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Marcin Strzelecki: Timbre As A Harmonic Factor in Modern Music

1. The document proposes a method for analyzing the relationship between timbre and harmony in modern music. It suggests taking a cognitive approach using psychoacoustic factors to measure how timbre influences the perceptual qualities of harmony. 2. Examples are provided of how timbre affects the perception of harmony, including from the experience of electric guitarists and analyses of musical works. An analytical method is proposed using multidimensional scaling to map relationships between timbres, harmonies, and psychoacoustic factors. 3. The method is applied in preliminary analyses of triads and excerpts of modern compositions. The concept of "non-transcribability" is introduced to describe how certain musical passages are highly

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130 views40 pages

Marcin Strzelecki: Timbre As A Harmonic Factor in Modern Music

1. The document proposes a method for analyzing the relationship between timbre and harmony in modern music. It suggests taking a cognitive approach using psychoacoustic factors to measure how timbre influences the perceptual qualities of harmony. 2. Examples are provided of how timbre affects the perception of harmony, including from the experience of electric guitarists and analyses of musical works. An analytical method is proposed using multidimensional scaling to map relationships between timbres, harmonies, and psychoacoustic factors. 3. The method is applied in preliminary analyses of triads and excerpts of modern compositions. The concept of "non-transcribability" is introduced to describe how certain musical passages are highly

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Marcin Strzelecki

Academy of Music, Krakw, Poland

Timbre as a harmonic factor in modern music

MAC Keele, July 2015

1.harmonic-timbre relationship
2.examples
3.analytical method proposition
4.critical notes and further studies

1. harmonic-timbre relationship

distinction between harmony and timbre

acoustic
complexity

reduction

musical
notes

practice

theory

reality

ideal model

1. harmonic-timbre relationship

harmony-timbre relation

Chopin
Berlioz

noticeable

Debussy
Messiaen

Scelsi
Grisey

important

essential

1. harmonic-timbre relationship

the question:
does timbre influence harmonic qualities?
pitch-sets

instrumentation

instrumentation

instrumentation

harmony

harmony

harmony

2. examples

electric guitarists experience

chord

overdrive

flanger

chorus

harmony

harmony

harmony

2. examples

from Functional harmony by Jacek Targosz

2. examples

harmonic qualities
result from the spectral content

2. examples

if obvious in practice
why difficult in theory?

western piece of music = configuration of notes

2. examples

academic transcription problem

piano

2. examples

academic transcription problem

piano

string
quartet

2. examples

the question
of great importance
in modern music

3. analytical method proposition

cognitive approach
higher cognitive
processes

lower cognitive
processes

cognition

perception

harmonic qualia

psychoacoustics

3. analytical method proposition

psychoacoustic factors
of harmonic qualities

sensory dissonance as example


of harmony factor

spectrum

intervals

the primary analytical concept

timbre 1

factor 2
timbre 2
timbre 3

factor 1

MDS
multidimensional scaling

factor 2

distance 2

distance 1

distance 3

factor 1

which factors?

Hermann von Helholtz


Ernst Terhardt
Richard Parncutt
Tod Maschinter
Norman D. Cook
William Sethares

factors:
pitch salience
root salience
tonalness
inharmonicity
spectral antropy
sensory dissonance
modality
instability
tension

3. analytical method proposition

example analysis
1. preliminary analysis of triads
2. proper analysis of music fragments

3. analytical method proposition

four basic triads:


major, minor, augumented, diminished
five basic timbres
strings, woodwinds, brass, piano, sinus
three dynamics
piano, mezzoforte, forte
six registers
MIDI 24-96

modality
vs.
register

brass
wood.
piano
sinus
strg.

vs.
instrument

vs.
dynamics

dispersion in MDS model

chord type 2

chord type 1

3. analytical method proposition

realitive
dispersion

the non-transcribability concept

non-transcribable

transcribable

3. analytical method proposition

the non-transcribability concept

non-transcribable

transcribable

analysis of music fragments


Schnberg, Arnold
(1909) "Fnf Orchesterstcke", Op. 16, cz. III "Farben"
Messiaen, Olivier
(1932-33) LAscension
Schaeffer, Bogusaw
(1960) "Maa symfonia - Scultura", cz. II
Ligeti, Gyrgy
(1961) "Atmosphres"
Panufnik, Andrzej
(1962, rew. 1965) "Muzyka jesieni"
Grecki, Henryk Mikoaj
(1965) "Refren", op. 21
Lutosawski, Witold
(1968) "Livre pour orchestre"
Grisey, Grard
(1978) "Modulations"
Feldman, Morton
(1985) "Piano and String Quartet"

time (s)

time (s)

time (s)

time (s)

time (s)

time (s)

time (s)

time (s)

time (s)

time (s)

time (s)

time (s)
wood.

brass

strings

4. critical notes and further studies

General conclusions

timbre influences
psychoacoustic factors of harmonic qualities
but
different scale of variability

4. critical notes and further studies

General rule

the more complex (entropic) pitch structures


the higher non-transcribability
harmonic qualities of complex pitch-sets
depend on timbre

4. critical notes and further studies

Application possibilities

theory
education

4. critical notes and further studies

Application possibilities

theory
education
composition

4. critical notes and further studies

Critical notes

need for more contextual


harmony description

4. critical notes and further studies

Critical notes

need for higher level cognitive analysis


eg. cultural factors

4. critical notes and further studies

Critical notes
psychometric question:
relation between model and listeners experience

sensation

?
model

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