BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT OF ABSOLUTE PITCH (AP) ability over the better part of the last century has strongly suggested that a variety of proficiency levels exists and can only be more comprehensively described with the use of rigorous testing providing precise and unbiased reaction times for all responses. This study describes the design, implementation and validation of a computerized test of absolute pitch and resulting data for 51 musicians, 27 of whom self-reported as AP possessors. The test was sensitive to previously reported differences in accuracy and timing for C major diatonic versus non-diatonic notes and showed a range of performance, from perfect to random, including a substantial number of intermediate levels of proficiency. We discuss the implications of detecting such a distribution of behavior as well as the effect of test design and scoring strategies on that distribution.
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December 2009
Research Article|
December 01 2009
A Distribution of Absolute Pitch Ability as Revealed by Computerized Testing
Patrick Bermudez
;
Patrick Bermudez
Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada & BRAMS Laboratory, Montreal, Canada
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Robert J. Zatorre
Robert J. Zatorre
Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada & BRAMS Laboratory, Montreal, Canada
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Music Perception (2009) 27 (2): 89–101.
Citation
Patrick Bermudez, Robert J. Zatorre; A Distribution of Absolute Pitch Ability as Revealed by Computerized Testing. Music Perception 1 December 2009; 27 (2): 89–101. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/mp.2009.27.2.89
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