This study investigated the music-reading errors of 6--13-year-old piano students (n = 35) as they read three unfamiliar musical pieces. The musical pieces were similar in terms of tonality, and rhythmic and melodic complexity, but differed in terms of simultaneity of left- and right hand and complexity of left-hand arrangement. / Pitch errors were examined in terms of frequency, placement, and type. Of all pitches played, 23% were incorrect pitches. However, 30% of the incorrect pitches were followed by an immediate correction (self-correction). There were significantly more errors made in the left-hand parts than in right-hand parts of all three pieces. The most common error type was erroneous pitches, followed by redundant and omitted pitch errors respectively. Erroneous pitches were significantly more often contour preserving than contour violating. The younger children made significantly more redundant pitch errors and contour violating pitch errors than did the older children and the younger children tended to make more self-corrections than did the older children. / Timing data were examined in terms of the length of performances and in terms of the length and frequency of pauses. No significant differences were found between pieces or age groups in terms of timing. A high frequency of pauses was noted in both age groups. Evidence drawn from pitch and timing errors suggested that the children in this study tried to play all the pitches in the score with little or no consideration for the rhythmic information in the score. This finding was in accordance with results of previous studies on children and music reading. Implications for music education and research are discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.82885 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Gudmundsdottir, Helga Rut |
| Contributors | Costa-Giomi, Eugenia (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Faculty of Music.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001986563, proquestno: AAINQ88481, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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