Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The timing of pedal depressions and releases was measured relative to key depressions and releases in two pianists' performances of Robert Schumann's Tr-dutnerei on an electronic instrument. Each pianist provided nine complete performances, three at each of three tempi, which were analysed by examining in detail those positions in the music in which the pedal was used consistently. The principal questions were whether and how pedal timing adjusts to changes in global tempo (across performances) and in local tempo (within performnances): Do pedal-release times, onset times, or change (onset minus release) times exhibit absolute orrelative invariance across either or both of these tempo changes? The results do not suggest any simple answer, since neither type of invariance was observed consistently. Pedal timing emerges as having a complex pattern that is sensitive to local and global tempo changes in varying degrees, yet exhibits consistency across repeated performances by the same pianist. There were striking differences in pedal timing between the two pianists, who differed in level of skill.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Banowetz, J. (1985). The pianist's guide to pedaling. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

Clynes, M. (1983). Expressive microstructure in music, linked to living qualities. In: J. Sundberg (ed.), Studies of music performance (pp. 76-186). Stockholm: Royal Swedish Academy of Music (Publication No. 39).

Desain, P. and Honing, H. (1994). Does expressive timing in music performance scale proportionally with tempo? Psychological Research, 56, 285-292.

Gentner, D. R. (1987). Timing of skilled motor performance: Tests of the proportional duration model. Psychological Review, 94, 255-276.

Haken, H. , Kelso, J. A. S. and Bunz, H. (1985). A theoretical model of phase transitions in human hand movements. Biological Cybernetics, 51, 347-356.

Heinlein, C. P. (1929a). The functional role of finger-touch and damper-pedaling in the appreciation of pianoforte music. Journal of General Psychology, 2, 462-469.

Heinlein, C. P. (1929b). A discussion of the nature of pianoforte damper-pedaling together with an experimental study of some individual differences in pedal performance. Journal of General Psychology, 2, 489-508.

Heinlein, C. P. (1930). Pianoforte damper-pedaling under ten different experimental conditions. Journal of General Psychology, 3, 511-528.

Heuer, H. (1991). Invariant relative timing in motor-program theory. In: J. Fagard and P. H. Wolff (eds.), The development of timing control and temporal organization in co ordinated action (pp. 37-68). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

10.

Marek, C. (1972). Lehre des Klavierspiels. Zurich: Atlantis.

11.

Neuhaus, H. (1973). The art of piano playing. New York: Praeger.

12.

Newman, W. S. (1984). The pianist's problems. New York: Da Capo Press.

13.

Philipp, G. (1984). Klavier, Klavierspiel, Improvisation. Leipzig: VEB Deutscher Verlag fur Musik.

14.

Repp, B. H. (1992). Diversity and commonality in music performance: An analysis of timing microstructure in Schumann's Trdumerei. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 92, 2546-2568.

15.

Repp, B. H. (1994a). Relational invariance of expressive microstructure across global tempo changes in music performance: An exploratory study. Psychological Research, 56, 269-284.

16.

Repp, B. H. (1994b). On determining the basic tempo of an expressive music performance. Psychology of Music, 22, 157-167.

17.

Repp, B.H. (1994c). Pedal timing and tempo in expressive piano performance: A preliminary investigation. Haskins Laboratories Status Report on Speach Research, SR-117/118, 211-232.

18.

Repp, B. H. (1995). Acoustics, perception, and production of legato articulation on the piano. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 97, 3862-3874.

19.

Seashore, C. E. (1938). Psychology of music. New York: McGraw-Hill. (Reprinted by Dover Publications, 1967.)

20.

Shaffer, L. H. (1981). Performances of Chopin, Bach and Bartok: Studies in motor programming. Cognitive Psychology, 13, 326-376.

21.

Shaffer, L. H. , Clarke, E. F. and Todd, N. P. (1985). Metre and rhythm in piano playing. Cognition, 20, 61-77.

22.

Taguti, T. , Ohgushi, K. and Sueoka, T. (1994). Individual differences in the pedal work of piano performance. In: A. Friberg , J. Iwarsson , E. Jansson and J. Sundberg (eds.), SMAC 93: Proceedings of the Stockholm Music Acoustics Conference, July 28 - August 1, 1993 (pp. 142-145). Stockholm: Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

23.

Todd, N. P. McA (1992). The dynamics of dynamics: A model of musical expression. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 91, 3540-3550.

Pedal Timing and Tempo in Expressive Piano Performance: A Preliminary Investigation

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References