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Do Black Voices Sound Different Than White Voices?
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Bruce
Jun 21, 2016, 2:19:27 PM6/21/16
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https://www.quora.com/Why-does-an-African-American-persons-voice-have-a-different-timbre-from-a-Caucasian-voice
Why does an African American person's voice have a different timbre from a Caucasian voice?
What is physically different to cause a different quality to the speaking/singing voice?
Size/thickness of vocal chords/folds-Since the air must pass through the folds in order to make a sound,the shape and thickness of the folds determines quality of voice as well as range and vocal type. A soprano and an alto singing the same note will have different timbres-the soprano A above middle C for example, will not be as heavy sounding as the mezzo singing that same A, and a tenor singing that same note will have a different sound as well. Lower voices tend to have thicker folds than higher voices, and men have thicker folds than women. Thinner folds means that the chords are able to vibrate faster-thus producing higher pitches. Thicker folds cannot vibrate as fast, which means an ability to produce lower pitches easier than higher voices.
Size of the neck/head (the laryngeal/pharyngeal tract)- The size of the area where the air travels from the lungs to the mouth area impacts the sound of the voice. The head and neck are resonators-places where the sound vibrates and projects. The size of the resonators impacts the way the voice sounds.
Shape of the head/neck/jaw-Shape of the head and mouth and neck are also factors in deterimining how the voice will sound. Different shapes of these areas means the voice will resonate in a different way with different people.
Cultural speech factors-Differences in speech, pronunciation of words, accents, etc, also play a role in how lyrics are sung.
So, it's not so much race as it is physical makeup of people. However, generally, African-American people appear to be physically bigger than Caucasians, and have different head and neck shapes, so it would follow that any differences between the two races would be more because of this rather than due to the fact that one is black and one white. If you listen to two opera singers who are the same voice type or fach, one black and one white, you cannot really detect any difference between their voice timbre that can be solely ascribe to race.
Why does an African American person's voice have a different timbre from a Caucasian voice?
What is physically different to cause a different quality to the speaking/singing voice?
Size/thickness of vocal chords/folds-Since the air must pass through the folds in order to make a sound,the shape and thickness of the folds determines quality of voice as well as range and vocal type. A soprano and an alto singing the same note will have different timbres-the soprano A above middle C for example, will not be as heavy sounding as the mezzo singing that same A, and a tenor singing that same note will have a different sound as well. Lower voices tend to have thicker folds than higher voices, and men have thicker folds than women. Thinner folds means that the chords are able to vibrate faster-thus producing higher pitches. Thicker folds cannot vibrate as fast, which means an ability to produce lower pitches easier than higher voices.
Size of the neck/head (the laryngeal/pharyngeal tract)- The size of the area where the air travels from the lungs to the mouth area impacts the sound of the voice. The head and neck are resonators-places where the sound vibrates and projects. The size of the resonators impacts the way the voice sounds.
Shape of the head/neck/jaw-Shape of the head and mouth and neck are also factors in deterimining how the voice will sound. Different shapes of these areas means the voice will resonate in a different way with different people.
Cultural speech factors-Differences in speech, pronunciation of words, accents, etc, also play a role in how lyrics are sung.
So, it's not so much race as it is physical makeup of people. However, generally, African-American people appear to be physically bigger than Caucasians, and have different head and neck shapes, so it would follow that any differences between the two races would be more because of this rather than due to the fact that one is black and one white. If you listen to two opera singers who are the same voice type or fach, one black and one white, you cannot really detect any difference between their voice timbre that can be solely ascribe to race.
Marcus
Jun 21, 2016, 3:05:49 PM6/21/16
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Bruce
Jun 21, 2016, 3:37:49 PM6/21/16
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Mrs Charlie
Jun 21, 2016, 5:34:00 PM6/21/16
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Marcus
Jun 21, 2016, 8:48:27 PM6/21/16
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M C hammtard
Jun 22, 2016, 12:15:03 PM6/22/16
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whitey hood in conneticunt.
All dat jewboy did was massabate to Johnny Lenin pictyahs while singing
yellow submarine.
Bruce
Jun 22, 2016, 12:27:36 PM6/22/16
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On Wednesday, June 22, 2016 at 12:15:03 PM UTC-4, M C hammtard wrote:
>
> Dere be nuthin' mo' boring dan readin' 'bout marXus' growan up in da
> whitey hood in conneticunt.
>
> All dat jewboy did was massabate to Johnny Lenin pictyahs while singing
> yellow submarine.
Ken you maljin if marXus grew up in yoo nabahood?
>
> Dere be nuthin' mo' boring dan readin' 'bout marXus' growan up in da
> whitey hood in conneticunt.
>
> All dat jewboy did was massabate to Johnny Lenin pictyahs while singing
> yellow submarine.
He wood havv be gittin hiz asss keeked evy damm dae.
M C hammtard
Jun 22, 2016, 4:09:12 PM6/22/16
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hatin' whitey because even dem suburban honkeys couldn't stand dat
beyotch and all his preechin'. He be a big poosay who be gettin' bitch
slapped by all dem white boyz. Nobody be likin' dat slobtardler.
Bruce
Jun 22, 2016, 4:16:12 PM6/22/16
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zippl...@gmail.com
Jun 22, 2016, 4:58:31 PM6/22/16
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of the time, (or 98) you can tell a black voice from a white voice, though I've
been surprised more than once.
Nil
Jun 22, 2016, 5:15:04 PM6/22/16
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On 22 Jun 2016, zippl...@gmail.com wrote in rec.music.beatles:
> I probably should have snipped most of this. It's just my opinion
> that 99 percent of the time, (or 98) you can tell a black voice
> from a white voice, though I've been surprised more than once.
I'd say you're reacting to a "black" accent or dialect, not the
> I probably should have snipped most of this. It's just my opinion
> that 99 percent of the time, (or 98) you can tell a black voice
> from a white voice, though I've been surprised more than once.
voice itself. Not the same thing. There is no black voice - the
physical equipment for speaking is heterogeneous among and within
races, but there are stereotypical black cultural ways of speaking
that most people will recognize.
Here's an interesting podcast discussion about the topic:
http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/lexicon_valley/2016/05/blaccent_is_there_such_a_thing_as_sounding_black.html
zippl...@gmail.com
Jun 22, 2016, 5:20:55 PM6/22/16
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On Wednesday, June 22, 2016 at 4:15:04 PM UTC-5, Nil wrote:
> On 22 Jun 2016, zippl...@gmail.com wrote in rec.music.beatles:
>
> > I probably should have snipped most of this. It's just my opinion
> > that 99 percent of the time, (or 98) you can tell a black voice
> > from a white voice, though I've been surprised more than once.
>
> I'd say you're reacting to a "black" accent or dialect, not the
> voice itself. Not the same thing. There is no black voice - the
> physical equipment for speaking is heterogeneous among and within
> races, but there are stereotypical black cultural ways of speaking
> that most people will recognize.
I was talking more about singing if that makes any difference?
> On 22 Jun 2016, zippl...@gmail.com wrote in rec.music.beatles:
>
> > I probably should have snipped most of this. It's just my opinion
> > that 99 percent of the time, (or 98) you can tell a black voice
> > from a white voice, though I've been surprised more than once.
>
> I'd say you're reacting to a "black" accent or dialect, not the
> voice itself. Not the same thing. There is no black voice - the
> physical equipment for speaking is heterogeneous among and within
> races, but there are stereotypical black cultural ways of speaking
> that most people will recognize.
Thanks for the link.
poisoned rose
Jun 22, 2016, 5:23:44 PM6/22/16
to
zippl...@gmail.com wrote:
> I probably should have snipped most of this. It's just my opinion that 99
> percent
> of the time, (or 98) you can tell a black voice from a white voice, though
> I've been surprised more than once.
A wizened man has explained that there is no inherent difference between
> I probably should have snipped most of this. It's just my opinion that 99
> percent
> of the time, (or 98) you can tell a black voice from a white voice, though
> I've been surprised more than once.
black and white music. A piece of music's "color" is only determined by
which race dominates its fanbase. Except the fanbase has to be large
enough to generate sizeable concert audiences or land the music on a
Billboard chart, otherwise the music remains a colorless enigma.
The Arranger
Jun 24, 2016, 7:54:16 PM6/24/16
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poisoned rose
Jun 24, 2016, 8:42:14 PM6/24/16
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The Arranger <recu...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > A wizened man has explained that there is no inherent difference between
> > black and white music. A piece of music's "color" is only determined by
> > which race dominates its fanbase. Except the fanbase has to be large
> > enough to generate sizeable concert audiences or land the music on a
> > Billboard chart, otherwise the music remains a colorless enigma.
>
> "Wizened"?
I don't choose words by mistake.
> > A wizened man has explained that there is no inherent difference between
> > black and white music. A piece of music's "color" is only determined by
> > which race dominates its fanbase. Except the fanbase has to be large
> > enough to generate sizeable concert audiences or land the music on a
> > Billboard chart, otherwise the music remains a colorless enigma.
>
> "Wizened"?
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