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Spectro-temporal acoustical markers differentiate speech from song across cultures

Author

Listed:
  • Philippe Albouy

    (Laval University
    Music and Sound Research (BRAMS)
    Language and Music and Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music, Media, and Technology)

  • Samuel A. Mehr

    (Music and Sound Research (BRAMS)
    University of Auckland
    Yale University)

  • Roxane S. Hoyer

    (Laval University)

  • Jérémie Ginzburg

    (Laval University
    CNRS, UMR5292, INSERM, U1028 - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1
    Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University)

  • Yi Du

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Robert J. Zatorre

    (Music and Sound Research (BRAMS)
    Language and Music and Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music, Media, and Technology
    Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University)

Abstract

Humans produce two forms of cognitively complex vocalizations: speech and song. It is debated whether these differ based primarily on culturally specific, learned features, or if acoustical features can reliably distinguish them. We study the spectro-temporal modulation patterns of vocalizations produced by 369 people living in 21 urban, rural, and small-scale societies across six continents. Specific ranges of spectral and temporal modulations, overlapping within categories and across societies, significantly differentiate speech from song. Machine-learning classification shows that this effect is cross-culturally robust, vocalizations being reliably classified solely from their spectro-temporal features across all 21 societies. Listeners unfamiliar with the cultures classify these vocalizations using similar spectro-temporal cues as the machine learning algorithm. Finally, spectro-temporal features are better able to discriminate song from speech than a broad range of other acoustical variables, suggesting that spectro-temporal modulation—a key feature of auditory neuronal tuning—accounts for a fundamental difference between these categories.

Suggested Citation

  • Philippe Albouy & Samuel A. Mehr & Roxane S. Hoyer & Jérémie Ginzburg & Yi Du & Robert J. Zatorre, 2024. "Spectro-temporal acoustical markers differentiate speech from song across cultures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-49040-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49040-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Courtney B. Hilton & Cody J. Moser & Mila Bertolo & Harry Lee-Rubin & Dorsa Amir & Constance M. Bainbridge & Jan Simson & Dean Knox & Luke Glowacki & Elias Alemu & Andrzej Galbarczyk & Grazyna Jasiens, 2022. "Acoustic regularities in infant-directed speech and song across cultures," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 6(11), pages 1545-1556, November.
    2. Evan C. Smith & Michael S. Lewicki, 2006. "Efficient auditory coding," Nature, Nature, vol. 439(7079), pages 978-982, February.
    3. Adeen Flinker & Werner K. Doyle & Ashesh D. Mehta & Orrin Devinsky & David Poeppel, 2019. "Spectrotemporal modulation provides a unifying framework for auditory cortical asymmetries," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 3(4), pages 393-405, April.
    4. Robert J Zatorre & Shari R Baum, 2012. "Musical Melody and Speech Intonation: Singing a Different Tune?," Working Papers id:5079, eSocialSciences.
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