An Exploration on the Influence of Vibrotactile Cues during Digital Piano Playing

An exploratory experiment was carried out in which subjects with different musical skills were asked to play a digital piano keyboard, first by following a specific key sequence and style of execution, and then performing freely. Judgments of perceived sound quality were recorded in three different settings, including standard use of the digital piano with its own internal loudspeakers, and conversely use of the same keyboard for controlling a physics-based piano sound synthesis model running on a laptop in real time. Through its audio card, the laptop drove a couple of external loudspeakers, and occasionally a couple of shakers screwed to the bottom of the keyboard. The experiment showed that subjects prefer the combination of sonic and vibrotactile feedback provided by the synthesis model when playing the key sequences, whereas they promote the quality of the original instrument when performing free. Even if springing out of a preliminary evaluation, these results were in good accordance with the development stage of the synthesis software at the time of the experiment. They suggest that vibrotactile feedback modifies, and potentially improves the performer’s experience when playing on a digital piano keyboard.