scholarly journals Characterizing prototypical musical instrument timbres with Timbre Trait Profiles

2021 ◽  
pp. 102986492110015
Author(s):  
Lindsey Reymore

This paper offers a series of characterizations of prototypical musical timbres, called Timbre Trait Profiles, for 34 musical instruments common in Western orchestras and wind ensembles. These profiles represent the results of a study in which 243 musician participants imagined the sounds of various instruments and used the 20-dimensional model of musical instrument timbre qualia proposed by Reymore and Huron (2020) to rate their auditory image of each instrument. The rating means are visualized through radar plots, which provide timbral-linguistic thumbprints, and are summarized through snapshot profiles, which catalog the six highest- and three lowest-rated descriptors. The Euclidean distances among instruments offer a quantitative operationalization of semantic distances; these distances are illustrated through hierarchical clustering and multidimensional scaling. Exploratory Factor Analysis is used to analyze the latent structure of the rating data. Finally, results are used to assess Reymore and Huron’s 20-dimensional timbre qualia model, suggesting that the model is highly reliable. It is anticipated that the Timbre Trait Profiles can be applied in future perceptual/cognitive research on timbre and orchestration, in music theoretical analysis for both close readings and corpus studies, and in orchestration pedagogy.

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-38
Author(s):  
Joyanta Sarkar ◽  
Anil Rai

"Meghalaya is a richly inhabited Indian state. Drums, flutes of bamboo and hand-held small cymbals are a common ensemble. The advent of Christianity in the middle of the 20th century marked the start of a decline in tribal popular music. Over time, Meghalaya’s music scene has evolved, attracting many talented artists and bands from both traditional and not-so traditional genres. Any of the most recent Meghalaya musicians and bands is: The Plague Throat, Kerios Wahlang, Cryptographik Street Poets, etc., Soulmate, Lou Majaw, and Snow White. Meghalaya’s music is characterised by traditional instruments and folk songs. The Musical Instruments of Meghalaya are made from local materials. Meghalayan people honour powerful natural forces and aim to pacify animistic spirits and local gods. The instruments are made of bamboo, flesh, wood, and animal horn. Any one of these musical instruments is considered to have the ability to offer material benefits. The Meghalaya musical instrument is an essential part of traditional folk music in the region. In this article, we offer an overview of the folk musical instruments of Meghalaya. Keywords: Idiophone, Aerophone, Chordophone, Membranophone, Trumpet. "


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 1511-1523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antreas Kantaros ◽  
Olaf Diegel

Purpose This paper aims to discuss additive manufacturing (AM) in the context of applications for musical instruments. It examines the main AM technologies used in musical instruments, goes through a history of musical applications of AM and raises the questions about the application of AM to create completely new wind instruments that would be impossible to produce with conventional manufacturing. Design/methodology/approach A literature research is presented which covers a historical application of AM to musical instruments and hypothesizes on some potential new applications. Findings AM has found extensive application to create conventional musical instruments with unique aesthetics designs. It’s true potential to create entirely new sounds, however, remains largely untapped. Research limitations/implications More research is needed to truly assess the potential of additive manufacturing to create entirely new sounds for musical instrument. Practical implications The application of AM in music could herald an entirely new class of musical instruments with unique sounds. Originality/value This study highlights musical instruments as an unusual application of AM. It highlights the potential of AM to create entirely new sounds, which could create a whole new class of musical instruments.


2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos V. Araújo ◽  
Christopher F. Hein

This study explored advanced musicians’ dispositions to flow in musical practice. A total of 168 classically trained musicians answered a questionnaire assessing their proneness for flow experience during musical practice and associations between flow and demographic factors, practice routines and musical instruments. Dispositions to flow in musical practice did not vary across musical instrument groups, age or gender. Positive associations were found between daily practice time and flow, suggesting that flow may contribute to engagement with daily practice. Negative associations between music practice experience and loss of self-consciousness and challenge–skill balance were found, suggesting that even among experts the level of task complexity during practice may affect perceptions of competence. While six individual flow indicators were frequently experienced, three indicators were much less experienced, pointing to the existence of another similar relevant experience in the practice of expert performers, named as optimal practice experience. The article finishes with implications regarding the benefits of flow for teaching and learning practices.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-233
Author(s):  
Ari Patma Sari ◽  
Dwi Prasetiyawati Diyah Hariyanti ◽  
Purwadi Purwadi

Musical intelligence is musical intelligence which is characterized by a person's ability in the field of music, both sensitivity and mastery of tones, rhythms, rhythm patterns, instruments, and musical expressions, so that a person can play musical instruments or sing songs. This study aims to analyze the musical intelligence of early childhood with angklung musical instruments in Hidayatullah Islamic Kindergarten Semarang. The benefit of this research is knowing how to apply the angklung musical instrument correctly so that it can develop children's musical intelligence. The method used is descriptive qualitative research with data collection methods, namely observation, interviews, and documentation. Based on the results of research that has been done that the activity of playing angklung musical instruments can play an active role in stimulating children's musical intelligence. This can be seen when playing angklung musical instruments, children have skills in playing angklung musical instruments, the ability to adjust the tempo, adjust the tone, adjust the rhythm/rhythm, and the ability to sing short songs with the right rhythm. The results of the study showed that the musical intelligence of children in group B of Hidayatullah Islamic Kindergarten Semarang through playing the angklung musical instrument developed as expected.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Dian Novita Sari ◽  
Desriyeni Desriyeni

Abstract The writing of this paper aims to (1) find out the classification of Minangkabau traditional musical instruments; (2) knowing the process of classifying Minangkabau traditional musical instruments; (3) knowing the obstacles and efforts to overcome obstacles in the process of classifying Minangkabau traditional musical instruments. Writing this paper using descriptive research methods. Data was collected based on observations and interviews from various sources. Based on the results of the study it can be concluded as follows, first classifying the traditional Minangkabau musical instrument the first step taken is data collection and data compilation. Then classify musical instruments based on the types of musical instruments which are divided into five, namely striking, blowing, striking, picking and pressing musical instruments, but there are only four types of musical instruments in Minangkabau, namely striking, blowing, striking and picking instruments. The types of musical instruments are classified according to the guidelines on DDC (dewey decimal classification). The two processes of classifying traditional musical instruments have several parts, as follows: (1) Dewey's classification; (2) Determine the Main Class; (3) Determine Divisions; (4) Determine the Section. The three obstacles in the process of classifying traditional Minangkabau musical instruments are as follows: (1) lack of information regarding musical instruments in the Minangkabau Region including the area of origin of the musical instruments; (2) the difficulty of grouping musical instruments based on the type of musical instrument, because many names of musical instruments are almost the same. Efforts to overcome obstacles in the process of classifying Minangkabau traditional musical instruments are as follows: (1) conducting the process of collecting all data derived from several literatures and institutions that store traditional Minangkabau musical instruments; (2) pay close attention to musical instruments to be grouped according to the type of music.Keywords: classification; traditional musical instruments; minangkabau


Author(s):  
O. Shykyrynska

The article deals with the musical space of the artistic heritage of J. Bunyan and H. Skovoroda that has many common features. The general place in the heritage of both writers is reference to solemn church or angelic singing, accompanying the scenes of triumph of the heroes. There are numerous quotations from the Bible psalms, that both writers mastered perfectly. Outplaying of the mythologemes “a man as a musical instrument” and “a world as a musical instrument” became common for both authors. Musical code is expressed in comparison with man’s features and musical sounds; assimilation of the world with a musical instrument, desire to hear “the music of spheres”. The comparison of a man’s emotional impulse with the sounds of musical instruments reveals willingness of the man of the Baroque age for the search of correspondence and for the synthesis of arts in a broad sense. Music as an art differs in the ability to reveal symbols by means of a sound, having a significant influence on the recipient. The analysis of musical component of H. Skovoroda and J. Bunyan’s work demonstrates its precise orientation on musicalisation of writers’ discourse. In the meantime musical theme is represented much wider in Skovoroda’s work than in the work of the English writer. The article introduces J. Bunyan and H. Skovoroda as bright representatives of national variants of baroque aesthetics.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-11
Author(s):  
Rully Aprilia Zandra ◽  
Rustopo Rustopo

Keroncong merupakan musik, instrumen musik, dan genre yang diklaim sebagai warisan budaya indonesia. Keroncong sebagai warisan budaya tentunya memiliki sejarah yang panjang.sejarah yang panjang juga tidak akan luput dari pasang surut dan perkembangan. Pasang surut dan perkembangan umumnya dipengaruhi politik dan situasi sosial. Untuk memetakan sejarah keroncong di Indonesia yang diwarnai politik dan situasi sosial, data dikumpulkan melalui dokumentasi, telaah pustaka, dan wawancara. Data valid dikonfirmasi dan dipaparkan secara kronologis berdasar periodesasinya. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa keroncong bermula dari diseminasi instrumen musik bangsa Portugis yang menjalin hubungan dengan Majapahit. Diseminasi instrumen fado di nusantara mengalami perubahan morfologi dan teknik perlakuan alatnya. Perubahan morfologi dan perlakuan alat ini melahirkan instrumen keroncong atau cukulele. Gaya lirik dibangun oleh kearifan lokal nusantara sesuai demografi dan situasi sosial di masing-masing lokasi penciptaannya. Gaya lirik dan pasang surut popularitas keroncong sebagai kelompok musik didorong dan dihentikan oleh naik turunnya kekuatan politik Portugis, Majapahit, Belanda, Jepang, dan Orde Lama dan Orde Baru. Political and Social Situations in the History of Keroncong in IndonesiaAbstract:Keroncong is music, musical instrument, and the genre that is claimed to be Indonesia's cultural heritage. Keroncong, as a cultural heritage, certainly has a long history. A long history will not escape its ups and downs and developments. Political and social situations generally influence the ups and downs and developments. In order to map the history of keroncong in Indonesia, which is colored by politics and social situations, data is collected through documentation, literature review, and interviews. Valid data are confirmed and presented chronologically based on the periodization. The results of this study indicate that keroncong originated from the dissemination of Portuguese musical instruments, which had a relationship with Majapahit. The dissemination of fado instruments in the archipelago has changed the morphology and treatment techniques of the tools. Changes in the morphology and treatment of this tool gave birth to the keroncong or Cukulele instrument. The local wisdom of the archipelago builds the lyric style according to the demographics and social situations in each location of its creation. The lyric style and the ebb and flow of keroncong's popularity as a musical group was driven and stopped by the ups and downs of the political power of the Portuguese, Majapahit, Dutch, Japanese, and the Old and New Order.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-180
Author(s):  
Rebecca Cypess ◽  
Steven Kemper

Since the late twentieth century, the development of cybernetics, physical computing and robotics has led artists and researchers to create musical systems that explore the relationship between human bodies and mechanical systems. Anthropomorphic musical robots and bodily integrated ‘cyborg’ sensor interfaces explore complementary manifestations of what we call the ‘anthropomorphic analogy’, which probes the boundary between human artificer and artificial machine, encouraging listeners and viewers to humanise non-musical machines and understand the human body itself as a mechanical instrument.These new approaches to the anthropomorphic analogy benefit from historical contextualisation. At numerous points in the history of Western art music, philosophers, critics, composers, performers and instrument designers have considered the relationship between human musician and musical instrument, often blurring the line between the two. Consideration of historical examples enriches understandings of anthropomorphism in contemporary music technology.This article juxtaposes the anthropomorphic analogy in contemporary musical culture with manifestations of anthropomorphism in early seventeenth-century Europe. The first half of the seventeenth century witnessed a flourishing of instrumentality of all sorts. Musical instruments were linked with the telescope, the clock, the barometer, the paintbrush, and many other instruments and machines, and these came to be understood as vehicles for the creation of knowledge. This flourishing of instrumental culture created new opportunities for contemplation and aesthetic wonder, as theorists considered the line between human being and machine – between nature and artifice. Manifestations of the anthropomorphic analogy in seventeenth-century conceptions of musical instruments help to contextualise and explain similar articulations of the anthropomorphic analogy in the present day.


Author(s):  
Nina Baker

This chapter examines Watt’s work in Glasgow between 1756-1744 when he struggled to make a living from mathematical instruments and also resorted to making and selling musical instruments. He made stringed instruments, including viole da gamba and guitars, plus flutes and organs. There are no complete stringed or wind instruments extant, although tools and parts are held in the London Science Museum. Watt also collaborated with Charles Clagget, an accomplished viol de gamba player and innovator in musical instrument technology, including the first trumpet valves. Watt’s accounts books make clear that he made or repaired barrel, chamber and finger organs and the chapter examines the evidence for these organs including the James Watt Organ in the Glasgow Museums’ Service collection. Its potential links to the great man are considered, to try to uncover the boundaries between myth and reality in regards to the provenance of this instrument.


Author(s):  
Alicja A. Wieczorkowska

The aim of musical instrument sound classification is to process information from audio files by a classificatory system and accurately identify musical instruments playing the processed sounds. This operation and its results are called automatic classification of musical instrument sounds.


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