Dependence of Pitch Perception of Musical Tones on the Degree of Musical Training.

In hearing tests by the method of pair comparison it was found how far the lack of pitch perception was dependent on the degree of musical training. The persons tested were school children of different ages, students, musicians and concert-goers without any musical assets. The limits even for audible pitch differences of successive intervals fluctuate considerably. Moreover the timbre plays a part in so far as when small spectral differences between similar tones make pitch recognition somewhat easier while large differences make it perceptibly more difficult. Through a steady vibrato the determination of pitch is only slightly difficult. The sounds of different spectra can give rise to different pitch impressions. Moreover dependent on the musical instruction different tendencies arise with regard to the shift of pitch of sounds of fundamental frequency. String and wind instrument players judge pitch predominantly on the basis of total impression while people with less experience of making a quick pitch judgement try to make out the pitch from the sound of the fundamental.