Follow my leader? String quartet synchronization
Alan Miles Wing, Satoshi Endo, Tim Yates, Adrian Bradbury · 2013
Timing variations in individual musical performance include both intentional expressive and unintentional error components. Such timing fluctuations contribute to the liveliness of group musical performance but need to be kept under control to create a sense of ensemble. The nature of this control is the focus of this paper. We first report an experiment in which we manipulated visual cues given by violin 1 to the other players in a quartet. We then review a new model of synchronization, and finally we describe a new listening test to determine whether people can distinguish adjustments being used to maintain ensemble synchrony. Such techniques will contribute to understanding of the nature of synchronization in music ensembles.