A dinâmica da palhetada no violão: estudo quantitativo de quatro técnicas fundamentais

Abstract

Picking on the guitar is widely used in different musical contexts, constituting the basic right-hand technical foundation in a variety of styles. Systematic studies on the teaching and use are scarce in the literature, and in most cases, the learning occurs informally. The research conducted in this doctoral thesis investigated four fundamental picking techniques through a multimodal approach that combined sonic, gestural and force information, supported by video recordings. An exploratory quantitative study was carried out to identify both common and specific characteristics among the selected experimental conditions and participants. The first experiment focused on the techniques of strumming, alternate picking and sweep picking, performed at two different speeds. The second experiment concentrated on the tremolo technique, under four performance conditions. Each study involved five participants, four of whom were common to both experiments. A portable setup was used, consisting of a guitar with a hexaphonic pickup system developed in our laboratory, a wireless inertial measurement sensor placed on the dorsum of the hand, two force-sensitive resistors mounted on each side of the pick, and a video camera attached to the instrument. Data analysis revealed the use of distinct gestural strategies in the execution of the different techniques, as well as individual characteristics among the participants. This analysis, combined with audio data — amplitude, inter-attack spacing, and spectral centroid — demonstrated a wide variety of performance modes, influenced by each participant’s training and individual experience. These results may contribute to a critical reassessment of certain pedagogical concepts and practice methods, by highlighting both common elements and individual particularities observed in a controlled performance context.