Absolute Pitch and Its Frequency Range

2011 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Rakowski ◽  
Piotr Rogowski
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Random Order ◽  
Absolute Pitch ◽  
Screening Tests ◽  
Music Students ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Musical Scale ◽  
Loudness Level ◽  
Pure Tones ◽  
Upper Boundary

AbstractThis paper has two distinct parts. Section 1 includes general discussion of the phenomenon of "absolute pitch" (AP), and presentation of various concepts concerning definitions of "full", "partial" and "pseudo" AP. Sections 2-4 include presentation of the experiment concerning frequency range in which absolute pitch appears, and discussion of the experimental results. The experiment was performed with participation of 9 AP experts selected from the population of 250 music students as best scoring in the pitch-naming piano-tone screening tests. Each subject had to recognize chromas of 108 pure tones representing the chromatic musical scale of nine octaves from E0 to D#9. The series of 108 tones was presented to each subject 60 times in random order, diotically, with loudness level about 65 phon. Percentage of correct recognitions (PC) for each tone was computed. The frequency range for the existence of absolute pitch in pure tones, perceived by sensitive AP possessors stretches usually over 5 octaves from about 130.6 Hz (C3) to about 3.951 Hz (B7). However, it was noted that in a single case, the upper boundary of AP was 9.397 Hz (D9). The split-halves method was applied to estimate the reliability of the obtained results.

Absolute Pitch and Relative Pitch in Music Students in the East and the West

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken'ichi Miyazaki ◽  
Andrzej Rakowski ◽  
Sylwia Makomaska ◽  
Cong Jiang ◽  
Minoru Tsuzaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Absolute Pitch ◽  
Music Students ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Japanese Students ◽  
Relative Pitch ◽  
Cultural Conditions ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Musical Context

Absolute pitch (AP)—an ability to identify an isolated pitch without musical context—is commonly believed to be a valuable ability for musicians. However, relative pitch (RP)—an ability to perceive pitch relations—is more important in most musical contexts. In this study, music students in East Asian and Western countries (Japan, China, Poland, Germany, and USA) were tested on AP and RP abilities. In the AP test, 60 single tones were presented in a quasirandom order over a five-octave range. In the RP test, ascending musical intervals from 1 to 11 semitones were presented in four different keys. Participants wrote down note names in the AP test and scale-degree names or musical interval names in the RP test. The conservatory-level Japanese students showed the highest AP performance and more than half of them were classified as accurate AP possessors, but only 10% were classified as accurate RP possessors. In contrast, only a small percentage of participants from Poland, Germany, and the USA were identified as accurate AP possessors, whereas many more were accurate RP possessors. Participants from China were typically intermediate on both measures. These noticeable contrasts between AP and RP performance in different countries suggest influences of the underlying socio-cultural conditions, presumably relating to music education. Given the importance of RP in music, the results suggest that more emphasis should be place on RP training, particularly in East Asian countries.

Comparison of Seven Systems for High-Frequency Air-Conduction Audiometry

1970 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecil K. Myers ◽  
J. Donald Harris
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Frequency Noise ◽  
Noise Band ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Pure Tones ◽  
Auditory Acuity ◽  
Narrow Bands ◽  
Reference Threshold ◽  
Air Conduction

Seven equipment systems were assembled to examine human auditory acuity from 8 to 20 kHz. Two loudspeakers and two earphones were examined, together with two types of stimulus (pure tones and narrow bands of noise) and two psychometric methods (Limits and Adjustments). All systems were capable of providing usably reliable thresholds on 28 ears throughout the whole frequency range. When carefully calibrated, several systems (those involving loudspeakers, as well as those involving earphones) yielded comparable reference threshold sound-pressure levels at the eardrum. A preference was expressed for a system using Bekesy threshold tracking with a changing-frequency noise band of 300 Hz, and for a discrete-tone system using the Method of Constants.

The Effectiveness of a Multisensory Writing Programme for Improving Cursive Writing Ability in Children with Sensorimotor Difficulties

1994 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 206-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Lockhart ◽  
Mary Law
Keyword(s):  
Visual Analysis ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Random Order ◽  
Repeated Measurements ◽  
Writing Ability ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Letter Group ◽  
Teacher Reports ◽  
Positive Effect

Children with sensorimotor difficulties experience significant challenges in the ability to write adequately. A single case experimental design with multiple baselines across behaviours was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a multisensory writing programme for improving the cursive writing ability of four children with sensorimotor difficulties. Five distinct letter groups were taught in random order, one group every two weeks. Repeated measurements of writing speed and quality for each letter group were made. Visual analysis indicated that specific letter groups for all of the children changed following intervention. Statistical analysis indicated that quality scores of one child changed significantly while there were no significant changes in overall speed scores. Teacher reports before and following the programme suggest that intervention may have had a positive effect on self-confidence in written output. Further research is needed to evaluate the use of multisensory writing programmes by occupational therapists working with this specific population.

scholarly journals Rib Design for Improving the Local Stiffness of Gearbox Housing for Agricultural Electric Vehicles

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (21) ◽  
pp. 4571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwan-Hee Son ◽  
Seung-Je Cho ◽  
Young-Jun Park
Keyword(s):  
Electric Vehicles ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Strain Analysis ◽  
Fe Model ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Weak Point ◽  
Model Update ◽  
Increase Rate ◽  
Pure Tones ◽  
Local Stiffness

In this work, a rib design process is proposed to improve the local stiffness of gearbox housing for agricultural electric vehicles. Unlike conventional engines, electric powertrain noise includes high frequency factors and pure tones. Considering these characteristics, local stiffness was evaluated in the frequency range of interest for the prediction of dynamic behavior. The local stiffness of the gearbox housing was evaluated using the finite element (FE) model. Experimental modal analysis and FE model update were conducted to ensure the reliability of the results. Using the results of local stiffness evaluations, the stiffness weak point was identified, and the rib design location was selected through a strain analysis. The shape of the ribs was parameterized by width, length, and height, and parameter studies were used to compare the local stiffness increase rate according to the rib design pattern. According to the results, the stiffness increase rate against the same mass was distributed differently according to the rib shape, and the most efficient rib shape was selected from a manufacturing perspective.

Cognitive Strategies for Monitoring Auditory Signals

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 847-853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elke Wittlieb-Verpoort ◽  
Etienne Perret
Keyword(s):  
Memory Load ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Auditory Discrimination ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
In Series ◽  
Pure Tones ◽  
Auditory Signals

The discrimination of pitches (pure tones) was tested in three experiments with different arrangements of target and distractor tones in a frequency range of 300 to 800 hertz. Subjects had to identify targets in series of 10 to 28 tones with targets and distractors at random. In the first experiment, either one, two, three, or four different targets were given with only one frequency for the distractor tones placed in the middle of the frequency range. In Exp. 2 an alternating frequency arrangement was used, and in Exp. 3 the distractors were frequencies at the beginning and the end of the tone range. Subjects tended to recode target and distractor tones if more than three individual targets had to be rehearsed simultaneously. However, subjects were able to monitor up to five different pitches if the arrangement suggested the recoding of stimuli to reduce memory load (Exps. 1 and 3) and facilitated auditory discrimination (Exp. 3). If not, subjects' performance deteriorated significantly (Exp. 2).

Masking of Tinnitus Compared to Masking of Pure Tones

1984 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard S. Tyler ◽  
David Conrad-Armes
Keyword(s):  
Tuning Curve ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Frequency Resolution ◽  
Signal Frequency ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Apparent Relationship ◽  
Pure Tones ◽  
Frequency Threshold ◽  
High Level ◽  
Tinnitus Masking

In 10 subjects with sensorineural tinnitus (associated with a sensorineural hearing loss and no apparent source for a tinnitus originating elsewhere), the minimum level required to mask the tinnitus was determined for tonal maskers at several masker frequencies. This tinnitus masking pattern was compared to a psychoacoustical tuning curve (PTC) in which the signal frequency and level were determined from tinnitus pitch and loudness matching. Different patterns emerged. One subject showed a near-normal PTC but required high-level maskers across the frequency range to mask the tinnitus. Another subject showed some frequency resolution in the PTC but required low-level maskers across the frequency range to mask the tinnitus. For the remaining eight subjects, the masker levels required to mask the tone were generally higher than those levels required to mask the tinnitus. In addition, it was noted that the tinnitus pitch-match frequency was sometimes associated with an increase or a decrease in threshold sensitivity, or it was found at the low-frequency edge of a steep high-frequency threshold loss. In other subjects there was no apparent relationship between the tinnitus pitch and the audiogram shape.

Absolute pitch: Myths, evidence and relevance to music education and performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 890-901
Author(s):  
Jill Carden ◽  
Tony Cline
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Absolute Pitch ◽  
Educational Needs ◽  
Music Students ◽  
Potential Importance ◽  
Scientific Curiosity ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Perfect Pitch

The assumed extreme rarity of absolute pitch (AP), sometimes known as “perfect pitch”, is not supported by empirical evidence. Instead, studies indicate a prevalence of at least 4% for music students, making AP of potential importance to everyday music education. Considerable scientific curiosity about AP exists, though rarely have research findings been practically applied to music education. This review looks at the evidence of the origins of AP and of the distinct neurological, language and cognitive features of possessors, and considers the relevance of these to music students. The absence of systematically gathered data from those with AP about their experiences is discussed, and implications for the educational needs of this group considered.

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