Tel Aviv University
Abstract :
The motivation for this study came from the informal
observation that didgeridoo tones seem to sound
pleasant only over a span of less than an octave, while
brass wind instruments of various types are found to be
useful and pleasant over a much wider range. We
therefore set out to explore the relationship between tone
height and its perceived pleasantness and compare these
evaluations both on a set of didgeridoos and on a bass
trombone playing identical notes over a range slightly
larger than one octave. Twenty listeners compared
recordings of short tones from G1 to B2, played both on a
bass trombone and a set of tubular didgeridoos, by
proficient players. The listeners were asked to rate each
note on a sliding scale from “very pleasant” to “very
unpleasant”. Results showed that overall, the didgeridoo
tones were found to be significantly more pleasant than
the trombone tones. Surpisingly, the trombone tones were
found to be more pleasant as tone height increased,
while no correlation between tone height and
pleasantness was found for the didgeridoo.