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Do trumpet players tune resonances of the vocal tract?
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 131, Issue 1, pp. 722-727 (2012); (6 pages)
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Add to FacebookThe acoustic impedance spectrum was measured in the mouths of seven trumpeters while they played normal notes and while they practiced “bending” the pitch below or above the normal value. The peaks in vocal tract impedance usually had magnitudes rather smaller than those of the bore of the trumpet. Over the range measured, none of the trumpeters showed systematic tuning of the resonances of the vocal tract. However, all players commented that the presence of the impedance head in the mouth prevented them from playing the very highest notes of which they were normally capable. It is therefore possible that these players might use either resonance tuning or perhaps very high impedance magnitudes for some notes beyond the measured range. The observed lack of tuning contrasts with measurements for the saxophone which, like the trumpet, has weak resonances in the third and fourth octaves. Saxophonists are only able to play the highest range by tuning resonances of the vocal tract, so that the series impedance has a very strong peak at a frequency near that of the desired note. This difference is explained by the greater control that the trumpet player has over the natural frequency of the vibrating valve.
© 2012 Acoustical Society of America
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank the Australian Research Council for support, our volunteer subjects for their time, and Neville Fletcher for helpful discussions.
Article Outline
- INTRODUCTION
- MATERIALS AND METHODS
- Measurements of Z Mouth
- Measurements of Z Bore
- Subjects and protocol
- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
- Normal playing
- Pitch bending
- High note playing
- CONCLUSIONS
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History
Received 23 Nov 2010
Accepted 05 Apr 2011
Revised 04 Apr 2011
Accepted 05 Apr 2011
Revised 04 Apr 2011
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