Ulezo: Mapping Acoustic Properties to Timbre Descriptors in Zambian Luvale Drum Tuning

Amongst Luvale communities in Zambia, drummers tune their instruments by applying ulezo (tuning paste) and heat. In addition to adjusting pitch, this two-step process dramatically impacts timbre. The purposes of this project are to (1) explore the timbral effects of tuning by analyzing audio descriptors generated in the Timbre Toolbox and (2) map these acoustic descriptors onto Luvale timbre descriptors. A data set of individual notes was obtained from field recordings of multiple dance troupes at various stages of the tuning process.