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Development of the child’s voice: premutation, mutation
International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology 49 Suppl. 1 (1999) S141 – S144 www.elsevier.com/locate/ijporl
Development of the child’s voice: premutation, mutation T. Hacki *, S. Heitmu¨ller Department of Phoniatrics and Pediatric Audiology of the Department ENT, Uni6ersity Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
Abstract Voice range profile (VRP) measurement was used to evaluate the vocal capabilities of 180 children aged between 4 and 12 years without voice pathology. There were 10 boys and 10 girls in each age group. Using an automatic VRP measurement system, F0 and SPL dB (lin) were determined and displayed two-dimensionally in real time. The speaking voice, the shouting voice and the singing voice were investigated. The results show that vocal capabilities grow with advancing age, but not continuously. The lowering of the habitual pitch of the speaking voice as well as of the entire speaking pitch range occurs for girls between the ages of 7 and 8, for boys between 8 and 9. A temporary restriction of the minimum vocal intensity of the speaking voice (the ability to speak softly) as well as of the singing voice occurs for girls and for boys at the age of 7–8. A decrease of the maximum speech intensity is found for girls at the age of between 7 and 8, for boys between 8 and 9. A lowering of the pitch as well as of the intensity of the shouting voice occurs for both sexes from the age of 10. In contrast to earlier general opinion we note for girls a stage of premutation (between the age of 7 and 8) with essentially the same changes seen among boys, but 1 year earlier. The beginning of the mutation can be fixed at the age of 10 – 11 years. © 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Child’s voice; Mutation; Premutation; Voice development, Voice range profile
1. Introduction The influence of the sex hormones during a child’s development also causes an alteration in the vocal function. The occurrence of this socalled mutation was noticed by different authors step by step at an earlier age during the last century. Paulsen (1895) regarded the age of the mutation in boys as 14 – 15 years [1]. Weinberg * Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (T. Hacki)
(1906) determined it to be 12 years [2], Wirth (1987) to 11–12 years [3]. Frank and Sparber [4] saw the premutation in 10-year-old children, Wirth (1987) already at the age of 9 years [3]. Following general opinion, the voice of boys passes through three different mutational phases: premutation, mutation and postmutation. For most of the authors there is no difference in phases of girls. Pedersen et al. [5] observed voice parameters at girls in three phases of puberty: 8.6–12.9 years, through 13–15.9 years to 16–19.8 years. They conclude that the change of the tone range in continuous speech seems to be a neces-
0165-5876/99/$ - see front matter © 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 1 6 5 - 5 8 7 6 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 1 5 0 - 0
S142
T. Hacki, S. Heitmu¨ller / Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 49 (1999) S141 – S144
children without voice pathology, aged between 4 and 12 years. There were 10 boys and 10 girls in each age group. Using an automatic VRP measurement system (Phonomat, Homoth Hamburg, Germany), fundamental frequency (F0) and sound pressure level (SPL) in dB (lin) were determined and displayed two-dimensionally in real time. The speaking voice (elicited by telling a short story as well as by counting using the softest to the loudest intensity), the shouting voice (shouting ‘Hallo, come here!’ three to four times) and the singing voice (sustained phonation of /la:/ at minimum and maximum intensity level) were investigated. After telling a short story, habitual pitch and intensity were determined. We fixed the modal F0 and the modal SPL (for voiced as well as for both voiced and unvoiced samples) from the histograms. For the evaluation of gender/age specificity a multivariance statistical analysis was used.
sary parameter in connection with female pubertal stages and oestrogen development. Sorenson [6] 1989 analysed the habitual pitch of children aged 6 – 10 by means of a computerized frequency analyser. He found a significant lowering of the pitch of 8-year-old boys. Bo¨hme and Stuchlik [7] 1995 analysed the voice range profiles (sustained phonation /a:/ at minimum and maximum intensity level) and the habitual pitch (by counting from 1 to 20) of children from 5 to 14 years. The pitch was determined auditively, the intensity by using a B&K sound level meter. The authors found changes of the parameter pitch (F0) between the age of 5 to 7 and after the age of 11 for both sexes. Concerning the parameter intensity (dBA, slow) it was found that boys between 5 and 12 years sang 2 – 8 dB louder than girls. Tha aim of this study was to get an insight into the complicated voice development of the children before the dramatic pubertal changes, by using not yet examined voice parameters such as habitual intensity, pitch and intensity of the shouting voice.
3. Results The results are summarized in Table 1 (girls) and Table 2 (boys). The girls and boys were aged between 4 and 12 years. By means of a multivariance statistical analysis it was found that some voice parameters were
2. Methods Voice range profile (VRP) measurement was used for to evaluate the vocal capabilities of 180 Table 1 Girlsa Age (years)
Speaking voice range Habitual pitch (modal) Intensity range Habitual intensity voiced samples (modal) Habitual intensity all samples (modal) Shouting voice highest pitch Highest intensity Singing voice range Intensity range
a
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
A3 E4 C4 53 79 65 65 Cis5 100 Ais3 D5 51 92
Ais3 F4 D4 53 82 65 65 Cis5 101 Ais3 Fis5 52 93
Ais3 E4 C4 52 82 63 62 H4 98 Ais3 Gis5 51 93
A3 F4 Cis4 52 83 64 64 D5 101 A3 Gis5 52 94
G3 Dis4 H3 53 82 65 64 C5 101 G3 A5 53 96
Gis3 Dis4 C4 51 82 65 65 D5 106 G3 Ais5 52 100
Gis3 Dis4 H3 51 80 64 64 H4 98 G3 H5 51 91
Fis3 Dis4 H3
G3 Dis4 H3 51 80 63 63 Ais3 95 G3 C6 51 91
Pitch is given in American notation (A4 = 440 Hz) and intensity in dB (lin).
83 65 63 H4 97 Fis3 Ais5 50 90
T. Hacki, S. Heitmu¨ller / Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 49 (1999) S141 – S144
S143
Table 2 Boysa Age (years)
Speaking voice range Habitual pitch (modal) Intensity range Habitual intensity voiced samples (modal) Habitual intensity all samples (modal) Shouting voice highest pitch Highest intensity Singing voice range Intensity range
a
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
A3 E4 Cis4 53 80 66 65 C5 95 Ais3 D5 54 95
A3 E4 C4 52 80 64 61 C5 99 A3 F5 53 94
Ais3 F4 Cis4 52 85 66 65 Cis5 101 A3 A5 54 101
A3 Fis4 Cis4 52 85 63 62 D5 106 A3 Gis5 51 99
Gis3 E4 C4 56 86 68 67 C5 103 G3 G5 54 100
Fis3 Dis4 Ais3 51 83 66 66 Cis5 107 F3 Gis5 51 100
G3 D4 H3 51 83 67 65 Ais4 100 G3 A5 51 101
G3 E4 C4 50 83 67 66 Ais4 98 Fis3 Ais5 52 93
F3 D4 Ais3 50 86 66 66 A4 101 Fis3 A5 50 96
Pitch is given in American notation (A4 = 440 Hz) and intensity in dB (lin).
gender specific, others seemed to be age specific.
3.1. Age specific, not gender specific 6oice parameters These were pitch range of the speaking voice, pitch range of the singing voice, highest pitch of the shouting voice and habitual pitch (modal). The multivariant analysis shows no gender specificity for the highest shouting pitch. This parameter lowers after the age of 10 in both sexes; however, it lies one semitone lower in boys than in girls. Between the ages of 11 and 12 the pitch lowers one semitone more in both sexes. We judge these phenomena to be one of the first signs of the beginning of the mutation.
3.2. Only gender specific 6oice parameters Habitual intensity (voiced samples) for boys was 66 dB, 2 dB higher than in girls. Maximum speaking voice intensity in boys was 81 dB, 2 dB louder than in girls.
3.3. Only age specific 6oice parameters This was found to be minimum speaking voice
intensity. In children of 8 years, soft speaking voice intensity is restricted.
3.4. Age and gender specific 6oice parameters These were the intensity of the shouting voice and the maximum intensity of the singing voice.
3.5. Neither age nor gender specific 6oice parameters This category contained habitual intensity (voiced and unvoiced samples together).
4. Conclusions
4.1. Speaking 6oice The results show that vocal capabilities grow with advancing age, but not continuously. The lowering of the habitual pitch of the speaking voice as well as of the entire speaking pitch range occurs for girls at the age of 7–8, for boys at age 8–9. These findings differ from the results of Bo¨hme and Stuchlik [7], who found the habitual pitch unchanged between the ages 7 to 11. On the other hand, Sorenson [6]
S144
T. Hacki, S. Heitmu¨ller / Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 49 (1999) S141 – S144
observes a lowering of pitch for boys at the age of 8; this is 1 year earlier than our findings. A temporary restriction of the minimum vocal intensity of the speaking voice (the ability to speak softly) occurs for both girls and boys at the age of 8. After the continuous increase of the maximum speech intensity from the age of 4, it drops at ages between 7 and 8 in girls, and at between 8 and 9 in boys.
4.2. Shouting 6oice A temporary decrease of the shouting voice intensity occurs among boys at the age of 7 – 8, but no comparable decrease is found among girls at that age. A lowering of the pitch as well as of the intensity of the shouting voice occurs for both sexes from the age of 10.
creases from the tenth year in girls; in boys it increases up to the tenth year and decreases from the eleventh year. In accordance with the results of Bo¨hme and Suchlik, at each age the boys reach a higher intensity. In contrast to the earlier opinion, we note for girls a stage of premutation between the ages of 7 and 8 years with by far the same changes as for boys, but 1 year advanced. The beginning, the first signs of the mutation can be fixed at the age of 10–11 years. By using an automatic computerized pitch and intensity measurement of the voice, it is possible to register complex parameters such as habitual modal pitch and intensity, pitch and intensity of the shouting voice and to observe subtle changes in a child’s voice development.
References
4.3. Singing 6oice Concerning singing pitch we do not find significant differences between the sexes. The lowest and the highest pitch of the singing voice diverge from the age of 4 to 8; that is, the lowest pitch decreases step by step and the highest pitch increases. Between the age of 8 and 12 there is no considerable change — nearly in accordance with Bo¨hme and Stuchlik [7] (no change of the highest pitch between 7 and 12, of the lowest pitch between of 8 and 11 years). The minimum intensity of the singing voice (the ability to sing softly) shows age specificity, whereas for boys and girls at the age of 8 there can be seen a limitation. The maximum singing voice intensity is age specific as well as sex specific. It increases up to the ninth year and de-
.
[1] E. Paulsen, Untersuchung u¨ber die Tonho¨he der Sprache, Pflu¨gers Arch. Ges. Physiol. 74 (1899) 570 – 592. [2] K. Weinberg, Studie u¨ber das Stimmorgan bei Vorschulkindern, Arch. Laryngol. Rhinol. 30 (1913/14) 175 – 189. [3] G. Wirth, Stimmsto¨rungen, Deutscher-A8 rzte-Verlag, Ko¨ln, 1979. [4] F. Frank, M. Sparber, Zum stimmphysiologisch richtigen Verhalten wa¨hrend der Mutations- und Postmutationsphase, Musikerziehung 24 (1970/71) 215 – 217. [5] M.F. Pedersen, S. Moller, S. Krabbe, P. Bennett, B. Svenstrup, Fundamental voice frequency in female puberty measured with electroglottography during continuous speech as secondary sex characteristic, Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 20 (1990) 17 – 24. [6] D.N. Sorenson, A fundamental frequency investigation of children ages 6 – 10 years old, J. Commun. Disord. 22 (1989) 115 – 123. [7] G. Bo¨hme, G. Stuchlik, Voice profiles and standard voice profile of untrained children, J. Voice 9 (1995) 304 – 307.
Development of the child’s voice: premutation, mutation T. Hacki *, S. Heitmu¨ller Department of Phoniatrics and Pediatric Audiology of the Department ENT, Uni6ersity Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
Abstract Voice range profile (VRP) measurement was used to evaluate the vocal capabilities of 180 children aged between 4 and 12 years without voice pathology. There were 10 boys and 10 girls in each age group. Using an automatic VRP measurement system, F0 and SPL dB (lin) were determined and displayed two-dimensionally in real time. The speaking voice, the shouting voice and the singing voice were investigated. The results show that vocal capabilities grow with advancing age, but not continuously. The lowering of the habitual pitch of the speaking voice as well as of the entire speaking pitch range occurs for girls between the ages of 7 and 8, for boys between 8 and 9. A temporary restriction of the minimum vocal intensity of the speaking voice (the ability to speak softly) as well as of the singing voice occurs for girls and for boys at the age of 7–8. A decrease of the maximum speech intensity is found for girls at the age of between 7 and 8, for boys between 8 and 9. A lowering of the pitch as well as of the intensity of the shouting voice occurs for both sexes from the age of 10. In contrast to earlier general opinion we note for girls a stage of premutation (between the age of 7 and 8) with essentially the same changes seen among boys, but 1 year earlier. The beginning of the mutation can be fixed at the age of 10 – 11 years. © 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Child’s voice; Mutation; Premutation; Voice development, Voice range profile
1. Introduction The influence of the sex hormones during a child’s development also causes an alteration in the vocal function. The occurrence of this socalled mutation was noticed by different authors step by step at an earlier age during the last century. Paulsen (1895) regarded the age of the mutation in boys as 14 – 15 years [1]. Weinberg * Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (T. Hacki)
(1906) determined it to be 12 years [2], Wirth (1987) to 11–12 years [3]. Frank and Sparber [4] saw the premutation in 10-year-old children, Wirth (1987) already at the age of 9 years [3]. Following general opinion, the voice of boys passes through three different mutational phases: premutation, mutation and postmutation. For most of the authors there is no difference in phases of girls. Pedersen et al. [5] observed voice parameters at girls in three phases of puberty: 8.6–12.9 years, through 13–15.9 years to 16–19.8 years. They conclude that the change of the tone range in continuous speech seems to be a neces-
0165-5876/99/$ - see front matter © 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 1 6 5 - 5 8 7 6 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 1 5 0 - 0
S142
T. Hacki, S. Heitmu¨ller / Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 49 (1999) S141 – S144
children without voice pathology, aged between 4 and 12 years. There were 10 boys and 10 girls in each age group. Using an automatic VRP measurement system (Phonomat, Homoth Hamburg, Germany), fundamental frequency (F0) and sound pressure level (SPL) in dB (lin) were determined and displayed two-dimensionally in real time. The speaking voice (elicited by telling a short story as well as by counting using the softest to the loudest intensity), the shouting voice (shouting ‘Hallo, come here!’ three to four times) and the singing voice (sustained phonation of /la:/ at minimum and maximum intensity level) were investigated. After telling a short story, habitual pitch and intensity were determined. We fixed the modal F0 and the modal SPL (for voiced as well as for both voiced and unvoiced samples) from the histograms. For the evaluation of gender/age specificity a multivariance statistical analysis was used.
sary parameter in connection with female pubertal stages and oestrogen development. Sorenson [6] 1989 analysed the habitual pitch of children aged 6 – 10 by means of a computerized frequency analyser. He found a significant lowering of the pitch of 8-year-old boys. Bo¨hme and Stuchlik [7] 1995 analysed the voice range profiles (sustained phonation /a:/ at minimum and maximum intensity level) and the habitual pitch (by counting from 1 to 20) of children from 5 to 14 years. The pitch was determined auditively, the intensity by using a B&K sound level meter. The authors found changes of the parameter pitch (F0) between the age of 5 to 7 and after the age of 11 for both sexes. Concerning the parameter intensity (dBA, slow) it was found that boys between 5 and 12 years sang 2 – 8 dB louder than girls. Tha aim of this study was to get an insight into the complicated voice development of the children before the dramatic pubertal changes, by using not yet examined voice parameters such as habitual intensity, pitch and intensity of the shouting voice.
3. Results The results are summarized in Table 1 (girls) and Table 2 (boys). The girls and boys were aged between 4 and 12 years. By means of a multivariance statistical analysis it was found that some voice parameters were
2. Methods Voice range profile (VRP) measurement was used for to evaluate the vocal capabilities of 180 Table 1 Girlsa Age (years)
Speaking voice range Habitual pitch (modal) Intensity range Habitual intensity voiced samples (modal) Habitual intensity all samples (modal) Shouting voice highest pitch Highest intensity Singing voice range Intensity range
a
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
A3 E4 C4 53 79 65 65 Cis5 100 Ais3 D5 51 92
Ais3 F4 D4 53 82 65 65 Cis5 101 Ais3 Fis5 52 93
Ais3 E4 C4 52 82 63 62 H4 98 Ais3 Gis5 51 93
A3 F4 Cis4 52 83 64 64 D5 101 A3 Gis5 52 94
G3 Dis4 H3 53 82 65 64 C5 101 G3 A5 53 96
Gis3 Dis4 C4 51 82 65 65 D5 106 G3 Ais5 52 100
Gis3 Dis4 H3 51 80 64 64 H4 98 G3 H5 51 91
Fis3 Dis4 H3
G3 Dis4 H3 51 80 63 63 Ais3 95 G3 C6 51 91
Pitch is given in American notation (A4 = 440 Hz) and intensity in dB (lin).
83 65 63 H4 97 Fis3 Ais5 50 90
T. Hacki, S. Heitmu¨ller / Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 49 (1999) S141 – S144
S143
Table 2 Boysa Age (years)
Speaking voice range Habitual pitch (modal) Intensity range Habitual intensity voiced samples (modal) Habitual intensity all samples (modal) Shouting voice highest pitch Highest intensity Singing voice range Intensity range
a
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
A3 E4 Cis4 53 80 66 65 C5 95 Ais3 D5 54 95
A3 E4 C4 52 80 64 61 C5 99 A3 F5 53 94
Ais3 F4 Cis4 52 85 66 65 Cis5 101 A3 A5 54 101
A3 Fis4 Cis4 52 85 63 62 D5 106 A3 Gis5 51 99
Gis3 E4 C4 56 86 68 67 C5 103 G3 G5 54 100
Fis3 Dis4 Ais3 51 83 66 66 Cis5 107 F3 Gis5 51 100
G3 D4 H3 51 83 67 65 Ais4 100 G3 A5 51 101
G3 E4 C4 50 83 67 66 Ais4 98 Fis3 Ais5 52 93
F3 D4 Ais3 50 86 66 66 A4 101 Fis3 A5 50 96
Pitch is given in American notation (A4 = 440 Hz) and intensity in dB (lin).
gender specific, others seemed to be age specific.
3.1. Age specific, not gender specific 6oice parameters These were pitch range of the speaking voice, pitch range of the singing voice, highest pitch of the shouting voice and habitual pitch (modal). The multivariant analysis shows no gender specificity for the highest shouting pitch. This parameter lowers after the age of 10 in both sexes; however, it lies one semitone lower in boys than in girls. Between the ages of 11 and 12 the pitch lowers one semitone more in both sexes. We judge these phenomena to be one of the first signs of the beginning of the mutation.
3.2. Only gender specific 6oice parameters Habitual intensity (voiced samples) for boys was 66 dB, 2 dB higher than in girls. Maximum speaking voice intensity in boys was 81 dB, 2 dB louder than in girls.
3.3. Only age specific 6oice parameters This was found to be minimum speaking voice
intensity. In children of 8 years, soft speaking voice intensity is restricted.
3.4. Age and gender specific 6oice parameters These were the intensity of the shouting voice and the maximum intensity of the singing voice.
3.5. Neither age nor gender specific 6oice parameters This category contained habitual intensity (voiced and unvoiced samples together).
4. Conclusions
4.1. Speaking 6oice The results show that vocal capabilities grow with advancing age, but not continuously. The lowering of the habitual pitch of the speaking voice as well as of the entire speaking pitch range occurs for girls at the age of 7–8, for boys at age 8–9. These findings differ from the results of Bo¨hme and Stuchlik [7], who found the habitual pitch unchanged between the ages 7 to 11. On the other hand, Sorenson [6]
S144
T. Hacki, S. Heitmu¨ller / Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 49 (1999) S141 – S144
observes a lowering of pitch for boys at the age of 8; this is 1 year earlier than our findings. A temporary restriction of the minimum vocal intensity of the speaking voice (the ability to speak softly) occurs for both girls and boys at the age of 8. After the continuous increase of the maximum speech intensity from the age of 4, it drops at ages between 7 and 8 in girls, and at between 8 and 9 in boys.
4.2. Shouting 6oice A temporary decrease of the shouting voice intensity occurs among boys at the age of 7 – 8, but no comparable decrease is found among girls at that age. A lowering of the pitch as well as of the intensity of the shouting voice occurs for both sexes from the age of 10.
creases from the tenth year in girls; in boys it increases up to the tenth year and decreases from the eleventh year. In accordance with the results of Bo¨hme and Suchlik, at each age the boys reach a higher intensity. In contrast to the earlier opinion, we note for girls a stage of premutation between the ages of 7 and 8 years with by far the same changes as for boys, but 1 year advanced. The beginning, the first signs of the mutation can be fixed at the age of 10–11 years. By using an automatic computerized pitch and intensity measurement of the voice, it is possible to register complex parameters such as habitual modal pitch and intensity, pitch and intensity of the shouting voice and to observe subtle changes in a child’s voice development.
References
4.3. Singing 6oice Concerning singing pitch we do not find significant differences between the sexes. The lowest and the highest pitch of the singing voice diverge from the age of 4 to 8; that is, the lowest pitch decreases step by step and the highest pitch increases. Between the age of 8 and 12 there is no considerable change — nearly in accordance with Bo¨hme and Stuchlik [7] (no change of the highest pitch between 7 and 12, of the lowest pitch between of 8 and 11 years). The minimum intensity of the singing voice (the ability to sing softly) shows age specificity, whereas for boys and girls at the age of 8 there can be seen a limitation. The maximum singing voice intensity is age specific as well as sex specific. It increases up to the ninth year and de-
.
[1] E. Paulsen, Untersuchung u¨ber die Tonho¨he der Sprache, Pflu¨gers Arch. Ges. Physiol. 74 (1899) 570 – 592. [2] K. Weinberg, Studie u¨ber das Stimmorgan bei Vorschulkindern, Arch. Laryngol. Rhinol. 30 (1913/14) 175 – 189. [3] G. Wirth, Stimmsto¨rungen, Deutscher-A8 rzte-Verlag, Ko¨ln, 1979. [4] F. Frank, M. Sparber, Zum stimmphysiologisch richtigen Verhalten wa¨hrend der Mutations- und Postmutationsphase, Musikerziehung 24 (1970/71) 215 – 217. [5] M.F. Pedersen, S. Moller, S. Krabbe, P. Bennett, B. Svenstrup, Fundamental voice frequency in female puberty measured with electroglottography during continuous speech as secondary sex characteristic, Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 20 (1990) 17 – 24. [6] D.N. Sorenson, A fundamental frequency investigation of children ages 6 – 10 years old, J. Commun. Disord. 22 (1989) 115 – 123. [7] G. Bo¨hme, G. Stuchlik, Voice profiles and standard voice profile of untrained children, J. Voice 9 (1995) 304 – 307.