International Journal of Phonosurgery & Laryngology

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VOLUME 12 , ISSUE 1 ( January-June, 2022 ) > List of Articles

Original Article

A Comparative Study among Trained Hindustani Classical Singers, Untrained Singers and Non-singers through Cepstral Analysis

Sujata Mulia, Indranil Chatterjee, Sujoy K Makar, Vijaya Sinha

Keywords : Cepstrum, Hindustani classical singers, PRAAT, Singing

Citation Information : Mulia S, Chatterjee I, Makar SK, Sinha V. A Comparative Study among Trained Hindustani Classical Singers, Untrained Singers and Non-singers through Cepstral Analysis. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2022; 12 (1):5-11.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10023-1234

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 30-07-2022

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2022; The Author(s).


Abstract

Aim: The present study had the aim to obtain the cepstral measure [Cepstral peak (CP), Cepstral peak prominence (CPP), Cepstral peak prominence smoothed (CPPS)] of trained singers, untrained singers, and non-singers for the sustained vowel /a/, oral passage reading, and singing of the national anthem. Materials and methods: A total of 180 normal-speaking adults within the age range of 20–45 years were considered for the study, and they were divided into three groups: trained Hindustani classical singers (30 males and 30 females), untrained singers (30 males and 30 females), non-singers (30 males and 30 females). The subjects were screened for speech, language, and hearing defects or any other abnormalities. They were asked to undergo three tasks: sustained vowel /a/, oral passage reading, and singing task. Recordings were done, and then acoustic (cepstral) analyses were done through PRAAT software. Statistical analyses were done for the analyzed data. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 16.0 was used. Results: Significant differences were obtained at p < 0.05 between the genders (male and female) for different tasks and different cepstral parameters. Trained singers were found to have greater means than untrained singers and non-singers. Female participants were found to have a greater mean than the male participants. Significant differences were obtained for CPPS measures in sustained vowel tasks. For oral passage reading, trained singers and non-singers have significant differences for CP measure, no significant difference between trained singers, untrained singers, and non-singers were observed for CPP, and significant differences between non-singers and untrained singers, trained singers and untrained singers were found for CPPS measure. Conclusion: From the present study, it can be concluded that the Hindustani classical trained singers have better harmonic organization and periodicity in their voices when compared with untrained singers and non-singers. Clinical significance: This study provides an insight into the acoustical measure through cepstral analysis of Hindustani classical trained singers when compared to untrained singers and non-singers, which will provide a base for the disordered singing population.


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