The device
The piëzo-sensor is placed on top of the index finger. This sensor defines most of the character of the sound. The little finger contains a bending-sensor, the user is able to control the echo and the duration of the sound.
On the side of the Piëzo you find a slide-sensor. The user can control effects such as pitch, flanger, chorus and wahwah by sliding with it. These effects can be selected on the music-processing software. This function requires a left hand interaction, and can be used to create different moods.
I created a surface panel which can be used with the Piëzo. This doesn't mean the user should limit its use to only this.
Design process
This design project started in a broad spectrum with many directions still unexplored. With such a broad project description I was required to make fast decisions, find insights and move forward to the next step. My design process in this project was characterized by many explorative iterations. These experiments were needed in order to concretize such a broad project research and transform this into key elements to build further on.
Pressure cooker
The donut ring turns movement qualities into sound. This was an one week prototype, executed at the first week of the project.
Sound sketching
An easy way to explore how movement qualities can be expressed into sound is using the effects on the guitar.
Function and sound
A continuous exploration with movement qualities and semantics.
Weekly jamsession
The improvisation sessions with other students helped me to reflect on the role of the early prototype in the context of musical systems. Improvisation means taking inspiration, but also giving. Through jamsession iterations I pushed the concept to become more interactive within the system and the environment.
Learning by repetition
What keeps musicians interested in their musical instrument is their skill development. The more they practice, the more complex compositions they can play. I explored skill development by covering a famous composition of Beethoven.
User testing
As I started to iterate on a clear concept, I involved more users in the process to reflect on their different skill level. As users have different skills and expertise, I started to focus more on the unique characteristics of the instrument, the piëzo.
Music Performance
For the mid-semesters presentation I performed the musical composition 'Fur Elise by Beethoven'. Afterwards students and coaches were able to jam with me.
Vision
The piëzo concept derives from the uniqueness of the sensor. My iterations and explorations were driven by my fascination for the subtle hidden material qualities. By amplifying these invisible characteristics, turning these into rich layers of sound, I was able to create a new perspective of how our musical mind looks at the environment - bringing a system together between material, objects and the user.
