The physiology of oral whistling: A combined radiographic and MRI analysis

Alba Azola, Jeffrey Palmer, Rachel Mulheren, Riccardo Hofer, Florian Fischmeister, W. Tecumseh Fitch

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Experimental models support the hypothesis that the sound in human whistling is generated by a Helmholtz resonator, suggesting that the oral cavity acts as a resonant chamber bounded by two orifices, posteriorly by raising the tongue to the hard palate, and anteriorly by pursed lips (Henrywood RH, Agarwal A. Phys Fluids 25: 107101, 2013). However, the detailed anatomical changes in the vocal tract and their relation to the frequencies generated have not been described in the literature. In this study, videofluoroscopic and simultaneous audio recordings were made of subjects whistling with the bilabial (i.e., "puckered lip") technique. One whistling subject was also recorded, using magnetic resonance imaging. As predicted by theory, the frequency of sound generated decreased as the size of the resonant cavity increased; this relationship was preserved throughout various whistling tasks and was consistent across subjects. Changes in the size of the resonant cavity were primarily modulated by tongue position rather than jaw opening and closing. Additionally, when highfrequency notes were produced, lateral chambers formed in the buccal space. These results provide the first dynamic anatomical evidence concerning the acoustic production of human whistling.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)34-39
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of applied physiology
Volume124
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2018

Keywords

  • Acoustics
  • Aerodynamic whistle
  • Magnetic resonance imaging
  • Radiography
  • Whistling

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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