higher altitude, higher voice?

[javasaurus]

OK, we all know that if you inhale a bit of helium, the pitch of your voice goes up. Many of us also know that other gases can have similar or even opposite effects on your voice -- YouTube has a video showing a guy breathing sulfer hexaflouride (clicky to see the guy) to get a deep bass voice.

Now, my question is this: when travelling to significantly higher or lower altitudes (like the Alps or the Netherlands), does our pitch range change? Do professional singers have trouble showing off their extremes in different climates? What about being in the same place when a hurricane is coming through (and the related change in barometric pressure)?

Comments

[dawntreader]

i do know that the oxygen ratio can be a factor in cities like Denver so that the Valjean has trouble with pitch and breath in the opening night of a production of Les Mis. so much so, that it throws him off for the entire performance. *g*

it also affects athletes. there are athletes that train in higher altitudes in the Rockies where there is lower oxygen so that when they travel to low altitudes, they have PLENTY of oxygen and therefore plenty of stamina.