Quantitative analysis of octave performance: a comparative study between professional pianists and amateurs

Abstract

An octave is the musical interval (C-C, D-D) between two notes that differ by eight pitches in music theory. Octaves on the piano require a technically demanding technique that requires control to produce clean sound while reducing tension and muscle fatigue. Although there are a lot of studies and instructional resources that discuss arm movements when playing the piano, comprehensive studies on the musical characteristics and individual finger aspects of octave playing remain limited. Through technical octave repetition and melody performed in octaves, this study investigates musical features and specific finger aspects and finds out subtle differences by comparing octave playing between professional and amateur pianists. The performances of both groups were recorded in the identical setting. The recorded MIDI dataset provided temporal and dynamic features, and were analyzed at the note, measure, and phrase levels. Octaves playing as a technique showed significance by observing the averages and standard deviations in temporal features including rDuration and rIOI. There were also differences in onset velocity and temporal features in melodic octave playing. Different patterns were seen in the thumb and little finger when playing melodic octaves and between the two fingers during octave repetition and melody performance.