COMPARISON OF VOICE RANGE PROFILE PARAMETERS BETWEEN MALES AND FEMALES

The study presents parametric results of the voice range profile (VRP) measurement of speaking and singing tasks in 24 women and 28 men-beginning students of acting. Speaking tasks were shown to be significantly dependent on the voice pitch and the SPL on increases in voice intensity, which reveals the basic pitch / SPL trajectory of the speaking voice. The average vocal pitch between men and women differed by 8.8 semitones (ST) in habitual readings, and that pitch difference decreased in tasks with increasing voice intensity. Singing tasks generally differ between the sexes in particular in absolute pitch, but the comparison of pitch ranges (about 38 ST) and dynamic ranges (approx. 48 dB) did not show significant differences. For this reason, VRPs can be normalized and their boundaries can be compared between the sexes. Based on the smallest differences between the sexes, comparisons with respect to the position of habitual reading are shown as the best normalization. Thus gender differences are seen in the higher half of the VRP range where women achieve higher SPL. A gradual increase to a shouting vocalization most distinctively distinguishes the properties of the male and female voice, which is probably related to the position of the vibration mechanisms or voice registers.