Subjective evaluations of the performance proficiency for fluctuating musical sounds using fluctuation strength or roughness

Abstract

The “Fluctuation Strength (FS)” and the “Roughness” were suggested as evaluation indices of hearing sensation concerning fluctuated sounds of low or high frequencies. Past studies have been investigated FS and roughness of modulated pure tones and broadband noise. However, few studies have been reported concerning FS and roughness of attenuating sounds produced by musical instruments and performance proficiency for them. Therefore, the tremolo played on the mandolin and the closed roll played on the snare‐drum are employed here as fluctuating musical sounds of low or high frequencies. Introduced here is the FS and roughness as indices for the evaluation of the performance proficiency for tremolo and roll. Specifically, experts of mandolin or snare‐drum are asked to play tremolo of various plucking rate (number of plucking per second) and closed roll of various stroking rate (number of stroking per second). An evaluation experiment using the 2AFC method is conducted to evaluate performance proficiency for tremolo and roll. Aesthetic performances of tremolo and roll are described as “smooth, or not fluctuated” by trained players. The amount of physical FS for tremolo and physical roughness for roll are calculated by an original procedure to investigate relations between physical indices and evaluation results.