Combining Acoustic Percussion Performance with Gesture Control Electronics

Book excerpt: Gesture control in music performance utilizing live electronics is a topic receiving much development and exploration. The methods and implementations of gestural control vary. Gesture tracking has been used to directly create sounds as in the case of the well-known electronic musical instrument, the Theremin. It has also been used to control processing of electronics in musical works combining acoustic and electronic sounds. This study is mainly focused on the application of gesture tracking techniques combined with performance on acoustic percussion instruments. The first portion of this study is devoted to examining the methods of gesture control that have been developed in order to establish a context for the subsequent sections. Following this overview, available methods of gesture control and the various sensors used to achieve this control are evaluated to determine which of them can be most effectively combined with performance on acoustic percussion instruments. The pairing of gesture control and percussion is of particular interest because unlike many other acoustic instruments, percussion instruments require large physical movements in order to be played. This characteristic makes percussion instruments uniquely appropriate for performance with gesture tracking technologies. The final section of the paper deals specifically with performance issues and considerations encountered in the percussion solo Percussivometers (2014) by Marcin Pa̜czkowski. The piece utilizes an accelerometer worn on each hand in order to detect the motions of the performer. The gestures are then used to control multiple parameters of audio processing and synthesis. The combination of movements required to execute the performance of the acoustic instruments and those required to control the electronics necessitate special consideration and preparation for an effective performance. This paper attempts to elucidate these considerations and offer guidance to musicians exploring similar performance paradigms.