Beginners Tutorial for Short-Time Fourier Transform

This article is designed for beginners, aiming to introduce Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) through MATLAB-based learning. We will first provide a brief overview of Fourier Transform concepts and their applications in signal processing. Then we'll delve into the principles and algorithms behind STFT, including implementation details such as windowing functions (like Hanning or Hamming windows) and overlap-add techniques. The tutorial includes practical MATLAB code examples demonstrating how to compute STFT using functions like spectrogram() or implementing custom STFT algorithms with frame-based processing. We'll also discuss common application scenarios and guide readers on parameter optimization techniques, such as adjusting window size and overlap percentage to balance time-frequency resolution. Additionally, we'll cover key MATLAB functions for STFT visualization and analysis. This tutorial aims to provide comprehensive information to help readers master STFT concepts and their practical implementations.