PSYCH 2MP3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 14: Absolute Pitch, Pitch Interval, Relative Pitch
10 Mar 2020
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Studies show that although correct pitch lebelling (ex: c,d,e, etc. ) without a reference pitch may be rare, good pitch memory seems to be widespread. Octave equivalence not the only cue that two melodies differing in pitch may be the same. It is these relationships that people use when recognizing a melody. Whereas absolute pitch refers to the surface" of the music (what we perceive directly from the stimulus), relative pitch involves a perceptual abstraction based on comparing two or more pitches. Relative pitch can be seen as being more important than absolute pitch to listeners. Though it is the dominant way listeners encode musical pitch, it has its limits: although easier to recognize these transposed melodies, musically untrained listeners find it hard to identify an isolated melodic interval (even with training) Melodic contour: the shape of a melody line, in which successive pitches are rising / falling / unchanging in pitch.
