Sonance as a form of tonal fusion.

Abstract

Physics and psychophysics have always regarded fusion of pitches and their intensities as a simultaneous subjective phenomenon, dependent on the form of the molecular motion energizing the ear. This concept of tonal fusion has been built up in terms of a single sound wave. Timbre (tonequality, tone-color, or quality), has been defined as a simultaneous fusion of pitches, and has been considered as the unique variable quality of the clang, or single complex tone.* Ladd and Woodworth state that ". . . tone-color is determined by the character of the overtones which are blended with the fundamental tone," 8 and "each sensation of a clang is a summing-up in consciousness of several absolute qualities of musical sound; the stimulus which occasions this complex subjective state is a complex sound-wave made up of the contrasts and coincidences of several single waves that have the character of simple pendular vibrations." * Miller writes that "Since pitch depends upon frequency, and loudness upon amplitude (and frequency), we conclude that quality must depend upon the only other property of a periodic vibration, the peculiar kind of form of the motion . . . ." 6 Miller states that Helmholtz's law of tone-quality is: "The quality of a musical tone depends solely on the number and relative strength of its partial simple tones ...."• Seashore explains that ". . . psychologically, timbre is to be understood and explained as a complex of pitches fused into 1 The writer wishes to acknowledge indebtedness to Professor C. E. Seashore for crucial suggestions.

Eighth-notes performances

“…The Analysis-by-Synthesis approach that this study is based on reaches back to Seashore and his colleagues, like Metfessel [17,15]. It was outlined in detail by Bengtsson and Gabrielsson [1].…”

How Thomas A. Edison shaped today's singing ideal: Tracking his ambiguous concept of tremolo by analysing archival documents and sound recordings

“…Most importantly, the experiments of Milton Metfessel (1926) showed that listeners were unaware of the vibrato parameters. When not told what they were listening to, they rather reported a certain timbre.…”

“…When told, they could not say whether pitch or loudness was manipulated. Since Metfessel (1926) wanted the term "timbre" to be reserved for the description of the multiple frequencies and their proportions within a static sound, he tried to introduce the term "sonance", which should describe the dynamic changes of the parameters constituting the vibrato, including rapid changes in fundamental frequency, amplitude and timbre. Unfortunately, the term "sonance" was never established, so today we are still facing similar terminological problems.…”

Some aspects of the psychophysics of the vibrato.

“…This is a type of psychophysics which, in Seashore's (20) terminology, " measures the output." The only attempt so far made to apply the older type of psychophysical approach to the vibrato, i.e., to control the stimulus and determine what is heard, is that of Metfcssel (13,14). He showed that, in synthetic vibratos produced by means of siren discs, the quality of a tone is determined not only by its wave-form but also by the characteristics of its vibrato.…”

“…and is exactly counterbalanced. This drum had been used by Metfessel (13,14) in some previous experiments. The discs were made of tough cardboard and were held on top of the drum by a counterbalanced cast-iron plate.…”