smokers are hoarse, they should see an otolaryngologist.

Many unusual causes for hoarseness include allergies, thyroid problems, neurological disorders, trauma to the voice box and occasionally the normal menstrual cycle. Many people experience some hoarseness with advanced age.

Who can treat my hoarseness?
Hoarseness due to a cold or flu may be evaluated by family physicians, pediatricians and internists (who have learned how to examine the larynx). When hoarseness lasts longer than two weeks or has no obvious cause, it should be evaluated by an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon (ear, nose and throat doctor). Problems with the voice are best managed by a team of professionals who know and understand how the voice functions. These professionals are otolaryngology-head and neck surgeons, speech/ language pathologists, and teachers of singing, acting, or public speaking. Voice disorders have many different characteristics which may give professionals a clue to the cause.

When should I see an otolaryngologist (ENT doctor)?
*If hoarseness lasts longer than 2-3 weeks
*If hoarseness is associated with:

1. Pain not from a cold or flu
2. Coughing up blood
3. Difficulty swallowing
4. A lump in the neck

*Complete loss or severe change in voice lasting longer than a few days

How is hoarseness evaluated?
An otolaryngologist will obtain a thorough history of the hoarseness and your general health. Your doctor will usually look at the vocal folds with a mirror placed in the back of your throat. Occasionally a very small lighted flexible scope (fiberoptic tube scope) may need to be passed through your nose (or in some cases, a rigid scope may be used which is placed in the back of your mouth) in order to view your vocal folds. Videotaping the examination may also help with the analysis.

These procedures are not uncomfortable and are well tolerated by most patients. In some cases, special tests (known as acoustic analysis) designed to evaluate the voice may be recommended. These measure voice irregularities, how the voice sounds (acoustic content), airflow and other characteristics that are helpful in establishing a diagnosis and guiding treatment.

How are vocal disorders treated?
The treatment of hoarseness depends on the cause. Most hoarseness can be treated by simply resting the voice or modifying how it is used. The otolaryngologist may make some recommendations about voice use behavior, refer the patient to other voice team members, and in some instances recommend surgery if a discreet lesion, such as a nodule or polyp, is identified. Avoidance of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke (passive smoking) is recommended to all patients. Drinking fluids is also helpful.

Specialists in speech/language pathology are trained to assist patients in behavior modification which may help eliminate some voice disorders. Sometimes, patients have developed bad habits, such as smoking or overuse of their voice by yelling and screaming, which may cause the voice disorder. The speech/language pathologist may teach patients to alter their method of speech production to improve the sound of the voice and to resolve problems, such as vocal nodules. When a patients problem is specifically related to singing, a singing teacher may help improve the patients singing techniques.

What can I do to prevent and treat mild hoarseness?

• If you smoke, quit
• Avoid agents which dehydrate the body, such as alcohol and caffeine
• Avoid secondhand smoke
• Drink plenty of water
• Humidify your home
• Watch your diet - avoid spicy foods and alcohol
• Try not to use your voice too long or too loudly
• Seek professional voice training
• Avoid speaking or singing when your voice is injured or hoarse (this is similar to not walking on a sprained ankle)

What Is Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery?
Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery is a specialty concerned with the medical and surgical treatment of the ears, nose, throat and related structures of the head and neck. The specialty encompasses cosmetic facial reconstruction, surgery of benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck, management of patients with loss of hearing and balance, endoscopic examination of air and food passages, and treatment of allergic, sinus, laryngeal, thyroid and esophageal disorders

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Jayne's Singing Tips

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The 3 areas of the body
Breathing
To breathe in, fill up the lower part of the lungs, feel the area between the sternum and the waist expand. The top half of the rib cage and the shoulders should be very relaxed and should not go up and out.

Breathe all round the body; never above the sternum. The diaphragm moves down when you breathe in and you should feel as though it has reached down as far as your waist.

A tickle in the throat when singing could be tension. Breath should go straight to the abdomen. There should not be a sucking sound that makes the air dry the vocal chords on the way in.

The diaphragm
Before you sing, breathe in, lock your diaphragm tight like a drum all round the body (=tight-waisted). As you sing the diaphragm is gradually relaxed, releasing a cool column of air into the throat to give energy to the voice. Support the diaphragm by tightening tummy and buttock muscles: breathe in with tummy muscles relaxed, then as you sing and feel need for support, bring the muscles in and squeeze the buttock muscles to gradually squeeze under the diaphragm to support it.

Bodyline
Use you power base - feel like you've got roots going into the floor. But keep knees relaxed, like shock absorbers.

Singing is about being aware of your whole body, not just your throat. Lock the diaphragm and then breathe inside the lock.

Pelvis tilted forwards, stand tall to allow the ribs to float out of the way when you breathe in. Intercostal muscles also support you if you stand correctly (Alexander technique).

No man's land should be relaxed all the time, should not be involved in the singing.

Holding the score
When standing with your score, your shoulders should be relaxed and down. Shoulder supports elbow which supports the wrist and the arm is slightly extended from the body. Head should be up and the line of sight for the eyes can move easily between the score and the conductor without having to move the body.

Brain centre
In your brain centre you have your throat, pharynx, larynx and vocal chords. The chords are very delicate and need to be protected. There should never be tension in the neck. Vocal chords do not fully mature until your early 30's. They are very delicate membranes.

If you cough or shout the chords rub against each other instead of vibrating smoothly together. If you feel that to sing louder you are causing the chords to rub together instead of vibrating then DON'T SING LOUDER!

The higher in pitch you go, the more relaxed your pharynx, larynx etc should be, as if in a yawn where there is a lovely open space at the back of your throat. Called 'open throated'.

Face and diction
The face is the resonator for the voice. There are spaces in the skeletal structure of the face, as there are spaces in the chest cavity, and the mouth is the main resonating area. Never sing with a wide cheesy grin, it causes tension in the cheeks and neck. Your smile should come from your eyes.

Sing with an oval shaped mouth. Jaw should be relaxed and 'gormless'! You only open the jaw if you need to go higher in pitch.

Concentrate on the vowels, you don't need to sing the consonants - they clip the sound.

TIP OF THE TONGUE, THE TEETH AND THE LIPS

Your top lip is important. Your face needs to have range of flexibility and movement to make the right sounds. There should be a lift in the cheeks: bright sounds like 'e' vowels should come from lift in the cheeks, not from the jaw.

Mask of singing
All the front of your face (ie from your ears forwards) is the mask of singing, also knows as the dome of sound - other expressions include: head singing, head resonance, spin the voice around the head using the bone space.

Mental control and visualisation
After a bad day need to lift the sound of the voice, need to think positively and brightly to get it right. Learn to isolate the muscles in the face and imaging that your voice is like the ping pong ball in the snorkel - it floats on the air energy provided by the power base. Avoid 'white singing' where the air and the voice are mixed together; the air should float the voice.

Singing is 60% technique and 40% confidence, so mental control and attitude is important, as is self-awareness and being aware of your body. That is how to be in control of your voice.

Rehearsing and warming up
Humming is a good way to rehearse, as is to sing 'la' or something that wakens the face up. Never sing on a cold voice. Get it oiled first. Support the voice, learn to breathe properly and you can sing softly. It takes more control to sing softly, so a good way is to practice loud and with confidence and then sing softly once you are confident.

Singing while sitting
Feet square, sit up, shoulders relaxed. Do not cross legs. Remember to do all these things to fill up the inside of the rib cage and diaphragm. If you slouch you will be fighting your rib cage.

Vibrato
Don't try to stop the natural vibrato in your voice using your throat. It will make your throat tense. Control it using the breathing. Often it is a slacking of the diaphragm (especially as one gets older) that causes the beating effect of the vibrato.

Tips for choir directors

I have been in many ward choirs. These are some pointers I have that I believe can apply to every choir director. I appreciate all choir directors, and I am glad they take their time to serve us. I certainly do not have the skill to do what they do, and I appreciate their selfless service. Nevertheless, I believe some improvements could be easily made. But if you are a choir director please do not take anything personally or as an attack -- especially if you are one of my own current or past choir directors! In other words, these are written more for humor than anything else. If you do not find it funny, stop reading.

1. End choir practice at the scheduled time, and not a minute later. Consider ending early if you are at a convenient stopping place.
   
2. One or two people do not constitute a majority. When you ask "Shall we sing it one more time?" and only one or two people respond affirmatively, that means that everyone else is silently responding "no". Ditto for "Do you want to stand?"
   
3. Leaning over a first row choir member to conduct directly to the third row makes people nervous.
4. Don't specifically invite "all members, including those who can't sing" to choir. Those who can sing become less enthused about attending themselves. Choirs should sound pleasant.
5. Consider singing the music as it is written. It is perfectly acceptable to sing a hymn out of the book without stuffing as much variety as possible (or more so!) into the verses with unison/parts/harmony or new verses.
   
6. If you have limited practice time before the performance, consider simplifying the selection before you call an extra weeknight rehearsal.
7. Never, never say "Let's sing it just once more(, I promise)." I have never met a choir director who lived up to that promise even once, so do not even pretend you will live up to it. You tease us with the concept of getting home to eat, then we practice the piece three more times.
8. Give the choir time to talk to each other. Singing can be an inspiring experience, and singing with people you know and love greatly enhances that. Just two or three minutes per rehearsal of "talk with your neighbor" time can go a long way to putting smiles on the choir's faces both for rehearsals and for performances. We will probably pay more attention when you are talking as well.
9. When working with a small section of the choir, invite the others to sit down.
10. Do not ask us whether we want to sit with the congregation or in the choir loft for the rest of the meeting. We will be divided anyway, just tell us what to do. We will do what you say.

Source : http://cs.nerdbank.net/blogs/darnit/archive/2006/03/13/122.aspx

Maximum Range

Likewise, no song has ever become popular simply because it contained some birdcalls. Yet, we singers tend to fixate on range as if it’s the reason we’re not winning awards and selling piles of CD’s. True, there is an emotional lift when a melody soars upward, but the pitches should always be proportionate to the instrument. Sing at the height of your voice’s potential and your audience will assume your abilities are limitless. Sing beyond your boundaries and you merely call attention to your limitations. This does not mean you are stuck with the measly dozen or so pitches you sing well these days; rarely does a singer access his or her full genetic range without some training. It does mean, though, that before you worry about expanding, it helps to embrace what you have.
Vocal range is a lot like the range of motion of your limbs. Can you drop down into a split without warming up? Even after warming up? For most, the elasticity necessary for a move like that requires a long program of stretching. The same is true for your voice. The vocal folds are membranes (a little smaller then your eyelids) that close over the windpipe. When air streams through the tiny opening they create, their edges vibrate. The vibration is nothing more than a microscopic wiggle. Look closely at a guitar string after it’s played and you’ll see them same thing. The speed of the wiggle, or vibration, is called the frequency. We refer to frequencies, or pitches, by their beats per second. The pitch, for instance, that an orchestra uses when tuning is A – 440, meaning the frequency wiggles 440 times in one second (the larger the number, the higher the pitch). To sing high, your vocal folds have got to vibrate fast.

The action required to sing different notes is very much like tuning a guitar. Muscles surrounding the larynx pull or release the folds to create high and low pitches. The amount of movement required for your entire range is microscopic. I suggest you reread that previous line about a thousand times until it is embedded in your subconscious. The root of all vocal problems is that we perceive the activities involved with singing as big events. They are not. We ball our fists and load up enough air pressure to create an aneurysm just to get through the chorus of a song. The automatic reaction to such force is resistance; the body braces for the assault. Rigid muscles surrounding the larynx deny flexibility and lock up the vocal folds. No flexibility, no range – it’s that simple.

The key to singing high notes is volume. Reducing the volume of your voice removes the burden of excess air pressure so your folds can become more elastic. Just as it takes a little stretching every day to get your legs into a split, vocalizing daily at a low volume will allow you to visit higher notes without stress. It’s best to sing scales rather than songs at first; the memory of a song’s performance will lead you to pushing. Allow you higher notes to venture into falsetto or head voice. It’s okay if the transition cracks or skips out; this is just a symptom of your imbalanced ways. Don’t worry that the light voice you vocalize with is not up to performance standards. Only after you are completely comfortable with producing a note at a low volume should you attempt to raise the output. Increasing the volume in very small increments will allow you to monitor muscle independence. If facial or neck muscles join in to support a note, you’ve added too much air pressure. Your controllable range for the day lies waiting at the balance point between force and flexibility. And as always, tomorrow is another day.

Vibrato - An Xtra Effect

Singing with vibrato is a matter of taste. Having a choice is a matter of control. For most singers, the subtle, rhythmical movement of vibrato feels more like fate. When you want vibrato, it hides on you; don’t think about it, and it shimmers on the end of a note. Vibrato brings vitality to a voice. Sound without variation is boring. Compare a refrigerator to a fly buzzing around. The steady hum of the compressor quickly becomes background noise while the bug gets harder to ignore. With the exception of rappers and singers like Beck who don’t sustain notes, those without vibrato tend to rely on overdrive to create excitement. This often leads to blow outs. The more vocal colors available on your pallet, like vibrato, breathy, nasal and gritty, the easier it will be to paint an interesting portrait of a song without killing yourself.

The mechanics of vibrato are simple and reflexive, which is what makes it so elusive. Picture the fret hand of a guitarist sustaining a note. The finger movement alters the length of the string creating a slight waver in pitch. Things are just a little more complex with the voice. Like a stringed instrument, the tension of the vocal folds is varied rhythmically, creating movement in pitch. Along with this tension change, though, is a variation in the thickness of the vocal fold. The combined movements of pitch, volume and tone are what set vibrato apart from tremolo (change in volume only) and wobble (change in pitch only).

Tension squashes vibrato. Not just the obvious neck bulging stuff, but subtle everyday stiffness can neutralize it as well. Like the freedom required to wiggle your finger when sustaining a note on guitar, vocal vibrato requires muscle independence. Backing off the air pressure is the first step to releasing your voice. Let the ability to produce vibrato be your guide. Lay down flat on your back and place your hand on your belly button. Breath so that your hand rises and falls. Now sing a comfortable note and look for the presence of vibrato. If the pitch is stiff notice what your abs are doing. Are they contracting to drive the note? Check the behavior on various pitches. If you push too much from your stomach, the muscles surrounding the larynx will brace and vibrato will be lost. Reduce the volume and try again. The goal is to reduce the air pressure to the point where flexibility is found. Don’t be alarmed if this only happens at very low volumes. With practice, you’ll be able to increase the volume without loading the neck with pressure. Strike the proper balance during a song and vibrato will blossom. That’s why it tends to come in at the ends of notes; once we feel safely on pitch, we ease off the pressure a bit.

Another check for vibrato-eating throat tension is to rotate your head in a small circle when singing. Pretend you are tracing the outline of a quarter with your nose. Does the rotation stop when you begin to sing? Is it stiffer on high notes? Again, reduce the volume until you find the correct air pressure. Neck tension is not a requirement of singing loud or high. We often see singers so locked up in the neck that they literally have to shake their heads or jaws in order to create vibrato. In the same way, a guitar player who needs to shake the guitar to move a note must be applying a death grip on that fretboard. There’s nothing wrong with using force to make a strong statement. Too often, though, the statement it makes is that we are overcompensating to mask weakness. Be brave and do the dirty work in private. Use vibrato as your guide and discover the power within.

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