Studies in the Computer Rendition of Piano Pedaling

Abstract

The computer rendition of music, and in particular of piano music, is a topic of current interest. The rendition of piano pedalling by that means has, however, not previously been explored very far. Thus my purpose is to survey the possibilities of the computer rendition of piano pedalling, with examples in sound and graphics. Whereas much other research in the computer rendition of music has aimed for the automated rendition of a variety of scores, I have instead treated each case according to its own perceived requirements. The comparison between human and computer resources naturally arises here. The computer’s possibilities are in a number of ways greater than those of a human playing on a real acoustic instrument, although I have found one case of a method available to the human but not to the computer: the partial release of a key while changing the pedal. Two fields are combined in this work: piano pedalling and computer methods; although it is not my purpose to provide a tutorial in either field, some instructional value might nevertheless be found in both.