Vocal fry more common in men than women, study finds
▼ Summary
– Vocal fry is a low-pitch speech pattern, often associated with young women, with Britney Spears as a famous example.
– Jeanne Brown’s research at McGill University found vocal fry is actually more common in men than women, contradicting the gender stereotype.
– Vocal fry occurs when vocal cords slacken, causing irregular vibration and low frequencies around 70 Hz.
– John Nix’s earlier research concluded pop singers like Spears use vocal fry to enhance expressiveness and convey raw emotion.
– Vocal fry is not limited to female singers; male artists like Justin Bieber and Tim Storms have also used it.
A familiar vocal pattern long associated with young women may not actually be as gender-specific as once thought. Vocal fry, also known as “creaky voice,” involves a noticeable drop in pitch, often at the end of sentences. Pop icon Britney Spears famously employed it in her 1998 hit “Hit Me Baby (One More Time),” cementing the stereotype that this speech trait is predominantly female.
However, new research suggests that stereotype may be misleading. Jeanne Brown, a graduate student at McGill University, presented experimental findings at this week’s meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Philadelphia. Her study indicates that vocal fry is actually more common in men than in women. According to Brown, the perception that it stands out more in young women is what creates the widespread misconception.
To understand the mechanics, vocal fry represents the lowest of the human vocal registers, sitting below the modal, falsetto, and whistle registers. It occurs when the vocal cords slacken, causing irregular vibration. This results in an audible cracking or rattling sound as air escapes in spurts. The phenomenon is characterized by very low fundamental frequencies, typically around 70 Hz, which is near the lower threshold of human hearing at 20 Hz.
A decade ago, I covered research by John Nix, a voice professor at the University of Texas, San Antonio. He concluded that singers like Spears, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga use vocal fry in pop music to boost expressiveness. “Unamplified styles, such as classical music, tend to disguise effort and express emotion in more subtle ways,” Nix explained at the time. “Amplified styles, such as popular music, tend to display effort as something genuine, intimate, raw, exciting, and emotional. Fry may be one way to communicate such effort, or honest, raw emotions.” Notably, vocal fry is not exclusive to female vocalists. Male artists like Justin Bieber, Tim Storms (who holds the world record for the lowest note produced by a human), and gospel bassists such as Mike Holcomb have also incorporated the technique into their singing.
(Source: Ars Technica)