String Instrument Intonation in Upper and Lower Registers: The Effects of Accompaniment

Abstract

The effects of different accompaniment and register conditions on string instrumentalists' intonation performance of scalar passages were investigated. Forty-eight college-aged instrumentalists (12 each of violinists, violists, cellists, and double bassists) performed ascending and descending whole-tone tetrachords in the instruments' upper and lower registers. All performances were accompanied by prerecorded computer generated tones that formed four harmonic interval types with performance tones. Results indicated that upper register performances with accompaniment below were significantly sharper (p < .05), relative to equal temperament, than lower register performances with accompaniment above, which were also sharp. Descending tetrachords were performed significantly sharper (p < .01) than ascending tetrachords. Violinists evidenced the least overall deviation followed in order by violists, cellists, and bassists. The sharpness propensity observed in this study was consistent with previous research. It appears that further research is needed to explain more fully the effects of accompaniment and register conditions on string instrumentalists' intonation.

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