The Transient Theory of Human Voice Production with Dr Julian Chen
Sunday 16th April 2023, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
This event is free-to-attend as part of our World Voice Day celebrations.
In 1957, French physiologist Philippe Fabre invented the electroglottograph, which can accurately determine the closing and opening instants of the glottis in vivo. In 1984, Donald Miller and Harm Schutte further placed two pressure sensors immediately above and below the glottis, measured the air pressures across the glottis.
This experimental evidence enabled a scientific understanding of human voice production.
And so a refined version of the transient theory of human voice production, the timbron theory, initially proposed by Leonhard Euler in 1727, is established. In this lecture, experimental output and the timbron theory of human voice production are presented in an easy to understand graphical format.
Content:
According to that theory, the time between two adjacent glottal closing instants accurately defines the pitch period, and the sound waveform in each pitch period contains full information on the timbre. A method of extracting glottal closing instants from sound waves and a graphical display, the pitch-synchronous spectrogram, are presented.
Among the samples of human voice, the sound recordings of Luciano Pavarotti are analyzed. Some characteristics of the master singer are shown, and hints of how to improve the quality and volume of voice are presented.
Finally, the theory and parametrization method for human voice developed in early 20th century, the source-filter theory and linear prediction coefficients (LPC), are outlined.
Comparing with the more accurate timbron theory and pitch-synchronous parametrization method, the deficiencies of the source-filter theory and the LPC method are discussed.
Dr Julian Chen
Julian Chen received a PhD in Physics from Columbia University in 1985, then joined IBM Research Division as a Research Staff Member...
World Voice Day
World Voice Day takes place on 16th April annually. It is acknowledged across the globe, with the main goal being to increase awareness of voice and voice issues.
Sorry, this is an archived short course...
We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.
Tuesday 5th August 2025
1:00 PM - 12:00 PM
Tuesday 12th August 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday 19th August 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday 26th August 2025
1:00 PM - 12:00 PM
Tuesday 2nd September 2025
1:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday 9th September 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday 16th September 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday 23rd September 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
(London Time)
Certificate in Acting Approaches for Singing Teachers
Louisa Morgan
Are you a singing teacher looking to elevate your students’ performances? Join our very own Louisa Morgan, as she takes a deeper dive into acting approaches that singing teachers can use to integrate powerful acting techniques into singing lessons. This 8 session course is perfect for those who want to help their singers connect deeply with the story behind the song. Gain practical tools and techniques that you can immediately apply in your teaching! Come along live for an interactive experience, or watch on playback at your leisure.
Tuesday 16th September 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
The Science Underlying Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Exercises (SOVT)
Dr Ingo Titze
Karin Titze Cox
Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises have a long history. Humans and animals have discovered that aerodynamic and acoustic pressures above the larynx can position the vocal folds for better self-sustained oscillation. Join Dr Ingo Titze and Karin Titze Cox as they unpick this fascinating topic!
Thursday 18th September 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
The Cannabis Question: What Voice Practitioners Need to Know!
Dr Dann Mitton
As cannabis use has become more common, socially accepted, and legalized, voice professionals are increasingly fielding questions about its effects. This two-hour session with Dr Dann Mitton offers a clear, research-informed overview of what we currently know about cannabis and the singing voice. The session is built around real-world questions voice teachers and singers are asking: Does smoking cannabis dry out the vocal folds? Is vaping safer than smoking? What should I know if my student uses cannabis for anxiety or pain? Could some voice types be more at risk than others?