Methods for Pitch Analysis in Contemporary Popular Music: Multiple Pitches From Harmonic Tones in Vitalic’s Music

Deruty E, Meredith D, Grachten M, Arbez-Nicolas P, Jørgensen AH, Hansen OS, Petersen CN, Stensli M. Methods for Pitch Analysis in Contemporary Popular Music: Multiple Pitches From Harmonic Tones in Vitalic’s Music. J Audio Eng Soc. 2026;74(5):270-287. doi:10.17743/jaes.2022.0264

@article{Deruty2026_23141,
  author = {Deruty, Emmanuel and Meredith, David and Grachten, Maarten and Arbez-Nicolas, Pascal and Jørgensen, Andreas Hasselholt and Hansen, Oliver Søndermølle and Petersen, Christian Nørkær and Stensli, Magnus},
  title = {{Methods for Pitch Analysis in Contemporary Popular Music: Multiple Pitches From Harmonic Tones in Vitalic’s Music}},
  journal = {Journal of the Audio Engineering Society},
  volume = {74},
  number = {5},
  pages = {270--287},
  year = {2026},
  month = may,
  publisher = {Audio Engineering Society},
  doi = {10.17743/jaes.2022.0264},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2022.0264}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Methods for Pitch Analysis in Contemporary Popular Music: Multiple Pitches From Harmonic Tones in Vitalic’s Music
AU  - Deruty, Emmanuel
AU  - Meredith, David
AU  - Grachten, Maarten
AU  - Arbez-Nicolas, Pascal
AU  - Jørgensen, Andreas Hasselholt
AU  - Hansen, Oliver Søndermølle
AU  - Petersen, Christian Nørkær
AU  - Stensli, Magnus
T2  - Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
J2  - J. Audio Eng. Soc.
VL  - 74
IS  - 5
SP  - 270
EP  - 287
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/12
DO  - 10.17743/jaes.2022.0264
UR  - https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2022.0264
PB  - Audio Engineering Society
LA  - en
AB  - This study shows that contemporary popular music with electronic elements can intentionally exploit multiple or ambiguous pitch perceptions arising from a single harmonic complex tone. The phenomenon is illustrated with examples from the work of electronic artist Vitalic and from widely used electronically mediated tones. Two listening tests were conducted: (1) evaluation of the number of simultaneous pitches perceived in sequences of quasi-harmonic tones, and (2) manual pitch transcription of selected sequences. Relationships between signal characteristics and pitch perception were subsequently analyzed. In the musical sequences under consideration, the synthesized harmonic tones were found to convey a greater number of perceived pitches than the acoustic tones. Multiple ambiguous pitches were associated with features such as prominent upper partials and specific autocorrelation profiles. In contemporary popular music with an electronic component, harmonic tones can convey multiple ambiguous pitches. The set of perceived pitches depends on both the listener and the listening conditions.
ER  -