Irish Fiddle and Western Classical Violin: Listener Perceptions and Acoustical Differences

This report is a summary of two studies. In the first, we compared examples of Irish fiddle performances with Western classical violin performances. Acoustical analyses showed that both classical examples produced average spectral centroids higher in frequency, higher harmonic to noise ratios, more use of vibrato, more disjunct intervals, and less ornamentation. Expert listeners described the classical examples as resonant, ringing, and brighter. Tone in the Irish examples was characterized as varied, gritty, and full-bodied. In the second study, we asked 72 music majors to listen to different recordings and respond in two ways. The first section consisted of extremely brief examples of four different solo violin styles: classical, jazz, old-time fiddle, and Irish. The second section consisted of longer examples of either Irish or classical performances. The listeners were asked to describe salient features of each. They frequently identified the following characteristics of the Irish excerpts: grace notes, double stops, ornamentation, and dance-like. In contrast, classical extracts were described using the terms: vibrato, melody, intervals, and extended technique. Implications for music listening are discussed.