Dear Log,
Date: Fri, 09 May 2003 18:42:48 +0000
From: Aniruddh Patel <apatel@nsi.edu>
Subject: drum vocable experimentDear Linguist List,
We are doing research on the acoustic and perceptual relationship of speech sounds and drum sounds in North Indian tabla music. In this tradition, spoken nonsense syllables are used to label drum sounds. This way, players can communicate drum sequences either by playing them or by speaking the associated syllables. We want to know if it's possible for people who don't know Indian music to guess which syllable goes with which drum sound.
We would like to invite anyone who is interested to try a web experiment in which you match spoken syllables to drum sounds. This web experiment is not being used to collect data for publication (we are doing a lab study for that purpose). Rather, we are interested in the acoustic and perceptual cues people use to make their decisions, and invite your feedback on this issue (via a questionnaire at the end of the experiment).
Here is a link to the experiment: http://www.nsi.edu/tablaexp
Please feel free to pass on this invitation to anyone who might be interested.
Thank you,
Ani Patel, John Iversen, & Phil Mercurio
The Neurosciences Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
Reminds me also the arbitrary syllables that are used to signify the notes of the major scale in latin countries.
Reminds me, as well, Steve Coleman's recording The Tao of Mad Phat, where, on the tune Laid Back Schematics (an instantaneous compostion), Coleman sings to his drummer the drum line he wants him to play (after having similarly dictated to the guitarist, pianist and bassist their own lines.)
