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Discrimination of pitch direction : a developmental study

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.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.30159
Date January 1999
CreatorsDescombes, Valérie.
ContributorsCosta-Giomi, Eugenia (advisor)
PublisherMcGill University
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Formatapplication/pdf
CoverageMaster of Arts (Faculty of Music.)
RightsAll items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
Relationalephsysno: 001747052, proquestno: MQ64141, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest.

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