Navigation of Pitch Space on a Digital Musical Instrument with Dynamic Tactile Feedback

We present a study investigating the impact of dynamic tactile feedback on performer navigation of a continuous pitch space on a digital musical instrument. Ten musicians performed a series of blind pitch selection and melodic tasks on a self-contained digital musical instrument with audio-frequency tactile feedback that was generated in response to their interaction. Results from the study show that tactile feedback can positively impact a performer's ability to play in tune when the instrument is hidden from sight, however with a temporal impact on performance. Furthermore, several playing techniques were observed that emerged from the performer's engagement with the tactile feedback conditions. We discuss the implications of our findings in the context of tangible interface design and non-visual interface navigation. We also discuss how our implementation suggests guidelines for future instruments and interfaces incorporating dynamic tactile feedback and present a novel tactile feedback technique that uses tactile 'beating'.