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Perception of Harmonic and Inharmonic Sounds: Results from Ear Models

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Computer Music Modeling and Retrieval. Genesis of Meaning in Sound and Music (CMMR 2008)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 5493))

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Abstract

We report on experiments in which musically relevant harmonic and inharmonic sounds have been fed into computer-based ear models (or into modules which at least simulate parts of the peripheral auditory system) working either in the frequency or in the time domain. For a major chord in just intonation, all algorithms produced reliable and interpretable output, which explains mechanisms of pitch perception. One model also yields data suited to demonstrate how sensory consonance and ’fusion’ are contained in the ACF of the neural activity pattern.

With musical sounds from instruments (carillon, gamelan) which represent different degrees of inharmonicity, the performance of the modules reflects difficulties in finding correct spectral and/or virtual pitch(es) known also from behavioral experiments. Our measurements corroborate findings from neurophysiology according to which much of the neural processing relevant for perception of pitch and consonance is achieved subcortically.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Musicology, University of Hamburg, Germany

    Albrecht Schneider & Klaus Frieler

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  1. Albrecht Schneider
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  2. Klaus Frieler
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. CNRS Laboratoire de Mécanique et d’Acoustique, 31 chemin Joseph-Aiguier, 13402, Marseille Cedex 20, France

    Sølvi Ystad

  2. CNRS-LMA, 31, Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402, Marseille Cedex 20, France

    Richard Kronland-Martinet

  3. Aalborg University Esbjerg, Niels Bohr Vej 8, 6700, Esbjerg, Denmark

    Kristoffer Jensen

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Schneider, A., Frieler, K. (2009). Perception of Harmonic and Inharmonic Sounds: Results from Ear Models. In: Ystad, S., Kronland-Martinet, R., Jensen, K. (eds) Computer Music Modeling and Retrieval. Genesis of Meaning in Sound and Music. CMMR 2008. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 5493. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02518-1_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02518-1_2

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