Alternating timbres can split a single melodic line into separate perceived streams
Evidence
In this experiment, the rising arpeggio shown as response (A) is perceived as expected for stimulus (A) when all the note timbres are the same. However, the response changes to two separate falling arpeggii, shown as response (B), if note timbres are alternated between two timbres represented by the different notehead shapes, and “the difference in timbres is increased” as shown for stimulus (B). This is described as timbral streaming (e.g., Bregman, 1990). — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1629
(A) when all the note timbres are the same. However, the response changes to two separate falling arpeggii, shown as response (B), if note timbres are alternated between two timbres represented by the different notehead shapes, and “the difference in timbres is increased” as shown for stimulus (B). This is described as timbral streaming (e.g., Bregman, 1990). — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 1674
Categorization
- DEFINE: Gives the definition/mechanism of timbral streaming: two-timbre alternation causes auditory stream segregation even with fixed pitch content.
- corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1629; David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 1674
- XREF: connects to: Resonantly enhancing one high partial produces a perceptually separate note; Applying independent vibrato to partials splits one complex tone into two perceived instruments — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 2173; Listeners segregate mixed sounds into separate sources using many cues (+4 more)
Broader Connections
- A single performed melodic line can be heard as multiple simultaneous parts
#expands(0.92) — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 1668 - Accentuating individual harmonics makes them perceptually break away as separate notes
#expands(0.80)