Effects of Visual and Auditory Feedback in Violin and Singing Voice Pitch Matching Tasks

Abstract

Auditory-guided vocal learning is a mechanism that operates both in humans and other animal species making us capable to imitate arbitrary sounds. Both auditory memories and auditory feedback interact to guide vocal learning. This may explain why it is easier for humans to imitate the pitch of a human voice than the pitch of a synthesized sound. In this study, we compared the effects of two different feedback modalities in learning pitch-matching abilities using a synthesized pure tone in 47 participants with no prior music experience. Participants were divided into three groups: a feedback group (N = 15) receiving real-time visual feedback of their pitch as well as knowledge of results; an equal-timbre group (N = 17) receiving additional auditory feedback of the target note with a similar timbre to the instrument being used (i.e., violin or human voice); and a control group (N = 15) practicing without any feedback or knowledge of results. An additional fourth group of violin experts performed the same task for comparative purposes (N = 15). All groups were posteriorly evaluated in a transfer phase. Both experimental groups (i.e., the feedback and equal-timbre groups) improved their intonation abilities with the synthesized sound after receiving feedback. Participants from the equal-timber group seemed as capable as the feedback group of producing the required pitch with the voice after listening to the human voice, but not with the violin (although they also showed improvement). In addition, only participants receiving real-time visual feedback learned and retained in the transfer phase the mapping between the synthesized pitch and its correspondence with the produced vocal or violin pitch. It is suggested that both the effect of an objective external reward, together with the experience of exploring the pitch space with their instrument in an explicit manner, helped participants to understand how to control their pitch production, strengthening their schemas, and favoring retention.

An Analysis-Synthesis of the Pedagogical Literature on Intonation in Initial Learning of Violin and Viola: Pitch Contents, Teaching Approaches, and Auxiliary Resources

“…Finally, the feedback provided to the student does not always have an effect on intonation, particularly visual feedback, which shows inconclusive results (Blanco et al, 2021; Blanco & Ramirez, 2019; Lim & Raphael, 2010; Owens & Sweller, 2008; Pardue & McPherson, 2019; Springer, 2020). The combined presentation of information of different perceptual natures in instrumental or vocal training, even having been objectified in the aforementioned studies, shows inconsistent results that could occur due to the division of attention, to an inadequate integration of different modes of information presentation, or both.…”

La enseñanza inicial de la entonación en instrumentos de viento-metal y lenguaje musical en España. Un estudio exploratorio con profesorado de escuelas de música

“…Las acciones típicas del estudiante son escuchar el modelo y su propio input, visualizar la representación en pantalla del modelo y del input y comprobar si se corresponden las informaciones de cada uno. Esto último constituye un feedback audiovisual, un elemento de aprendizaje bastante estudiado, pero con resultados no concluyentes (Blanco y Ramírez, 2019;Blanco et al, 2021;Galera et al, 2013;Lim y Raphael, 2010;Owens y Sweller, 2008;Pardue y McPherson, 2019;Pérez-Gil et al, 2016;Springer, 2020;Wilson et al, 2008). Citando uno de los últimos estudios, Pardue y McPherson (2019) desarrollaron un sistema para el feedback visual de la entonación.…”

“…Este color indicador constituye de facto un feedback visual. Su uso está en línea con los hallazgos de algunos estudios que sugieren la utilidad del feedback visual en la entonación durante el aprendizaje temprano de la voz y de los instrumentos (Blanco et al, 2021;Zaki-Azat, 2016). No obstante, estos resultados no coinciden con los de otros estudios (Pardue y McPherson, 2019;White, 2020;Wilson et al, 2008).…”

The Use of Sonification for the Analysis and Teaching of Interpretive Auditory Nuances

“…Such simultaneity enables sounds that are produced in time and are transient, as opposed to static visual displays that are repeatedly heard and examined by the observer as sound in time (Bonebright and Flowers, 2011). Auditory and visual feedback have been shown to be effective in controlling pitch production by instrumentalists, singers, and speakers (De Bot, 1983;Blanco et al, 2021). As auditory percepts influence our visual percepts, visual percepts may in turn influence the perception of an auditory representation (Neuhoff, 2011).…”