Synchronization analysis of choir singing

Synchronization plays an essential role in choir singing. Fundamental frequencies of the singing voices should satisfy a rational frequency relationship to produce harmony. The present study attempts to clarify basic properties of synchronization that may influence the chorus quality. As the key features of synchronization, frequency mismatch and timing mismatch were considered. Combining the synthesis technique of choir singing, which can precisely control the detailed frequency structure of the singing voice, with psychoacoustic experiment, criterions were obtained to roughly discriminate good choruses from bad ones. To examine the reliability of the psychoacoustic experiment, acoustic analysis of the singing voices in real chorus was further carried out.