Studies in the Computer Rendition of Piano Pedaling

Authors

  • Nigel Nettheim Western Sydney University Author

Keywords:

human-computer comparison, piano pedalling, computer renditions

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.

Author Biography

  • Nigel Nettheim, Western Sydney University

    Nigel Nettheim completed a PhD in Mathematical Statistics at Stanford University, 1966. Soon afterward, he returned to his early interest in music, leading to a PhD in Musicology at the University of New South Wales, 2001. His research areas include the analysis of music from the romantic period and the characterisation of conducting beats, together with occasional applications of statistical methods in musicology and, more recently, the recovery of the missing information in reproducing piano rolls. He is presently an Adjunct Fellow at the MARCS Institute, Western Sydney University. Website: http://nettheim.com; nettheim {at} bigpond.net.au.

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Published

2024-04-23

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Section

Articles