Speaker
Description
Surface finish is frequently discussed by brass players as a determinant of sound and playability, yet such judgments may be influenced not only by acoustical differences but also by visual information and prior expectations. This exploratory pilot study examines whether perceived differences between three nominally comparable trumpets are larger when their surface finishes are visible and whether corresponding differences are reflected in the acoustic signal. Ten trumpet players performed identical material on three B-flat trumpets of the same model with different finishes (raw brass, silver-plated, lacquered) in blind and open conditions. After each trial, participants rated 13 perceptual dimensions. Across 11 of the 13 dimensions, descriptive differences between the instruments were larger in the open condition than in the blind condition. In the acoustic feature analysis, variability was dominated by residual and participant-related components, whereas the finish-associated component was small. These pilot findings are consistent with the possibility that visual information contributes to instrument evaluation. However, because of the small sample, the pairing of one instrument with each finish, and the exploratory nature of the analyses, the results should not be interpreted as demonstrating a causal effect of surface finish or visual expectation.