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Harpsichords and Related Topics

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From:
Andrew Bernard <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Harpsichords and Related Topics <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 9 Feb 2016 23:12:06 +1100
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Hi Michael,

Looks like we are going to have to start a HPSCHD-L Special Interest
Group for psychoacoustics!

The figure you are looking for is about 10-60ms, varying with
frequency and intensity. Please note that pitch is a percept, and
pitch is not equivalent to frequency. When we talk about a pitch of a
415 Hz, this is a different usage of the word pitch.

There's a good online course in psychoacoustics, and there is the page on pitch:

http://acousticslab.org/psychoacoustics/

Specifically related to psychoacoustics of harpsichords in particular,
I have always found it interesting that if two strings are plucked
with a stagger interval - as they are - that is below about 10ms the
ear/brain hears it as a single note. [Not related to your question,
just something I find interesting.] Above 10ms you can hear the
separate notes. So it is this psychoacoustic property of the ear/brain
that allows us to make harpsichords with multiple choirs that can have
a light and staggered action. Consequently, of great relevance. And an
indication of how subtle it is to stagger a large instrument with 16,
2x8, 4 so that the four plucks fit into 10ms.

Andrew



On 9 February 2016 at 21:41, Shields, Michael
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> The discussion about perception of fragments of a sound wave made me wonder how short a note can still be and have a perceivable pitch (for example, a simple wave played loud at 440Hz). It appears the pragmatic answer is that pitch perception starts when sounds are about 100 milliseconds or longer, with higher pitches being perceptible at considerably shorter bursts (at least in theory). One internet site: http://sound.stackexchange.com/questions/28163/whats-the-shortest-sound-perceptible-to-the-human-ear  There, the "Master Handbook of Acoustics" is given as source.
>
> I haven't timed my own ear (which I suspect is on the slow side) but was surprised that the ear doesn't manage to hear pitch in sounds shorter than 1/10 second (except perhaps very high pitches); but it does explain why rapid passages are usually played in higher registers. If one takes 1/10 second as a guide minimum length, that would mean that at 440Hz one hears 44 cycles before recognising pitch.
>
> Maybe somebody can direct me towards better sources of information, this information must be old hat to some  people on the list. THanks in advance.
>
> Michael Shields, Galway
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Note:  opinions  expressed on HPSCHD-L are those of the  individual con-
tributors and not necessarily  those of the list owners  nor of the Uni-
versity of Iowa.  For a brief  summary of list  commands, send mail to
[log in to unmask]  saying  HELP .
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