Real-tiime magnetic resonance imaging of the upper airways during harmonica pitch bends Free

Skilled harmonica players learn to bend the pitch of certain notes by a semitone or more, especially in blues playing, by adjusting the shape of their vocal tract [Bahnson, et al., J. Acoust. Soc. 103, 2134 (2008)]. The changes of the vocal tract have been partially viewed with endoscopy and ultrasound but are still incompletely understood. While in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, a professional harmonica player using nonmagnetic, MRI-compatible diatonic harmonicas played draw and blow notes in both unbent and bent positions. Three-dimensional static and 2-dimensional real-time magnetic resonance images of the upper airway were recorded in the sagittal and coronal planes. We identified and characterized the static and dynamic changes that facilitated pitch bends for low and high notes with specific attention to tongue positioning, tongue morphology, and airway shape. Deliberate changes in the tongue shape are often accompanied by changes in other parts of the vocal tract such as the pharynx.