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ARTIGOS

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2024): Percepta - Revista de Cognição Musical

Exploring the Influence of Sound Culture on Oboe Timbre: : A Pilot Experimental Study at the University of Montreal

DOI
https://doi.org/10.34018/2318-891X.12(1)132-148
Submitted
October 31, 2024
Published
2025-02-12

Abstract

This study examines the influence of sound culture on the semantic classification of oboe timbre, comparing Brazilian and Québécois musicians. The research investigates how physical reed characteristics and cultural contexts shape timbral perceptions. An online perceptual test was conducted using seven oboe recordings, evaluated through the Verbal Attribute Magnitude Estimation (VAME) method. Participants rated the timbre along six semantic scales: strident, bright, clear, muffled, round, and dark. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences between Brazilian and Québécois classifications, except for the adjective "dull" The findings indicate overall similarities in timbral descriptions across cultures, though certain stimuli exhibited notable perceptual differences. Further research with larger, more diverse samples is recommended.

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