Patterns of note onset asynchronies in expressive piano performance

Area of Science:

• Music Performance Science
• Piano Pedagogy
• Cognitive Science of Music

Background:

• Understanding note timing in piano performance is crucial for interpreting expressive playing.
• Previous research has explored timing variations, but detailed analysis of within-hand and between-hand asynchronies is less common.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze timing asynchronies in graduate student pianists' performances of specific piano pieces.
• To investigate the relationship between note pitch, hand coordination, MIDI velocity, and expressive timing.
• To differentiate between performance artifacts and deliberate expressive strategies in piano playing.

Main Methods:

• Recorded MIDI performances of three piano compositions by ten graduate student pianists on a Yamaha Disklavier.
• Analyzed note onset times derived from hammer motion data.
• Correlated timing differences with note pitch, hand of performance, and MIDI velocity.

Main Results:

• A consistent tendency for higher-pitched melody notes to lead lower-pitched notes, particularly within the same hand.
• Inner notes of chords often lagged behind outer notes.
• Significant correlations between MIDI velocity differences and lead times within hands, and between hands for some pianists.
• Individual differences in left-hand lead tendencies were stable across pieces and unrelated to handedness.

Conclusions:

• Within-hand asynchronies and melody leads may result from dynamic differentiation and hammer travel time.
• Left-hand leads appear to be an individual characteristic, potentially a deliberate expressive choice.
• These findings offer insights into the nuanced timing strategies employed by skilled pianists.