Timbre is a multidimensional attribute of sound and depends to a large extent on its spectral content. The evaluation and control of timbre is a task commonly performed by sound engineers, loudspeaker designers, and subjects participating in listening tests on the quality of transmitted and reproduced sound. Such listening tasks require specific listening abilities. / This dissertation presents a training method that aims at developing memory for timbre, sensitivity to timbre changes, and listening strategies involving disciplined auditory attention and efficiency. The physical timbre space is divided into categories defined by the center frequency of standard octave and third-octave resonances. This simplification of the physical timbre space allows the memorization of a limited set of perceptual timbre categories or references that can be used to evaluate other timbres. / The proposed method combines the use of computer software for the presentation and evaluation of exercises and individual tutoring sessions with an instructor. The software monitors the actions of listeners during equalization adjustment tasks and allows data to be collected on the sequence of problem solving operators that are used. Performance indicators can thus be compiled and used for the assessment of skill level achieved by the listeners. A global performance index is proposed. / A listening test involving the adjustment of multiple peaks and dips in a sound's spectrum is presented, in which the performance of a group of experienced professionals involved in sound recording and audio post-production was compared with a group of student subjects with comparatively little listening experience but who were trained with the method described in the present work for a period of 6 months. Results indicate that overall the experimental student group outperformed the control group of professionals. Suggestions for further improvement of the training method and performance level assessment are proposed.

A networked multimedia system to assist teaching music keyboard skills to a class is described. Teaching practical music lessons requires a large amount of interaction between the teacher and student and is thus teacher intensive. Although there is a range of computer software available for learning how to play the keyboard, these programs cannot replace the guidance of a music teacher. The possibility of combining the music applications with video conferencing technology for use in a keyboard class is discussed. An ideal system is described that incorporates the benefits of video conferencing and music applications for use in a classroom. A design of the ideal system is described and implemented. Certain design and implementation decisions are explained and the performance of the implementation examined. The system would enable a music teacher to effectively teach a music class keyboard skills.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (DMus)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Music / unrestricted

With the intent of learning more about the process of assessing music ability, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of music learning on music aptitude scores. The problem of this study is to determine if there is a difference between pretest-posttest tonal aptitude scores, as measured by AMMA, for students who possess high and low levels of tonal audiation ability and who either received specialized audiation training on computer or no specialized audiation training. Forty-eight Grade 11 and 12 music students were administered AMMA as a pretest. An intact music class of 24 students received 13 weeks of computer instruction. The experimental treatment consisted of a computer assisted software program, Tonal Syntax Tutorial, which provided audiation practice for high school and college students. A randomly selected group of 24 students received their normal classroom music instruction. Pretest AMMA scores were used as the criterion measure. At the end of 13 weeks, all students were re-administered AMMA as a posttest. AMMA pretest and posttest Tonal scores were organized into a multidimensional design. A covariate analysis of the AMMA scores was calculated and a MANOVA was employed to determine differences between the pretest and posttest AMMA Tonal scores. Main effects, interaction effects, and simple main effects were tested at the .05 level of significance. The researcher found no significant difference between the treatment and control group tonal aptitude scores, however, there was a significant difference between levels of aptitude. It was interpreted that the difference between the students who possessed high tonal aptitude and students who possess low tonal aptitude was not a real difference because the difference in student tonal aptitude levels actually existed before the study began. The researcher believes that AMMA can be a useful instrument in the assessment of music abilities of high school students. Also, based on our present knowledge of computer assisted music instruction, it seems that that type of instruction alone is not sufficient to affect a change in tonal audiation ability of high school students. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

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