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TRANSCRIBING BIRD‐SONG.
Author(s) -
North M. E. W.
Publication year - 1950
Publication title -
ibis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1474-919X
pISSN - 0019-1019
DOI - 10.1111/j.1474-919x.1950.tb01738.x
Subject(s) - semitone , loudness , relative pitch , octave (electronics) , value (mathematics) , field (mathematics) , quality (philosophy) , computer science , pitch (music) , identification (biology) , speech recognition , musical , acoustics , psychology , mathematics , perception , art , philosophy , visual arts , physics , computer vision , botany , epistemology , neuroscience , machine learning , pure mathematics , biology
Summary1 The objects are (1) to suggest a field method of transcribing bird‐song which is not only accurate, but also as error‐proof as possible, and (2) to draw attention to certain aspects of the gramophone recorder's and the physicist's techniques which are of value to the field observer. 2 The field method suggested is an attempt to produce a balanced aural means of defining pitch, time, loudness, quality and phonetics. Pitch, time and loudness are best interpreted by music; quality and phonetics by verbal methods. In certain sounds the musical features are important; in others the verbal; but accurate definition of all five features is usually required to produce a balanced result. 3 The value of music is stressed, particularly as a medium for comparisons of pitch and time. Music can also help identification, but its effectiveness will depend upon the degree to which quality and phonetics can also he suggested. 4 Cuckoos, doves, waders and crows are, among others, ideal fcr musical methods, thrushes provide a field for advanced study; some of the warblers may he impossibly difficult. 5 A number of technical features are suggested, which include: a field notation thought to have advantages over the orthodox staff; a modified staff; one name for each note of the scale; signs to show notes grossly out of tune with our scale; a slide rule for staff/sol‐fa conversions; a system of octave numbering, serially from the lowest audible note to the highest; signs for rises and falls in pitch; semitone figures to indicate pitch ranges; a table for staff/frequency conversions; the types of portable instrument recommended for indicating pitch; an approximate method of indicating pitch without an instrument; the calculation of tempo by a sum. 6 Other matters discussed include: why bird‐songs often fit the keys of our musical scale and how this coincidence can be used to our advantage; the transcribing of quality and loudness; why it is desirable for observers to be given hearing tests. 7 A few examples of the field notation are provided.