Discrimination of pitch direction : a developmental study

• Main Author: Descombes, Valérie.
• Other Authors: Costa-Giomi, Eugenia (advisor)
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: McGill University 1999
• Subjects: Musical pitch.; Musical ability > Testing.
• Online Access: http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=30159

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the ability to perceive pitch direction across a variety of melodic contours differs across grade levels. In addition, differences between responses to ascending versus descending patterns and between responses to two- versus three- versus four-note patterns were examined. === The main study involved two experiments; Experiment 1 examined children's ability to identify pitch direction using a visual aid; Experiment 2 examined children's spontaneous notations of the same melodic contours. === The results showed a subsequent increase in mean scores from grades 1 to 6 across both tests. The clearest increase in ability occurred within the first three grades with a plateau reached by grade four. Same-pitch patterns received the highest overall means. The ability to identify direction using a visual aid was easier for children than to write spontaneous notations. Melodic contours with larger intervals were more easily perceived.