Pitch change depends only on fold tension and vibrating mass adjustments.

Evidence

Vocal fold vibration in a healthy larynx is a cyclic sequence in which the vocal folds close and open regularly when a note is being sung. Thus the vocal folds of a soprano singing A4 (f0 = 440.0 Hz) will complete this vocal fold closing and opening sequence 440 times a second. Singers have two methods by which they can change the f0 of vocal fold vibration: they alter the stiffness of the folds themselves by changing the tension of the fold muscle tissue or by altering the vibrating mass by supporting an equal portion of each fold in an immobile position. Adjustments of the physical properties of the folds themselves allow many trained singers to sing over a pitch range of well over two octaves. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1324

Categorization

Category: Causal Relationships

• CANDY: A soprano’s vocal folds snapping shut 440 times per second is a vivid, shareable image.
• QUESTION: Worth chasing: how does the fold-mass method relate to register changes like chest vs falsetto?

Related

• Vocal pitch is controlled through fold tension and vibrating mass (similarity 0.95)
• Singers change vocal pitch only via fold stiffness and vibrating mass (similarity 0.95)
• Different voice qualities result from distinct vocal fold modes (similarity 0.83)
• Vocal fold oscillation frequency is predictable without invoking aerodynamic forces (similarity 0.82)
• Vocal fold pulses produce harmonics falling 12 dB per octave (similarity 0.81)
• The vocal folds vibrate via pressure changes from curved airflow, not the Bernoulli effect (similarity 0.81)
• Pitch shifting can alter pitch without changing spectral character. (similarity 0.78)
• Vocal fold waveform shape with rich harmonics is what makes speech possible (similarity 0.78)