Articles tagged with Musical Instruments
A study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that the time it takes for a therapist and patient to reach peak heart-rate synchrony during a music therapy session is around 25 minutes. This suggests that therapy sessions may need to allow sufficient time for this synchronization to develop.
A robotic hand developed at USC can hear a melody once and play it back after just two minutes of self-taught practice on a keyboard. The system, called the Musician Hand, mimics the way the brain and body coordinate fine motor skills through trial and error, offering a new model for machines — and medicine — to approach complex moveme...
Researchers at Acoustical Society of America identified hickory wood as the best alternative to expensive Honduran rosewood for making marimbas. Hickory wood has a similar acoustical response to rosewood and is significantly less expensive, making it an affordable option for schools and students.
The new computational violin simulates the physics of string interaction with air, producing realistic sound. Luthiers can tweak parameters like wood type or body thickness before hearing the instrument's response.
A new Surrey study found that rediscovered music often leads to radically different interpretations by performers, reshaping the work itself. The researchers compared professional recordings and used audio analysis software to track tempo and rhythmic fluctuation across the piece.
Researchers developed a sensor system to measure piano key movements at 1,000 fps and found listeners could distinguish intended timbres regardless of training experience. Key movement features produce timbre differences, suggesting potential applications in rehabilitation, skill transfer, and human interface design.
A new study from Edith Cowan University found that learning music plays a critical role in enhancing the wellbeing of children and adolescents. The review identified significant social, emotional, and educational benefits, including improved self-confidence, social connections, and engagement in education.
Research from Kyoto University found that continuing to play a musical instrument into old age preserves brain function and prevents atrophy in the putamen. Long-term practice showed no decline in verbal working memory performance or gray matter volume, while short-term practice improved memory function for four months.
A team of researchers has found that sound waves can create standing waves in semi-open spaces, potentially enabling resonance in shapes with open sides. This discovery challenges the long-held assumption that resonance requires closed sides.
Dr. Rhonda Winegar investigates the effectiveness of music therapy in supporting neurological care, including its ability to reduce anxiety and depression in Alzheimer's patients. Her research also highlights its potential to regulate heart rate and blood pressure, as well as improve motor function in individuals with Parkinson's disease.
A new book explores the consequences of an oral tradition of music on concepts of improvisation, originality, and musical freedom. Traditional Iranian music's physical aspect challenges Western notions of music education and the author's role in music creation.
McGill researchers found that music at an individual's natural tempo significantly reduces pain perceptions. The study discovered the greatest reductions in pain levels occurred when melodies were played at a rate matching the participant's own preferred tempo.
Researchers at UniSA found that certain sedentary behaviors, like reading, are beneficial for cognitive function, while others, such as watching TV, have a negative effect. The study suggests a nuanced approach to thinking about the link between sedentary behaviors and cognitive function.
Researchers found that ancient rock painting sites by water generated strong echoes that could be heard by people approaching the site. The echoes allowed prehistoric hunter-gatherers to perceive their surroundings in a unique sensory environment. This discovery sheds light on the importance of sound reflections in past societies.
Researcher Ashley Snow found that pipe organs create an auto-tune effect through sympathetic resonance, enhancing the overall musical sound of ensembles. The study used a sine-sweep test to measure response with microphones inside and around the organ pipes during performances and services.
Researchers created digital reconstructions of Aztec death whistles and found they produce unique air turbulence, creating a chilling sound. Listeners perceived the whistle's sound as natural and organic, similar to human voices or screams, suggesting a symbolic association with mythological entities.
A groundbreaking study from Queen Mary University of London uncovers the role of music and soundscapes in toy advertising, revealing how they convey and reinforce gender stereotypes. The research highlights the need for more comprehensive regulation to address the societal implications of these messages.
A new study reveals that Britain's earliest brass bands were founded by military musicians in the 1810s, contradicting the long-held assumption that they emerged with industrial communities. The research, published in The Historical Journal, shows that regimental bands first experimented with all-brass formats after the Napoleonic Wars.
A study by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft researchers found that both amateur and professional dancers are less neurotic than non-dancers. They also exhibit higher levels of agreeableness, openness, and extraversion.
A study led by Andrea Migliano from the University of Zurich has discovered previously unknown links between culture, language, and genes among different hunter-gatherer populations in Central Africa. The team found that musical instruments were exchanged long before agricultural populations arrived in the region, suggesting extensive ...
Researchers found that electric guitar pickups generate an electric current through vibration of a magnetized string, affected by coil winding and variables like wire thickness and magnet type. This understanding enables guitarists to make informed pickup selections and adjustments.
Researchers found that flutists must compose unique songs to win love and respect among the tribe. The tradition's revival has led to a new generation of players, including the sons of leaders who helped maintain the tradition.
A Japanese composer has created a 6-minute-long string quartet using over 30 years of satellite-collected climate data from the Arctic and Antarctic. The composition, titled 'String Quartet No. 1
A new study from Drexel University's Creativity Research Lab reveals that the creative flow state involves two key factors: extensive experience and release of control. High-experience musicians experienced flow more often and intensely than low-experience musicians, suggesting expertise enables flow.
A new study challenges traditional Western music theory by showing that participants prefer chords with slight deviations from mathematical ratios, and that unfamiliar instruments like the 'bonang' offer new patterns of consonance. The research encourages musicians to experiment with different instruments and explore new harmonies.
A recent study conducted at the University of Zurich found that live performances stimulate a stronger emotional response in the brain compared to listening to recorded music. The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to measure brain activity during both live and recorded music sessions, revealing a significant difference in amy...
Researchers developed a toolkit to translate neuroimaging data into audiovisual representations, enabling scientists to explore brain activity patterns in real time. The tool uses piano sounds for neural activity and violin sounds for blood flow, allowing viewers to discern coupled relationships between the two.
A new poll of people aged 50 to 80 found that nearly all older adults say music helps relieve stress and improve their mental health. The study also revealed that music plays a significant role in social connections and brain health, with 98% of respondents benefiting from engaging with music.
A new study published by experts at the University of Exeter found that playing a musical instrument is associated with improved memory and executive function in older adults. Continuing to play into later life provides even greater benefit, suggesting that music could be a way to harness cognitive reserve.
Researchers found that the key to bundengan sound quality is in its bamboo culm sheaths, which change shape when wet and vibrate together. The instrument's performance is improved when played in the rain, providing a unique acoustic experience.
Researchers Joe Wolfe and John Smith studied the didjeridu's performance techniques, finding that a player's vocal tract plays a significant role in producing unique sounds. By analyzing acoustic impedance spectra, they identified traits of expertly played didjeridus and explored advanced techniques used by musicians.
Researchers found that hard-of-hearing listeners prefer louder levels of lead vocals compared to normal listeners. They also tend to prefer higher frequencies and sparser mixes with fewer frequencies overall.
Research from UTHealth Houston reveals that different brain regions are engaged when processing simple versus complex melodies and sentences. The study used intracranial electrodes to map brain activity during music and language tasks, finding shared temporal lobe activity but distinct sensitivities to melodic and syntactic complexity.
Researchers developed a soft robotic exoskeleton glove using AI to improve hand dexterity and classify song variations. The device provides real-time feedback and adjustments, making it easier for users to grasp correct movement techniques, with an accuracy of 97.13% in classifying correct and incorrect song versions.
Children do better at maths when music is integrated into lessons, with integrated lessons having the biggest effect on improving scores. Music helps more with learning arithmetic and has a bigger impact on younger pupils.
A soft robotics glove with integrated sensors and AI can aid patients in relearning daily tasks after neurotrauma, including playing music. The glove provides hand guidance, amplifying dexterity and motor skills.
Researchers found 7 aerophones made from bird bones at the Eynan-Mallaha site, dating back to circa 12,000 years ago. The flutes imitate raptor calls, similar to those of kestrel and sparrowhawk birds hunted by Natufian people.
A team of scientists has identified 7 prehistoric flutes in Eynan-Mallaha, Israel, dated to 12,000 years ago. The flutes were made from the bones of small waterfowl and produced a sound similar to certain birds of prey.
A study found that practicing music and active listening can alter cognitive decline in healthy seniors by promoting brain plasticity. The researchers discovered an increase in grey matter volume in four brain regions involved in high-level cognitive functioning.
A new study has identified several commonalities and diversity in sleep music, including quieter and slower tempos, more acoustic instruments, and a range of energetic levels. Despite these trends, popular sleep playlists on Spotify include faster and louder tracks that may aid relaxation for some people.
USC researchers found that music education benefits adolescents' wellbeing, boosting hopes for the future and positive development. Younger students received musical training scored higher in key measures of positive youth development.
A team of researchers created 3D-printed violins using modern materials and techniques, producing a darker, more mellow sound. The project aims to make music education accessible through the printing of affordable instruments.
A new study published in Nature Scientific Reports shows that playing the piano for just one hour a week can improve audio-visual processing and reduce depression, stress, and anxiety. The study found significant improvements in multisensory information processing among adults with no prior musical experiences.
The Acoustical Society of America will hold its 183rd meeting in Nashville from Dec. 5-9, bringing together experts to share experiments and applications on diverse topics such as machine learning and medical diagnostics. Lay language papers will also be shared, providing summaries of presentations written for a general audience.
The Global Jukebox, an online tool for exploring music and performing arts from around the world, has made its dataset and data available to the public. The database includes 5,776 recordings representing 1,026 societies, with detailed musical style categorization data and additional features such as breath management and instrumentation.
Higher-quality violins produce more detectable objective combination tones, which are linked to air resonance and structural material. The study aims to analyze a greater number of violins to identify the origin of combination tones.
Researchers used infrared scattering-type scanning near field microscopy to analyze two Stradivari violins, finding a protein-based layer between the wood and varnish. This discovery could help replicate historic instruments in modern times.
Researchers found that downbeat delays, rather than minute timing deviations, are key components of the swing feel in jazz. Downbeat delays of about 30 milliseconds enhanced the swing feel, while uniformly delaying offbeats did not.
A study by the Max Planck Institute found that playing wind instruments releases fewer viruses into the air than singing, but still more than breathing quietly. Wind instruments act as filters for larger particles, reducing transmission risk, while smaller particles spread further and pose a higher risk.
Researchers developed a method combining musical tests with EEG measurement to detect cognitive decline in old age. The study tested 50 elderly people who scored low on the mini-mental test, showing promising results in detecting mental deterioration.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania studied wind instrument aerosol dispersion to understand how far aerosols travel and decay. Aerosols emitted by wind instruments share a similar concentration and size distribution with normal speech and respiration events, suggesting that musicians should stay 6 feet apart.
Researchers propose a new learning method for individuals with autism, utilizing 'memory flashes' to accelerate learning and improve visual perception capabilities. The study showed significant improvement in both learning speed and generalization of skills, even under new conditions.
A Colorado State University study found that brass instruments produce 191% more aerosols than woodwinds during play. Male performers and louder playing of brass instruments were associated with higher emissions. Bell covers can reduce particle spread, but not achieve N95 level protection.
A new camera system developed by Carnegie Mellon University researchers can reconstruct sound vibrations with extraordinary accuracy, capturing isolated audio without inference or a microphone. The dual-shutter vibration-sensing system uses two cameras and a laser to detect high-speed, low-amplitude surface vibrations.
The study reveals the sing saw uses a surprising effect to create its distinct tone: when curved into an S-shape, energy vibrates in a confined area producing a clear, long-lasting sound. This principle can be applied to design high-quality resonators for various applications.
Experts discovered a training method to prevent piano performance deterioration due to psychological stress. Pianists who underwent the training showed no performance disruption under pressure, indicating normalized auditory perception and motion integration.
A study by Colorado State University found that singing produces 77% more aerosols than talking, with older males emitting the most particles. The study's findings suggest that measuring carbon dioxide levels and noise levels can be used to gauge transmission risk in enclosed spaces.
Researchers analyzed music diversity in South America, revealing exceptional aerophone diversity in the archaeological record and cultural connections between groups. The study also highlights the impact of European colonization on Indigenous musical traditions.
Researchers found that listening to Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major (K448) for at least 30 seconds was associated with a significant reduction in epilepsy-associated electrical activity spikes. The study suggests that the therapeutic effects may be linked to positive emotional responses triggered by the music.
Researchers investigated aerosol production from singing and playing wind instruments to develop recommendations for minimizing COVID transmission. They found that placing a surgical mask reduced plume velocities and lengths, decreasing aerosol concentrations.