# Intonation and timing in singing early music is unrelated to respiration synchronization

## TL;DR

This study found that breathing synchronization among singers does not improve the timing or pitch accuracy of their performances.

## Contribution

The study is the first to show that physical touch-induced respiration coupling does not enhance singing quality in professional vocal ensembles.

## Key findings

- Physical contact did not affect timing or intonation in singing performances.
- Respiration coupling did not predict better timing or pitch accuracy in most models.
- One model found higher respiration coupling slightly reduced intonation accuracy.

## Abstract

Musical ensemble performance offers a unique context for investigating complex interpersonal coordination. Hyperscanning research revealed the synchronization of physiological processes during coordinated musical interaction. In a previous study, we showed that physical touch enhanced respiratory coupling between professional singers performing together. We expand on this research by investigating whether this respiration coupling affects performance quality in terms of timing and intonation. Eight singers (two for each voice part) performed Renaissance works multiple times, both with and without physical touch. We annotated the recorded vocal tracks with precise onset times and pitch information, resulting in 64,214 tone events. We analyzed timing as mean onset deviation and intonation as mean absolute pitch deviation, both within voice groups. In contrast to the findings on respiration coupling, physical contact had no effect on timing and intonation, indicating that there is no relation between respiration coupling and singing quality. When tested directly with linear mixed effect models, respiration coupling did not predict intonation or timing in five of six models. One model showed a negative effect: higher respiration coupling decreased intonation accuracy. We conclude, in a professionally trained vocal ensemble, increased respiration coupling does not enhance singing quality.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-026-39565-6.